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I. Introduction to Puntos de partida
Note: This section is a general introduction to the text and to some of the pedagogical assumptions
on which it is based. For an explanation of specific sections of the text, see Section IV. Chapter
Structure and Teaching Techniques for Puntos de partida in this Manual.
Puntos de partida is a first-year program that emphasizes the four language skills— listening,
speaking, reading, and writing—in a communicative approach to language learning, one in which
culture plays a key role. The goal of Puntos is to help students learn to communicate in Spanish—
converse with others, express their own ideas in writing, and read and understand what others
have written. The authors assume that learning to communicate effectively depends on practice;
for this reason, they have included contextualized practice exercises in the text as well as
meaningful, communicative exercises and activities. Learning about Hispanic cultures is assumed
to be an integral part of the language learning process.
The textbook has eighteen main chapters. The first chapter, Ante todo, introduces students to
the Spanish language, the Salu2 video program, the text format, and the program overall. The
remaining seventeen chapters feature a user-friendly structure that introduces, practices, and
reviews vocabulary and grammar, as well as a wealth of cultural information. New sections and
features in this edition include an audio introduction to the chapter in the chapter’s opening pages,
the presentation of Salu2 in two sections (rather than one), short cultural sections about the
country of focus called Algo sobre…, and a capstone section called Producción personal.
Instructors may use part or all of these and other sections, according to individual needs, interests,
and schedules.
Each chapter has an area of cultural focus, with countries grouped into an introduction plus six
main regions of the Spanish-speaking world:
Material to introduce each of the six regions is included in the Instructor’s Edition (IE). (Note: The
last region includes information about Equatorial Guinea and Spanish speakers in the Philippines
and Canada.)
In this edition, the Instructor’s Edition has undergone a major revision. The extensive
annotation system for instructors using Puntos has always been a matter of utmost pride and care
for its authoring team. This edition of the Puntos IE keeps the design that allows room to include
all notes for each section on the margins; the enlarged trim-size permits the notes to wrap around
the Student Edition text. These marginal annotations include suggestions for introducing
vocabulary and grammar, preparatory activities, answers to most exercises, follow-up or
extension activities, activity variations, and other useful suggestions for all features of the Student
Edition. In Gramática sectons, the annotations always explain the purpose of a given activity.
Experienced users of the Puntos IE will find this comprehensive instructional resource to be better
organized and easier to manage, and new users will easily learn to navigate the wealth of
annotations and other materials offered by the Puntos program.
The enlarged trim size also allows for specialized annotations, which include:
• Resources: a listing of the Puntos ancillaries available in each chapter
• National Standards: these notes highlight some of the activities that fall into the five
National Standards, also known as the Five C’s: communication, communities,
cultures, comparisons, and connections
Special care has been taken to clarify and standardize all notes. Annotations follow a clear
pattern for the text area where they appear. For instance, Heritage Speaker annotations always
appear at the bottom of the text, whereas annotations related to explanations of material and
exercises are on the side.
The Puntos IE format, with its extensive annotation system, is designed to provide instructors,
especially those who are just starting to teach, with all the assistance and resources they need to
offer students an input-rich, diversified experience learning Spanish. The IE should be used in
combination with the “Chapter-by-Chapter Supplementary Materials,” Section VIII of this Manual,
which unifies clearly all resources for each chapter under one heading.
The left-hand opening page of each chapter establishes the chapter theme with a photograph that
highlights an aspect of the theme and also reflects the target country. This page also offers a brief
table of contents (En este capítulo) of the chapter’s vocabulary, grammar, and country of focus.
The right-hand opening page features a map, country flag, and some basic information about the
country of focus. It also presents a series of theme-related questions that are answered by a
fictional native speaker who represents the broad area of the country of focus. The answers,
available on audio, represent a model that students should be able to emulate by the end of the
chapter. Marginal annotations in the IE offer additional suggestions for using the photograph in
class, introducing the chapter theme, implementing the question/answer sequence, and
presenting the country of focus.
The Vocabulario: Preparación section focuses on theme-related vocabulary (family,
shopping, and so on). Since most of the chapter vocabulary is introduced in this first major section
of the chapter, a focus on vocabulary is achieved that is separate, to a large extent, from the study
of grammar. Once students are familiar with theme vocabulary, many of the grammar exercises
are based on situations related to the chapter theme and are therefore conducive to natural and
meaningful language practice.
The theme is also reentered in the recombination activities of the Un poco de todo section, in
the Notas culturales and in the A leer, A escuchar, and Producción personal sections (which
include A escribir). Extensive use of photographs and realia provides realistic and informative
glimpses of Hispanic cultures.
