Atando cabos: Curso intermedio de español

by María González-Aguilar, Marta Rosso-O'Laughlin

Recognizing that students enter the Intermediate Spanish course with varying levels in ability, Atando cabos "ties up the loose ends" from first-year Spanish as it exposes students to dynamic new materials. Focusing on the significance of culture and interpersonal communication in learning a foreign language, this text is comprised of high-interest, relevant themes that motivate critical thinking and classroom discussions. Concentrating on the development of basic skills -- listening, speaking, reading and writing, with an equal emphasis on fluency and accuracy -- this text teaches students to express, interpret, and negotiate meaning in context while learning to analyze, compare, contrast, and appreciate Hispanic cultures
The student text consists of two separate, but coordinated, parts. The first part, the core of the text, contains twelve thematically organized chapters. Each chapter offers contextualized vocabulary presentations, vocabulary development activities, grammatical explanations specific to the second year, communicative activities to review particular grammar points that are contextualized in the reading selection and/or in the vocabulary presentation, a section on the functions of language devoted to developing sociolinguistic awareness, a wealth of readings, and strategies for better reading and writing.
The second part, called Cabos sueltos, is a review of the basic grammatical structures that are usually covered during the first year of study. It prepares students to engage with the second-year grammar topics presented in the core of the textbook. Cabos sueltos provides clear grammar coverage and helps instructors tailor instruction and review to individual students.
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0134506189 / 9780134506180 Atando cabos: Curso intermedio de espa�ol, 5/e Plus MyLab Spanish with eText -- Access Card Package
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0134039556 / 9780134039558 Atando cabos: Curso intermedio de espa�ol, 5/e 0134040066 / 9780134040066 MyLab Spanish with Pearson eText -- Access Card -- for Atando cabos: Curso intermedio de espa�ol, 5/e (Multi Semester)

Genres: Spanish Literature, Textbooks, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Dustin Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

We used Atando cabos and its associated workbook in my college Spanish 3 and 4 classes back in the '00s. It's a good intermediate textbook. It doesn't cover too much of the same ground of beginning courses, integrates beginner Spanish into its lessons, and finds the right difficulty balance--challenging without being so hard the student gives up. The reason I deducted one star is the because of how much of the authors' politics were smuggled into the lessons. Several chapters have a Social Justice agenda, and one "Ventana al mundo" section praises the Cuban healthcare system. The student has to parrot the authors' political views to complete some of the assignments.

(That Cuba's healthcare system is one of the best in the world is probably the country's most successful piece of propaganda; even people who lean right of center begrudgingly repeat that "fact" as if it's some interesting bit of trivia. An acquaintance of mine, however, was an MD in Havana, havin' a degree from the best university in Cuba. He said to be a doctor in Cuba, you have to lie to your patients about their prognosis and then prescribe medications you know won't work. The country did especially poorly during COVID because the hospitals didn't even have a source of clean water. He eventually quit his job as a doctor because he couldn't take lying to his patients any longer, and became an English teacher instead for a fraction of the pay.)

If you can get past the tiring politics in a few chapters and stick with the book, however, your Spanish will improve markedly.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out of the library for self-study. It was fine. Ultimately I enrolled in a class so I could practice conversation more.