Anderson Spanish teacher gets national recognition for CD
from "The Herald Bulletin", Anderson, Indiana

JUNE 4, 2001 — Singing helps increase foreign language retention and makes learning more fun, according to Anderson teacher Elise Carr Sumner. She has produced a 28-song CD to help people learn Spanish. "Many people in Indiana now want to learn Spanish because of the growth in Hispanic population. Individuals wishing to learn Spanish on their own can use these songs as supplementary material. I have taught high school and college for 20 years and always found that students learn more when I teach with music."

Viva La Musica, which is available at the Amazon website, contains 28 songs written and sung by Mrs. Sumner. It includes an accompanying 61-page booklet with lyrics in Spanish and English. An April review in the School Library Journal says, "Spanish language classes will enjoy these unique and entertaining songs written and sung by Elise Carr Sumner."

The School Library Journal review continues: "Songs range from basic phrases such as 'Cómo Está Usted?' (How Are You?) to complicated themes on love, family life, and even a song dedicated to the literary character Don Quixote de la Mancha…. Other songs for more advanced Spanish students introduce more complex sentence structure and verb usage such as "Cuidado, Don Quixote," (Careful, Don Quixote), "Pepito," and "Siempre La Misma?" (Always The Same). Viva la Musica is a must for Spanish classes."

"Singing is a wonderful way to learn Spanish," says Dr. Karen Steves, a Spanish professor at Ball State. "Vocabulary, grammar and correct pronunciation are learned without painful memorization. Retention is greater, too. These songs are short, vocabulary-specific and fun," she adds.

Elise Carr Sumner teaches adult Spanish classes at the Anderson YWCA and private lessons. She earned a B.A. from Purdue and an M.A. from New York University's program in Madrid, Spain. The CD with lyric booklet sells for $20. To order your copy of ¡Viva la Música!, click here.