What is so awful about teaching beginning Spanish is not having the power to do anything interesting with it. If I were in power I would have innovative programs such as conversation partners outside of class, more structured grammar exercises, and greatly stepped-up cultural programming. But SLA is not my job or focus, either … … More I wanted to say it on Facebook, but they know me there
I must be in different ones. People, it seems, have decided they must learn to relinquish “control,” and I suppose they are right, but I need to exert more of it. They also need better self-discipline, they are sure, but I do not. I do wonder where they learned to sing this song, more self-discipline … More Paradigm, episteme
I have worked in others and only this university seems like such a rough neighborhood. The jackbooted bosses and the assembly line. Like the oilfield, I had thought to say, but I am not sure; it could be cruder and ruder. A recent study indicated that Louisiana was the worst state in the union for … More A few more things I say and know … and some phantasmagoria I have
Eso. #OccupyHE. Axé.
Perhaps it is because of being from the west and meditating on the ocean. I like and have balance and calm, which is not laziness. People from New England are brash, loud, crass, immature, and anxious, so they have much harder lives than I do. Perhaps I have been on strike all these years, against … More …endless academic advice…
I must rewrite/meld together my two posts for Remaking the University, together with the part they thought was too undeveloped, and submit it to The Nation. People in summer wanted me to send to NYT or WSJ but word limits there are not right, and it turns out that Nation readers are as deluded about … More Not to forget
I am not convinced by the current Mignolo; I think “decolonial” is a fuzzy category; I liked his things from earlier on, though. Nebrija in the New World: Renaissance Philosophy of Language and the Spread of Western Literacy 1. Looking back from Bernardo J. de Aldrete: the linguistic unification of Spain and the linguistic diversity … More Mignolo 1995, chapter 1, parts 1-2, lots of fun
She has written me a letter. Another one she wrote, if I remember well, asked for donations for Katrina victims. Now I am to renew my MLA membership. Here is why: As we prepare for another MLA convention, which will take place in Chicago from 9 to 12 January 2014, I wanted to remind you … More Rosemary Geisdorfer Feal
Be confident, put your own best interests first, and above all, do not fret. At the same time, show no weakness. I do not mean be perfect, I mean show no weakness. What new faculty get away with when they are men, however, truly amazes me. Axé.
You can do it in the lower division if you are not teaching multisection, multiterm courses and interfacing with terminal M.A. adjuncts and fly-by-night textbook companies. Otherwise, you cannot, and it is not your fault. You can do it in the upper division if you teach these courses like lower division ones. That makes life … More Saving time on teaching — in a formerly regional university
coldhearted scientist وداد 