"This book documents the latest research findings about the success of free voluntary reading in developing high levels of literacy"--Provided by publisher.

In uniting theory on and practice in the use of Spanish for persons whose home language is Spanish, the editors demonstrate the role played by home languages in cognitive and social development. The approaches covered include linguistics, sociological and foreign language and pedagogical issues.

¿Por qué? 101 Questions about Spanish is for anyone who wants to understand how Spanish really works. Standard textbooks and grammars describe the "what" of Spanish - its vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and pronunciation - but ¿Por qué? explains the "why". Judy Hochberg draws on linguistic principles, Hispanic culture, and language history to answer questions such as: Why are so many Spanish verbs irregular? - Why does Spanish have different ways to say "you"? - Why is h silent? - Why doesn't Spanish use apostrophes? - Why does Castilian Spanish have the th sound? Packed with information, guidance, and links to further research, ¿Por qué? is an accessible study guide that is suitable for Spanish students, instructors, native speakers, and the general reader. It is a valuable supplementary text for serious students of Spanish at all levels, from beginning to advanced. ¿Por qué? also covers topics usually left to specialized books, including the evolution of Spanish, how children and adults learn Spanish, and the status of languages that co-exist with Spanish, from Catalan to Spanish sign language to the indigenous languages of Latin America.

SPANISH FOR NATIVE SPEAKERS, brings together some of the best known scholars in the field of Spanish-Language instruction, especially as concerns the "native" or "heritage" speaker. The following articles are accompanied by extensive bibliographies that are valuable resources for anyone interested in heritage speaker instruction.