¡Con brío! - PROGRAM SAMPLER

Preface In language as in performance, a strong foundation is the basis for developing the core knowledge, strategies, and fluidity to speak Spanish with confidence and with brio! ¡Con brío! , Fourth Edition prepares studentswith that foundation through the use of real, everyday situations that move the student from Spanish learner to Spanish speaker. With the confidence that students gain from the strong building blocks that ¡Con brío!, Fourth Edition provides, they can take center stage in using Spanish to communicate with others both inside and outside the classroom. This 12-chapter introductory program takes a highly practical approach with a simple chapter structure, activities that students find relevant and reflective of everyday conversations, easy access to media including new video segments, and a wealth of teaching, learning, and practice resources on the ¡Con brío! Supersite . ACTFL’s revised Proficiency Guidelines remind us of what beginning speakers can and will do with the language. This fourth edition of ¡Con brío! is keenly focused on helping them do it with confidence and gusto. Why ¡Con brío! Is Successful: 1. Equips students with vocabulary they will really use. Illustrations that establish the context of each chapter’s three Escenas present high-frequency, everyday vocabulary; activities following these illustrations move students very quickly from identifying new vocabulary to using it in real conversations. Special effort has been made to select words that are standard among most Spanish speakers, with lexical variations presented in annotations to the instructor for presentation to the class as needed. The NEW ¡Con brío! Supersite supports vocabulary acquisition with a fully online vText, assignable textbook activities, audio of the vocabulary, and Partner Chat activities. 2. Focuses on the grammar beginning speakers need. Grammar and other linguistic information are integrated according to their importance in creating the solid foundation that gives students learning with ¡Con brío! Fourth Edition the confidence to speak Spanish. Each chapter has between three and six Gramática sections that present major grammar concepts essential to beginning students. Each Gramática is preceded by a comic strip providing a contextualized introduction to the concept. Example sentences of grammar in use drawn from the comic strip stories link grammar explanations right back to this illustration. Animated grammar tutorials, assignable textbook activities, Partner Chat activities, as well as the WebSAM are accessible through the new ¡Con brío! Supersite to support learning and independent practice. 3. Builds skills through a variety of engaging activities. • Sequencing Each ¡En acción! activity set begins with one tightly-structured practice exercise designed to “ground” the student and build all-important self-confidence. This initial exercise is followed by carefully sequenced semi-controlled and then more open ended communicative activities. • Variety ¡Con brío! Fourth Edition includes both whole- class activities lead by the instructor and a significant number of pair and small-group activities. Instructors can pick and choose from a rich selection of vocabulary and grammar practice activities depending on class time available. Activities are designed to be engaging, practical, and relevant. • Flexibility A complete set of print and technology program components to equip you with the materials you need to make learning Spanish easier. 4. Integrates four-skills practice. The Tu mundo en vivo section at the end of each chapter provides culture-based input activities ( ¡Videos en acción!, ¡Diálogos en acción!, and ¡Lectura en acción! ) and a variety of output activities ( ¡A conversar!, ¡A escribir!, and ¡A investigar! ) that draw on all language skills. All the pair activities can be done online on the ¡Con brío! Supersite . The accompanying strategies give students the tools to express their own ideas in Spanish within a real-life context/environment. Instructors’ annotations identify related ACTFL standards and modes of communication. • ¡Videos en acción! consists of two short videos featuring native speakers and cultural topics drawn from chapter themes accompanied by Antes de ver el video and Después de ver el video activities that appear in the textbook and interactive Mientras ves el video activities found on the ¡Con brío! Supersite . xvi