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Cognate vocabulary and real language are used throughout the text.
The extensive use of cognate vocabulary, especially in the early chapters, increases students’
ability to communicate in Spanish while making minimum demands for new vocabulary
memorization. Use of cognates helps students cope with their linguistic limitations as beginning
language learners and encourages them to make linguistic predictions.
In all sections of the text, even in the more mechanical exercises, an attempt has been made to
present students with “real-world” language and situations. In activities, this means that
individual items help students form sentences that feel personal and that they might want to say
in real-life contexts. Usually the exercise directions or set-up will establish this context. In
dialogues and readings, unfamiliar vocabulary and structures are glossed or translated at the
bottom of the page (in the case of minidialogues) rather than avoided. In realia, language is
minimally glossed and has not been altered (although some—but not all—typographical errors
have been fixed). Salu2, the video program that accompanies the text, also features natural
language in part, in unedited interviews with native speakers from many parts of the Spanish-
speaking world. Thus natural language input is provided, but great care has been taken to ensure
Throughout Puntos, attention is paid to the development of all four language skills. Most sections
of the text offer students opportunities to work with new vocabulary and grammar concepts in a
receptive mode (listening and reading) before having to produce them actively (speaking or
writing). The IE contains abundant suggestions for listening comprehension activities and
listening-based follow ups to text activities.
The opportunity for student self-expression is integrated into each vocabulary and grammar
section. In the grammar section, the distinction between Práctica and Comunicación has been
eliminated, as communication is the goal from the beginning of the practice activities, which are
now called Práctica y comunicación.
In this edition, each grammar practice sequence begins with a three-part activity that is designed
to get students “into” using the grammar quickly. (This sequence replaces ¡Anticipemos!) The
first paso is a quick mini-test of the basics of the grammar topic (Antoprueba). The second paso
is a personalized but controlled, form-focused activity that allows students to make immediate use
of the new grammar. The final paso allows students to work in pairs, based on the items in the
second paso.
The remaining activities follow the thoughtful progression that has been a hallmark of Puntos
since the first edition. A number of activities are always more controlled and form-focused, but
they are set into contexts that infuse them with meaning: a general, “umbrella” situation, a logical
sequence of actions, a story, and so on. Many such exercises permit some student input within
controlled situations. Others are accompanied by brief comprehension activities (in the student
text or in the IE) that focus students’ attention on the meaning of the activity they have just
completed. .
In all Práctica y comunicación sequences, later activities encourage students to use the
newly learned structures to talk about personally meaningful topics. Thus, students do not have to
wait until the end of the chapter or the end of the book to begin expressing themselves with new
structures. Many exercises consist of interviews or partner/pair and small-group work, providing
students an opportunity to share ideas and use Spanish in a natural, relaxed conversational
In each chapter, the sections called Vocabulario: Preparación, Pronunciación,
*
and Gramática
provide a carefully controlled introduction and practice of new materials. The material introduced
in these sections is then combined and reentered in the review activities of the Un poco de todo
section, and in the readings, listening, writing, and Producción personal activities. This
systematic reentry and review is designed to reinforce new knowledge and strengthen
communication skills.
The Un poco de todo sections also provide systematic review of major topics such as
ser/estar, preterite/imperfect, and so on. ¿Recuerda Ud.? sections, at the beginning of most
Gramática sections, review earlier concepts on which new grammar is based.
The exercises and activities in Puntos encourage the development of all four language skills
(listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as well as cultural knowledge and the use of Spanish for
communicative purposes. Many exercises lend themselves to either oral or written practice;
individual course goals and instructors’ preferences will determine how they will be used.
Additional activities provided in many sections of the IE and in this Instructor’s Manual
provide supplementary or alternative classroom practice, and individual instructors may select
those activities that best meet the needs of their students.
Ancillary materials—Workbook/Laboratory Manual, the web-based ConnectSpanish platform,
and the video program—provide additional out-of-class practice. The Workbook/Laboratory
Manual is available as a print product or through ConnectSpanish. ConnectSpanish is the web-
based assignment and assessment platform from which a variety of additional materials is
available, including all text and Workbook/Laboratory manual activities, as well as additional
online only activities. ConnectSpanish also connects students to LearnSmart for Puntos, an
adaptive learning system that provides individualized assessment and guidance. For information
on the Connect offerings, see the Connect User’s Guide.
*
The Pronunciación section appears only in the first four chapters. It focuses on vowel sounds, diphthongs and linking, and
accent marks. Similar pronunciation practice with the sounds of Spanish consonants and other pronunciation issues is
available in Capítulos 5–18 of the Workbook/Laboratory Manual.
