¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to the fifth edition of Dicho y hecho! To those of you who are familiar with this book, welcome back. To those of you who are new to Dicho, we hope you'll enjoy it as much as the many instructors who have used it over the years and whose comments have inspired and shaped the exciting new features in this edition. Dicho y hecho is a carefully crafted, classroom-tested text. It has been enthusiastically praised by teachers and students alike for its straightforward, easy-to-implement, lively, and highly successful approach to teaching and learning Spanish.

Dicho offers you these special features

• A visual component that uses a cast of identifiable characters to allow the student to relate and react to situations that reflect the theme, vocabulary, functions, and structures of each chapter.
• Thematic vocabulary that becomes active by means of multiple and progressive phases of application, ranging from identification in the introductory drawings to personal expression and situational conversations.
• A clear, uncomplicated presentation of language structures that allows students to study easily on their own.
• A creative array of classroom-tested exercises and activities that moves students from controlled to creative responses within the context of a particular theme, idea, or situation.
• A focused presentation of culture that provides insightful "windows" into Hispanic daily life in the concise Noticias culturales and more comprehensive introductory view of Hispanic countries and cultures in the Panorama cultural sections.
• A variety of components with accompanying communicative activities designed to work together to (1) bring interesting diversity to each class day and (2) provide good pace and rhythm to the class through teacher to student, student-to-student, and a small group interaction.

Features new to this edition:

• An all new artistic presentation rendered by a Hispanic artist.
• Revised and updated vocabulary, which includes the introduction of an entirely new and timely vocabulary theme: La comunicación, la tecnología y el mundo de negocios.
• Revised presentation of vocabulary—vocabulary presented subsequent to each two-page chapter-opener drawing now appears in small thematic segments and is tied to specific exercises.
• The grammatical scope and sequence have been slightly modified to seek better balance and distribution.
• Contextualization within the exercises and activities has been enhanced.
• A greater variety of exercises and activities is presented with increased opportunity for open-ended/creative responses and paired/group collaborative work.
• A greater number of authentic realia-based exercises.
• Conversaciones have been rewritten or revised to enhance the natural flow of the dialog and to incorporate the cultural and personal experiences of the text characters.
• The Panorama cultural sections now appear in attractive new design that presents revised and new interesting factual information on each country. This information is enhanced by color maps, beautiful color photos, and intriguing curiosidades that pique the interest of the reader.
• A completely new Rincón literario component briefly introduces the students to literature representing each of the major Spanish-speaking areas of the world.
• Developmental reading strategies have been added to accompany the Panorama cultural sections in Chapters 1-7 and all Rincón literario sections.
• The En resumen component now presents two sections: Conversando, emphasizing speaking skills, and De mi escritorio, which helps students to develop their writing skills within a controlled context.
• Brief Pronunciation Check sections now appear in Chapters 1-5 in order to recycle key points presented in the preliminary La pronunciación chapter.
• Each Estructura section is introduced by a delightful cartoon featuring Antonio Tucán, Julia Quetzal, and Miguelito.
• Study hints written by students for students have been placed throughout the text.

Dicho y hecho's many learning components give you increased flexibility

• The main student textbook of 14 chapters.
• An Annotated Instructor's Edition with suggestions for presentation and reinforcement of material, suggested procedure for student preparation, and sample syllabi.
• Accompanying transparencies of all drawings used in exercises and activities, including the chapter-opener illustrations without the vocabulary labels, plus accompanying transparencies of key grammar points for classroom presentation.
• A workbook/laboratory manual composed of Integración: ejercicios escritos, designed to practice writing skills and to reinforce classroom activity, and Integración: manual de laboratorio, which coordinates with the laboratory tape program to provide practice and reinforcement of the vocabulary and grammar for each chapter as well as practice in listening comprehension.
• A laboratory tape program that coordinates with the laboratory manual, Integración: manual de laboratorio.
• A student tape/CD including the pronunciation materials in the preliminary chapter, the Conversaciones from each chapter, and the eight Rincón literario selections.
• A testing program that tests chapter structures, vocabulary, and cultural information.
• A text-specific videotape that is coordinated to the cultural, thematic, and functional content of each of the textbook chapters.
• An Interactive Multimedia CD-ROM (PC and MAC) integrated with the text and featuring pronunciation and listening exercises, vocabulary and grammar acquisition, and cultural and literary readings.
• An Intensive Exercises booklet for use in class and in small-group practice sessions.

