Conexiones : Comunicacisn y Cultura

El libro que ahora lees es un curso español intermedio emocionante que ofrece asuntos de alto interés, una revisión eficaz y ordenada de puntos gramaticales seleccionados y una integración cuidadosa de la lengua y de la cultura. Los asuntos de cada capítulo reflejan los intereses que concierne a los estudiantes de hoy, tanto en los últimos cursos de high school como de la misma universidad, proveyendo a estos estudiantes de muchas oportunidades para hacer conexiones con lo que están discutiendo en otros cursos. Esta edición consiste en una lección preliminar seguida por doce lecciones. Cada lección del texto del estudiante sintetiza el desarrollo de las habilidades de la lengua y del conocimiento cultural con el uso activo del arte, de la música, y de la literatura del mundo de habla hispana.

Conexiones We trust that you will enjoy the Second Edition ofConexiones: Comunicacion y cultura.The first edition ofConexiones(1999) quickly became a popular intermediate Spanish program in colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. As authors, we are delighted with the favorable reviews, e-mails, and comments received from colleagues and students. In the preparation of the Second Edition, we have made good use of this valuable feedback. Many suggestions have been incorporated into this new edition and we are delighted to share them with you. Conexiones, Second Edition,continues to be an exciting Intermediate Spanish course that features high-interest topics, an effective and uniquely sequenced review of selected grammatical points, and a thorough integration of language and culture. Chapter topics reflect issues of interest and concern to today's college and university students, providing students with many opportunities to make connections with topics they're discussing in other courses. Each chapter of the student text synthesizes the development of language skills and cultural awareness through the active use of art, music, and literature from the Spanish-speaking world. Activities are designed to foster involvement, participation, and exchange in discussion and compositions. Active, personalized, and real communication about actual issues and experiences is at the heart ofConexiones. Sequence and Organization of Structure Review The sequence and organization of the review and presentation of Spanish grammatical structures inConexionesis motivated by concerns expressed by instructors from around the country. The concern we share is that the grammar sequence in most Intermediate Spanish programs places verbal moods and tenses presented in the second half of introductory courses also in the second half of intermediate texts. This repetition of a first-year sequence results in students progressing to advanced levels without a thorough understanding of the indicative and subjunctive moods and without a concrete grounding in the forms and usage of certain tenses. Even worse, students who do not study beyond the intermediate level leave their typical four-semester study of Spanish with little more than first-year competence. Conexionesoffers an alternative. It begins with a preliminaryLeccionthat reacquaints students with the Spanish they have already learned and prepares them for the transition to a higher level. Students discuss their interests and goals, and how Spanish will fit into their future. Then,Leccion1 reviews the preterit and imperfect tenses, equipping students to shift back and forth naturally between the present and the past as they speak, read, and write throughout the course. The review of the present subjunctive begins inLeccion2; students are exposed to and use the subjunctive mood alongside the indicative all through the program, refining their understanding of both the concept and usage of mood--essential to Spanish and other languages--throughout the intermediate level of study. This approach results in a classroom language environment that reflects the way in which Spanish is spoken by millions of people around the world and in which students are increasingly likely to experience it at home in the United States and Canada. Highlights of the Second Edition Scope and sequence.With the idea of achieving a more functional and even distribution, the following additions and changes have been made: Leccion preliminar.A new warm-up chapter helps prepare students for intermediate-level Spanish. This chapter serves as a bridge between the elementary and the intermediate levels in terms of theme (iexcl;Hagamos conexiones!), vocabul