Your students are changing. Technology is changing. The idea of the classroom is changing. Now, the way your students learn German is changing as well.In preparation for this edition of Kontakte, we conducted extensive research, employing a wide array of research tools including surveys, focus groups, and ethnographic studies to identify the key goals and challenges of the introductory German course. Not surprisingly, communication and cultural competence are among the top goals of the majority of instructors, who are facing the challenges of fewer contact hours, budget cuts, and new course formats that make these goals difficult to achieve. The Seventh Edition of Kontaktecontinues to offer a truly communicative approach that supports functional proficiency while responding to these changing needs in new and exciting ways. As a direct result of our research, we created Connect German (www.connectgerman.com), a powerful online learning platform that includes the ebook, the online Arbeitsbuch, an audio/video chat feature, and a brand-new video filmed in Leipzig, thereby offering a flexible solution for the evolving introductory German landscape. Enhanced by these powerful new digital tools, the Seventh Edition of Kontaktedoes the following: Engages students in authentic culture and inspires them to communicate with confidence by providing them with the natural contexts they need to develop their language skills Provides tools for flexibility and easy course administration Achieves consistent results across the different course formats offered: face-to-face, hybrid, and online.