Learn Spanish Abroad: Latin American Literature Part I

When you learn Spanish abroad, you will find that you learn more than just a new language. When you study Spanish in Peru, Argentina or Chile, you will also find that you learn a great deal about the culture and history of these regions. One way to do accomplish this is through exploring the rich tradition of literature in these countries.

The importance of literature in Latin America can be traced back to the Pre-Columbian days. While literature at this time was primarily passed orally down from generation to generation, there was a strong tradition that was quite important to civilization. Luckily, some of the oral narrative has been preserved to this day. Typically, this very early literature deals with mythology and religion.

If you are interested in the early history of Latin America, it is also useful to look at literature produced during the colonial period. Much of this text that was written deals with the experiences of the conquistadores and explorers. A few examples are Bernal Diaz del Castillo's account of the conquest of Mexico and Bartoleme de las Casas's Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies. This literature provides the reader with some unique insights into this time period and also issues that surfaced due to colonization.

Of course, it is extremely valuable to read the literature written from the native's accounts as well. If you study Spanish in Peru, you will find that there are some fascinating Peruvian writers in particular. It is useful to read authors include El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Guaman Poma.

El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega was a historian who is often read due to his tremendous contributions to the understanding of the society of the Incans in the 1500's. In fact, this writer is so important to Peruvian culture that the main stadium in Cusco was named after him in the 1950's.

Guaman Poma was an indigenous Peruvian who wrote about how he was unsatisfied with the way the people of the Andes were treated after the Spanish conquest. He wrote the illustrated chronicle Nueva Coronica y Buen. Due to the fact that Poma used Quecha words in this document, it helped scholars later on to learn more about this language. This 1189 page document described various injustices the people faced. It is interesting to note that while the book was addressed to the King of Spain, the King never actually received this document.

When you learn Spanish abroad, you have the benefit of gaining insights into a culture that has a fascinating history. Anyone with an interest in ancient times will find reading this early literature to be an exciting experience. Even if you already know a great deal about Latin American civilization, you will find that your knowledge is heightened even further when you have an experience to read the early literature of the region.

When you attend one of Latin Immersion's Spanish language schools you will have many chances to look into the region's impressive literature. Through the organization you can study Spanish in Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

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