McGraw-Hill Education ¡De viva voz!: An Intermediate Conversation and Grammar Review Course (Student Edition + Listening Comprehension Audio CD)

¡De viva voz! is an exciting new Spanish conversation text that focuses on the development of oral communication while providing a review of key grammatical structures in a very approachable and "non-threatening" manner. Intermediate students have generally had the equivalent of a first-year overview of the language and in many cases are in transition to third-year culture/literature courses. They have a lot of information "in their heads," but they often still have the need for conversational practice that actively uses structures and vocabulary they have already studied. Through creative exercises, brief summaries of grammar, and a carefully sequenced chapter structure, ¡De viva voz! helps instructors realize their principal goal in a conversation course: to see their students engaged in conversation in Spanish and improving their level of oral proficiency on a daily basis. From the Publisher A clear strength of ¡De viva voz! is its wide variety of innovative, communicative exercises. Students read brief summaries of grammar with lively examples and then are thrust into conversation via socialization, dramatization, physical involvement, and other motivating activities. Exercises include: one-on-one interviews, discussion in groups, reports, extended oral narrations, question-answer exchanges, skits, games, and general discussion. These kinds of exercises help students make an energetic, emotional connection to the Spanish language. Activities are fun and always have a clear communicative purpose. Most books today try to create open-ended conversations with an inadequate structural foundation. ¡De viva voz! provides a solid review of Spanish grammar. However, grammar is presented only as a means to an end, as a springboard for creative variation. All structures are instantly illustrated and practiced in many conversational situations. Although students will have opportunities to work on their reading and writing skills, the principal focus of the materials is on speaking and listening development. The chapter organization is carefully sequenced into manageable conversational levels or goals. The text is carefully and realistically balanced. This gradual presentation allows students to build on what they know and to recombine learned elements. The book systematically moves from simple to more complex structures and concepts, from relatively easy, high-frequency vocabulary studies to more difficult topics. Competitors, on the other hand, jump right into complicated themes that demand a more advanced control of the language. Integrated cultural and historical notes are part of the activities and encourage students to view Hispanic cultures through an examination of their own culture. An authentic reading (journalistic or literary) follows every 2nd chapter and provides a point of departure for additional discussion. An integrated audio program (cassette or CD) shrinks with the text. This Listening Comprehension tape (or CD) is coordinated with the Pronunciation section found in each chapter, and provides additional opportunities for students to practice their pronunciation.