Spanish Buff
If you think
A Southfield teacher
publishes her own textbook series.
the name is different...
JULIE WIENER
Staff Writer
...wait 'til you see
R
uth Moltz is a firm believer
that "you never know where
life will take you." Her own
life is a perfect illustration.
When she enrolled at Wayne State
University in the 1960s, Moltz wanted
to be an artist and go to Mexico to
paint.
While refining her language skills
(she had started learning Spanish while
the store.
ZYZYX!
On The Boardwalk
Spanish-speaking countries is brought
in through pen-pals of the characters.
"The nice thing about Spanish is
that you don't have to leave the country
to use it," explained Moltz. "It's not a
foreign language." Another unique fea-
ture of Companeros is its integrated
approach to grammar, an approach
Moltz has been using in her classroom
for 20 years.
"We reorganized the manner in
which [grammatical concepts] are
introduced and made it more like peo-
in West Bloomfield
0
Opening in October
TUESDAY, OCT. 14, 7:30 PM
AS PART OF OUR
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION:
ALLEGRA GOODMAN
DISCUSSES & SIGNS
THE FAMILY MARKOWI7Z
Enter the world of The Family
Markowitz and enter what Michiko
Kalcutani of The New York Times
called "one of the most engaging,
maddening and recognizable families
to come along in years." With the
publication of this book, Allegra
Goodman earned herself a much-
deserved standing alongside such
celebrated observers of Jewish-
American life as Philip Roth, Grace
Paley, and Woody Allen. Goodman
brilliantly brings to life the hilarious,
touching, and complex characters
who make up three generations of a
memorable family.
10/10
1997
10
DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM
34300 WOODWARD AVE.
(248) 203-0005
Washington Square Trade Paper, $12.00
Photo credit: Lydia May
FIND OUT.
BORDERS
E:
S AILS!
CAFE'
at Mumford High School), she
Ruth Moltz ple actually learn a language,"
realized she liked Spanish more
shows off her said Moltz. "A couple doesn't get
text book.
than painting and decided to
together and agree only to talk
join the foreign service.
in the present tense to their kids,
However, when she got mar-
then wait a few months to bring
ried, she opted for the more practical
in other tenses and comparisons."
career of teaching, and to her surprise
The textbook is the culmination Of
found a new passion: the classroom.
almost 10 years of work, says Moltz,
Now, with Henry Ford Community
who wrote while continuing her full-
College instructor Thomas Claerr, the
time teaching load. "Fortunately, I
Southfield High Spanish teacher has
function well on only six hours of
authored a three-part series of text-
sleep," she said.
books entitled Companeros (Spanish for
Despite Moltz and Claerr's dedica-
"pals").
tion to the project, there were times it
Unlike most Spanish textbooks,
seemed like a bad luck charm. With the
Companeros --- which will be distrib-
manuscript completed and in the edito-
uted nationally by Amsco School
rial process, its editor developed carpal
Publications — focuses on Spanish-
tunnel syndrome and the company's
speaking culture within the United
foreign language editor died. Then,
States rather than in other countries.
when the publisher died, the company
The series teaches conversation and
went through reorganization, and
grammar by following the adventures
Companeros was put on hold until
of Latino teens in an unnamed
1995.
American city. Information about other
With the project finally back on