¿Por qué? 101 Questions About Spanish

¿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.

Table of Contents:
Detailed Table of Contents List of tables List of illustrations List of boxes Acknowledgements Copyright Acknowledgements Preface Part one: Spanish in Context 1. Spanish Today 2. From Latin to Spanish 3. Spanish and Romance 4. Spanish and other languages 5. Learning Spanish Part two: Inside Spanish 6. Spanish vocabulary 7. The written language 8. The sounds of Spanish 9. Names, nouns, and pronouns 10. Where the action is: Spanish verbs 11. Building sentences: The syntax of Spanish Notes References Index

About the Author :
Judy Hochberg has a PhD in linguistics from Stanford University. She has published extensively on Spanish first language acquisition and sociolinguistics, as well as other topics in linguistics. She teaches Spanish at Fordham University, USA.

Review :
Judy Hochberg’s delightful new book ¿Por qué? 101 Questions about Spanish … is an engrossing and meticulously researched 326-page book that will be a joy to read for any Spanish linguistics teacher, general linguist, Spanish speaker, or any person curious about how language (and Spanish in particular) functions … [A] book many will wish they could have read when they embarked on their adventure in language learning and teaching. Those who find language learning nightmarish may well be beguiled ... The book treats queries on matters such as Latin's metamorphosis into Spanish, the famous ñ ... and, yes, the plaintive cry - to which Hochberg's reply is supremely reassuring - "is it too late for me to learn Spanish?" A great read. Working around 101 questions and the answers to them, this punchy format really adds to the book’s appeal ... Highly recommended! [Hochberg's] approach is both playful and academic, and the linguistic interrogations triggered by her own experiences as a student, researcher and teacher benefit from deftly structured and well-documented answers ... Hochberg’s meticulously researched book offers an invigorating perspective on how a language can be learned, taught, and – let’s give the question mark the pride of place – subjected to obstinate and fruitful enquiries. ¿Por qué? is valuable even for skilled Spanish speakers. It will help us to know much more and to be proud of our language. A masterclass in linguistic exposition - a hugely illuminating blend of historical explanation and present-day world-wide usage. English readers will especially appreciate the clarifying glosses and analogies. All languages need introductions like this one. An engaging, fun, and authoritative tour through the history and structure of the Spanish language. This book will delight anyone with a passing or even a serious interest in Spanish. This book presents questions and answers in a popular idiom which is engaging for students and general readers alike, but its answers are authoritative and reliable, and its further reading recommendations are judicious. Reading the book from cover to cover will in itself provide a good overview of Spanish linguistics and elucidate a number of questions concerning Spanish usage, including many which people often ask but which are rarely answered in academic textbooks. Concise and elegant, yet thorough and well-informed, this treasure of a book by an experienced scholar and teacher will provide students, instructors, and the general public alike with a wonderfully readable set of introductory answers to the questions that lovers of Spanish worldwide have always wondered about. This tour de force will be tremendously engaging and enjoyable for everyone interested in the structure of Spanish. It will appeal to both linguists and laypeople alike, and would be an excellent choice for introductory-level Hispanic Linguistics courses. With her elegant writing style, Hochberg succeeds at making a vast amount of well-researched information highly accessible and genuinely entertaining.