A consistent instructional sequence and a task-based approach foster learning

A chapter opener and Acercamientos section introduce students to the theme and the global task that they will carry out in the chapter and present preliminary information on the country that is the cultural focal point of the chapter.
Practical instruction helps students view what they’re learning in context.

Vocabulario en contexto sections introduce the lesson’s active vocabulary in context, through a series of activities and micro-tasks that focus primarily on comprehension with some guided output. Visuals, text, audio, and instructor discourse combine to create broad and varied sources of input.
Lengua en contexto sections present the target structures in context from a functional, usage-based perspective. Each activity encourages the establishment of connections between forms and meanings, giving learners a true understanding of the Spanish language. All activities and micro-tasks encourage production in a guided manner.

Interacciones sections engage students in collaborative pair- and group-work tasks that focus on meaning, targeting the development of interpersonal oral discourse and interactional strategies. Included Situaciones role-play activities (also available for completion as LiveChat activities in MyLab™ Spanish) facilitate authentic interactions between students that foster language learning.
Tarea global sections prompt students to use the resources learned in the previous sections to carry out a collaborative task comprised of various steps (pasos) representing different skills and levels of difficulty. The final linguistic focus of each task gives students an opportunity to reflect on the language goals of the chapter and progress in their language learning. Ayuda boxes provide specific grammatical and functional aids to help students as they carry out the collaborative task.
A process-oriented approach to reading and writing boosts practical mastery.

Gente que lee reading sections facilitate development of discourse-based, strategic reading through content-based, process-oriented reading tasks. Readings are based on a variety of sources and genres that cover a wide range of topics. Focused pre- and post-reading activities develop a range of reading comprehension skills, such as predicting content, understanding the main idea, and identifying topic sentences. As a result, students begin to read purposefully, efficiently, and effectively.
UPDATED - In order to better align with the Gente que lee reading sections, the Gente que escribe writing sections have been revised to employ a more process-oriented approach. These real-life writing tasks help students learn to write as a process of creating, sharing, and revising ideas and sentences. Más allá de la frase boxes give learners linguistic tools to improve their written discourse abilities. The new post-writing section approaches editing as a formative and collaborative process in which students are guided through both the assessment of their peers’ work and the revision of their own writing.

UPDATED - Comparaciones culturales sections encourage students to further explore the Spanish-speaking cultures and societies around the world and in the United States. For the 4th Edition, these sections have been expanded to include relevant and updated cultural content about the entire Spanish-speaking world as well as new content about the focus country and its people’s influence in the United States. New activities foster comparisons and cross-cultural awareness.
Chapter-ending tools help students review what they’ve learned.

Vocabulario sections provide an all-inclusive list of active vocabulary within that chapter’s learning sequence. Students can listen to these words pronounced by a native speaker within MyLab Spanish and practice their pronunciation.
UPDATED - Consultorio lingüístico grammar reference sections provide instruction on the target grammar points of the chapter. Presented in English for easier comprehension, these sections help facilitate processing and understanding of the linguistic and metalinguistic aspects of the language. For the 4th Edition, these sections have been extensively reviewed and expanded to facilitate processing and understanding of Spanish grammar structures.

New and updated content better helps students learn by doing

NEW - Learning objectives as “can-do” statements align with ACTFL standards. Learning objectives related to presentational and interpersonal communication, interpretive communication, and intercultural competence appear at the beginning of each chapter. These objectives are written as “can-do” statements that students can own, work toward, and achieve. Students are also encouraged to review and reflect on their progress at the conclusion of each chapter’s tarea through completion of a progress self-assessment.
UPDATED - The chapter organization and tareas have been revised to incorporate new or updated themes relevant to today’s students and society.

The themes of several chapters have been revised, including updated activities and new tareas. These include:

Chapter 5 changed from Gente en forma to Gente que estudia
Chapter 6 changed from Gente en la casa y en el trabajo to Gente que trabaja
Chapter 10 changed from Gente e historias (I) to Gente extraordinaria
Chapter 11 changed from Gente e historias (II) to Gente e historias
Chapter 12 changed from Gente sana to Gente, salud y deportes
Chapter 17 changed from Gente que cuenta historias to Gente y derechos
Chapter 19 changed from Gente que opina to Gente y desarrollo
Chapter 20 changed from Gente con sentimientos to Gente y medio ambiente

The tareas for chapters 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18 have been revised to better connect with students’ lives, better reflect today’s society, and/or better allow for completion of the full task within class time.
The countries of focus of chapters 5 and 15 have been switched from Colombia to Spain.

UPDATED - The testing program has been overhauled to ensure that assessment and learning are pedagogically aligned. The new task-based assessment program is formative and performance-based. Students are asked to perform target tasks at different points in the program, and are assessed on the quality of their performance. The tasks assess productive language skills and are integrative (i.e. they incorporate more than one skill, like reading a text in order to complete a speaking or writing task). Assessment rubrics that provide both task accomplishment criteria and language proficiency criteria provide students with individualized feedback.
UPDATED - The grammar scope and sequence has been revised to better help students learn how to use grammar practically. Because grammar is acquired gradually and in a spiral (not additive) fashion, key grammar structures reappear at different points throughout the program.
UPDATED - A more integrated video program engages students as they read.

Club cultura videos have been integrated throughout the text and now introduce each chapter (with the exception of Chapter 1). These vibrant videos were shot on location in 21 countries to immerse students in the nuances of culture and the Spanish language. The full series of Club cultura videos, along with related activities, remains available to students and instructors in MyLab Spanish.
Additional videos on the chapter’s country of focus have been integrated into the Comparaciones culturales section (in most chapters) to further engage students in the cultural customs and daily life of native speakers, including their traditions, history, and festivals.

Also available via MyLab Spanish
MyLab is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools and a flexible platform, MyLab personalizes the learning experience and improves results for each student. Learn more about MyLab Spanish.

Reach every student with MyLab

Teach your course your way: Your course is unique. So whether you’d like to build your own assignments, teach multiple sections, or set prerequisites, MyLab gives you the flexibility to easily create your course to fit your needs.
Empower each learner: Each student learns at a different pace. Personalized learning pinpoints the precise areas where each student needs practice, giving all students the support they need – when and where they need it – to be successful.

Optional English Grammar Readiness Checks test students' understanding of grammar topics in English and provide personalized remediation via animated tutorials.
Point of Need Student Feedback including Feedback Bubbles give students instant hints on how to approach an activity and/or why a given answer is incorrect. When students try again, the "Need help?" feature links to specific sections in the eText and additional related resources to help students improve their performance.
Synchronous Audio and Video Recording Tools enable instructors to easily facilitate oral practice outside the classroom. These tools let learners engage in online video and audio chats with other students in the class and record their conversations. The recordings are sent to the grade book where instructors can review, leave feedback, and assign a grade.
NEW - Enhanced functionality complements the authors’ narrative. Highlights include:

a fully revised student activities manual, written by the text’s authors
the full Club cultura video series and related activities
new online student activities tied to Estrategias para leer, Estrategias para escribir, and Mas allá de la frase strategy boxes in the text
a new LiveChat activity tied to the Situaciones activity within Interacciones
a streamlined, more user-friendly left navigation within the course

Deliver trusted content: You deserve teaching materials that meet your own high standards for your course. That’s why we partner with highly respected authors to develop interactive content and course-specific resources that you can trust – and that keep your students engaged.
Improve student results: When you teach with MyLab, student performance often improves. That’s why instructors have chosen MyLab for over 15 years, touching the lives of over 50 million students.

Check out the preface for a complete list of features and what's new in this edition.

Gente: A task-based approach to learning Spanish, 4th edition

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