Gente /

Brief Contents

1 Gente que estudia español

Gente con gente

0

Gente de vacaciones

Gente de compras

2

Gente en forma

Gente en casa

6

116

⑦ Gente que viaja

140

8 Gente que come bien

162

9 Gente de ciudad

184

10 Gente e historias (1)

206

11

Gente e historias (II)

⑪ Gente que trabaja

24

Gente y lenguas

48

14 Gente que se conoce

70

Gente que lo pasa bien

312

92

16 Gente sana

334

17 Gente que inventa

356

Gente que cuenta

378

Gente de negocios

400

Gente que opina

422

21 Gente con sentimientos

442

226

22 Gente y mensajes

462

Preface

Gente in a task-based and content-based Spanish learn ing program for students in first-year Spanish courses at colleges and universities in North America. With Gente, students learn Spanish in the classroom through interaction and collaborative work; they develop an ability to express themselves in real con texts and solve communicative problems. Students also reflect upon how the Spanish language works and upon their own language learning process. To a degree unmatched by other textbook programs avail able in North Amenica. Gente encourages integration of the four skills and development of cultural aware ness by providing a rich context in which students learn by doing.

Learning by Doing-The Task-Based Approach

Gente defined by its unique task-based approach In second language pedagogy, a task is defined as a com municative activity in which the primary focus is on duce, and interact in the target language to achieve an meaning, and leamers comprehend, manipulate, pro objective. While a given pedagogical task naturally leads students to use linguistic contents from the les son, it does not restrict focus to a single grammatical structure or set of specific words. Instead, students use a variety of linguistic resources to complete the task. By solving problems through interaction (Le, search ing for specific information, using that information for some purpose, establishing and maintaining relation-ships, and discussing topics with peers), students employ all their linguistic resources to reach a goal. They work collaboratively on a range of activities-like planning a party, organizing a trip, or designing a business that are geared to build language resources in order to complete the task and produce an out-come. This outcome generally takes the form of an oral or written text that reflects the decisions, actions, and learning of the group. Tasks also have an integra tive approach to language, which reflects the fact that real-world communication normally involves multiple skills.

The benefits of a task-based approach to language learning are numerous. Current research in Second Language Acquisition indicates that frequent exposure

age through Inter en are necessary cond gotiation to and me of the tarot lanigung and meaning nego learn a form language leaming conditions. were fariquage it acknowledges the N Lant role that feat on form (grammar instrues ploys in the rate of development toward the setumus! maintain a better balance between exposure and use ment of attainment in a foreign language. In order the cluem and involve students in activities where we must provide ample opportunities for interactions Instruction in an excellent way to promote these pro they can process form and meaning Task-based

ductive A combined class creates a genuine need and desire to use Snanih in communicate for a purpose the language, Tasks encourage students to think an exposes students to rich spoken and written Spah se an environment that aids natural acquisition Students advance from fluency to accuracy, from fan analyze not simply to repeat, manipulate, and experience to language analysis. With ta based language learning students become active Users process. Students who have experience with us of the language who participate in the learning based leaming report that they gain confidence in speaking and interacting soon after beginning a ta based course they can cope with natural spontaneous speech quite easily and tackle tough reading texts an appropriate way. Most importantly, students guage p become independent learners. d apply

Features of the Program

Consistent learning sequence in the second e gresses from contextualized input, to quided output tion of Gente the learning sequence which pro throughout all of the chapters. The classroom tex to free output to the integrative task is consistem book has been designed around a single overarching goal: to provide resources for language use in a dynamic communicatively and culturally orientes language classroom. Gente is a learner-centered man ual, built entirely a