  Chapters are organized into easy-to-teach sections

  Each chapter is introduced by an overview that includes the goals for communication, structures, and areas of cultural exploration. Then come the following sections (organization varies slightly in Chapter 1):

  Bien dicho Each unit of vocabulary is based on a theme applicable to the student's life and to survival situations in the Spanish-speaking world. An exciting double-page illustration visually presents much of the chapter's vocabulary. Items are identified in both Spanish and English for ease of use. Introductory exercises practice vocabulary with visual cues and the application of the vocabulary to areas of personal and general reference. Theme vocabulary is contextually used in each Conversación. Additional vocabulary is presented in thematic segments as needed throughout the chapter and is subsequently practiced and reinforced through vocabulary- and/or grammar-based exercises and activities.

  Conversación The purpose of this section is to provide a concise, practical and natural context for application of some the chapter's functions, themes, vocabulary and grammar, without sacrificing authentic language. These short situational conversations, designed for oral practice, are followed by a brief exercise to check student retention of the content or by an Actividad designed to create on-the-spot situations in the classroom for immediate creative, contextual application of the vocabulary.

  Noticias culturales These short readings in Spanish expand upon a cultural aspect of the chapter theme. They are followed by a set of questions and/or a short comprehension activity to help reinforce the passage's content.

  Estructura Each segment of grammar is introduced by a label that shows for what purpose (function) it may be used when communicating in Spanish. Students first encounter a humorous cartoon that offers a visual example of the structure and then a simple explanation followed by written examples, charts, formulae, and other visual presentations. Each grammatical structure is presented in its most commonly used form without complex ramifications. Grammatical structures, functions and chapter topics are integrated whenever possible, and structures are reintroduced and recycled through practice in subsequent chapters.

  Study Hints from Students Chosen by their professors, students using the Fourth Edition in schools across the country reviewed the text and came up with many useful tips to share with their peers. Coming from the students' own experiences in understanding and studying the material in Dicho y hecho, these student-to-student Study Hints are found in the margins right next to the grammar or vocabulary point they address.

  Práctica y comunicación These sets of practice exercises and activities follow all presentations of vocabulary and grammar. They are designed to move the student gradually from controlled to open-ended communication. Controlled practice is fast-moving and contextualized, with an emphasis on quickly mastering the mechanical use of the vocabulary or structure in preparation for more meaningful communication. More open-ended exercises and activities provide ample opportunity for student interaction in pairs and groups. Other activities provide students the opportunity to apply the vocabulary and grammar creatively in specific situations. These include mini-dramas (both prepared and spontaneous), oral activities and presentations, mime, and so on. All direction lines after the first half of Chapter 1 are in Spanish.

  En resumen This culminating component of the chapter serves as a synthesis of the chapter's topic, functions, grammar and vocabulary. Beginning with Chapter 2, it is divided into two segments: Conversando and De mi escritorio. The former usually involves a structured conversation, a role-play, or a situational dramatization. The latter involves carefully directed writing assignments ranging from brief descriptions to postcards and letters to the culminating dramatic skits found in Chapter 14.

  Panorama cultural This appealing combination of readings, color maps, color photos, and intriguing curiosidades comes at the end of each chapter and helps acquaint students with "Big C" Hispanic culture—the geography, history, and other facets of the Hispanic world. These reading selections, which progress in length across the book, are devoted to the different countries and regions of the Spanish-speaking world. The first seven Panorama cultural sections are introduced by Reading Strategies, which guide the student in learning how to skim and scan basic cultural information in order to glean key historical, cultural, and geographical facts. Comprehension exercises and activities that help students synthesize and apply the information from the readings and photos follow each Panorama cultural.

  Repaso de vocabulario activo At the end of each chapter, the active vocabulary (without translations) is presented in a checklist alphabetized by parts of speech. To provide an additional context, nouns and expressions are presented in thematic subgroups.

  Autoprueba y repaso Review exercises at the end of each chapter may be used by students individually or in groups as an excellent study aid for tests. They provide a brief overview of the vocabulary and structures of the chapter. An Answer Key for the review exercises appears in Apéndice 2.

  Rincón literario This special new feature introduces first year students to Hispanic literature through brief and varied selections. Rincón literario sections appear after Chapters 2, 6, 8, and 9-13 in order to correspond to the cultural and geographical unit(s) just completed, for example "Los hispanos en los Estados Unidos." These literary selections are prefaced by concise biographical information on each author and by Reading Strategies which focus on developing the student's ability to identify more abstract themes such as love or justice and to be aware of a descriptive setting, the passage of time, the narrator's role, and the like.

  Reference tools At the end of the book are the following reference tools: paradigms of regular, stem-changing, orthographic-changing, and irregular verbs; answers to review exercises; Spanish-English and English-Spanish vocabularies (active vocabulary labeled by chapter); and the index.

  ¡Que les sirva bien y que gocen de la experiencia!

  Laila M. Dawson
  Albert C. Dawson

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