Palabra abierta,2/e, is a theme-driven and process-based Spanish composition text designed to develop advanced students' critical-thinking skills and academic writing proficiency. Through a functional grammar approach students learn about a variety of genres, with a particular focus on the academic essay. Each chapter explores multiple aspects of a common theme through various written genres and teaches students about functional components that constitute each of the genres presented. Each chapter also includes one model essay that demonstrates the genre in which students will be asked to compose. Readings and activities provide students with the appropriate vocabulary, linguistic structures, and writing strategies to allow them to meaningfully engage in chapter topics as well as diversify and expand their writing skills. New!Streamlined grammar sections make the material more accessible to students. New!Coverage of Spanish influences in the U.S. focuses on the needs of heritage speakers, presenting characteristics of the language as used in bilingual situations. Variety of authentic texts introduces students to a wide range of genres, including poems, short stories, legends, newspaper and magazine articles, and essays, enabling them to address the same theme from differing points of view. Functional approach to grammar presents text-based grammar descriptions that enable students to see how the language is used in different contexts. For example, conjunctions are presented in the context of a short story that shows how they add to or change the meaning of the text. Streamlined coverage of the writing process begins with a functional analysis of the genre students are asked to compose, provides exercises to help students hone their skills, and then asks them to engage in the writing task. Process-writing approach focuses on high-interest themes presented through authentic reading selections and critical-thinking activities that students use in peer-editing tasks, group writing, and analysis of student samples. Critical-thinking support for each reading selection includes guided pre-reading activities inAcercaacute;ndonos al texto,post-reading analysis inInteractuando con el texto,and post-reading/writing activities inCreando textos. Presentation of dialectal varieties exposes students to the diversity of the Spanish language.