Modern Languages

Cinema for French Conversation, Fifth Edition, builds upon the strengths of previous editions of this pioneering textbook by devoting six new chapters to recent award-winning French-language films including La cour de Babel, Fatima, Ce qui nous lie, La famille Bélier, Diplomatie, and Intouchables. Each of the book’s eighteen chapters features key vocabulary for viewing its corresponding film, structured post-viewing exercises aimed at facilitating in-class discussion, related readings for each film designed to provide perspective, and much more. A (forthcoming) companion website offers links to film trailers, interviews, and other online resources. A proven aid for cultivating French-language conversation skills at the upper-intermediate and advanced levels, Anne-Christine Rice’s classic book yields rich insight into elements of historic and present-day French culture while fostering appreciation for France’s renowned septième art itself.

Films and Additional Online Resources Webpage: Click here for information about how to access the films covered in the textbook and to download additional online resource PDFs for each chapter.

Course Instructor Resources: An electronic (PDF only) instructor's manual for Cinema for French Conversation, Fifth Edition is available to qualified course instructors who have adopted the text for their course. Click here to request a copy.

*  Download the Table of Contents for Common Ground (PDF)

*  Visit the companion Website with additional Online resources

“There is so much to know and to consider when learning to teach a language, and Common Ground presents, in a straightforward and simplified way, the most important concepts, based on SLA research. Students are more likely to retain and apply this important information when it is presented concisely, with many specific examples, as it is in this book. Common Ground has a logical organization that is easy to follow, both in terms of chapter order and the sequencing of information and activities within each chapter. The content is accurate, current, concise, readable, and easy to understand. The number of sample activities in the second half of each chapter is wonderful--they serve to illustrate the concepts in the first half of the chapter and provide students/teachers with a wealth of ideas that they will be able to adapt and use in their own classrooms. The companion website will be a great resource and a good way to update the book more regularly than producing subsequent editions, especially with respect to tech tools, webinars on teaching with technology, etc. I will definitely adopt this book into my courses; I think others will too, because of the high quality of the authors’ work, the conciseness of their writing, the numerous useful examples, and the low cost of the book to students.” —Tammy Jandrey Hertel, University of Lynchburg, and author of El cine documental: Spanish Language and Culture through Documentary Film

“Common Ground is accessible to teachers at all levels yet firmly rooted in current questions of second language acquisition (SLA). One of its primary strengths is the authors themselves, both of whom are accomplished language teachers who understand the challenges and opportunities in communication-focused language teaching. Their experience, expertise, insight, and enthusiasm for language teaching translate into a book that is refreshingly practical for teachers, especially teachers who are striving to break from traditional drills commonly presented in textbooks. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of every language teacher who is looking for concrete examples of how SLA principles meet the realities of the classroom." —Stacey Margarita Johnson, Vanderbilt University

Hidden Berlin brings to life the city's tumultuous history by tracing the evolution of six iconic locations: the reconstructed City Palace, the Berlin Wall, the Nazi Olympic Stadium, Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg Gate, and the recreated Nikolaiviertel. In exploring each of these areas, Hidden Berlin illustrates how Berlin has become one of Europe's most complex and dynamic cities. Richly illustrated with images and maps, the volume engages readers through detailed timelines and activities. Additional locations of interest and a bibliography present opportunities for readers to explore on their own. A companion website provides a host of internet-based activities, suggestions for readings, and supplementary resources for each chapter (website forthcoming in spring 2022). Hidden Berlin is an engaging volume for courses on the culture of Berlin or modern Germany, students studying abroad, and visitors to the city who want an enlightened experience.

Additional Resources: Visit the author's companion website.

"Colleagues who teach courses on contemporary France in French departments will be very pleased by the much-anticipated arrival of the fourth edition of Les Français, co-authored by Jean-François Brière and Julie Fette. While the updated version reflects the profound changes that have taken place in French society since the publication of the third edition in 2001, among them the effects of the digital revolution and the increasingly visible roles of women and minorities, the book remains faithful to the spirit of the book’s original author, Laurence Wylie. Unlike other textbooks on contemporary France, Les Français does not merely catalog recent events in French history. Instead, it focuses on the ways in which the history and traditions of French society and culture have shaped current attitudes toward a variety of issues, from the debates on laïcité to the laws on parité and le mariage pour tous. This historical and comparative perspective, which gives American students the tools to understand why the French think and behave differently from Americans, constitutes the greatest strength of the book, making it the foremost French-language textbook on contemporary France." —Venita Datta, Professor of French Studies, Wellesley College

Click here to watch authors Julie Fette and Jean-François Brière's Les Français online book launch event hosted by the Institute of French Studies at NYU.

ACTFL 2020 Virtual Convention Author Workshop: Juntos: Italian for Speakers of English and Spanish. Presented by Clorinda Donato (California State University, Long Beach). Watch it on Vimeo here.

Juntos: Italian for Speakers of English and Spanish, Third Edition, is the first comprehensive textbook for the teaching of Italian to students who already possess knowledge of Spanish, whether as L1 Spanish speakers, heritage speakers, or L2 Spanish learners. Suitable for students at the high school and college levels, Juntos is also the first textbook to cultivate interlinguistic awareness through intercomprehension, developing bridges that foster the recognition and use of students’ bilingual repertoire as a tool for learning Italian and acquiring other Romance languages. "A Revolution in Language"—read about UC Irvine's new accelerated Romance language courses for Spanish-speaking students and their experience with Juntos.

Additional Online Resources: A title support website with audio, activities, and additional web resources for all 36 lessons in Juntos is available here.

Training Videos for Instructors: Training videos designed for instructors looking for step-by-step instructions for teaching Italian multilingually to Spanish-speaking students are available here.

Instructor Guide and Answer Key: A PDF-only Instructor’s Guide and Answer Key is available to qualified instructors by request. Please use this form to request the Instructor’s Guide and Answer Key.

"An innovative, highly engaging Italian textbook, that can be used at the high school or university level. . . . With its translingual perspective, new comparative approach, and array of activities, Juntos provides learners of Italian a new tool to hone their linguistic skills, improve their cross-cultural competence, and deepen their understanding of how languages and cultures are interrelated and mutually enriching." —Christina A. Mirisis, St. Norbert College, and Simona Wright, The College of New Jersey, in The NECTFL Review

Cinema for Spanish Conversation, Fifth Edition, draws on sixteen high-interest films (and related readings) to introduce students to the authentic language and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Each chapter offers a wide variety of activities designed to improve students’ conversational skills as well as opportunities for reading and writing practice. New to the fifth edition are three new critically acclaimed films, including Yuli (set in Cuba), El último verano de la Boyita (Argentina), and Oscar-award-winning film Roma (Mexico), along with readings and activities related to each. Also new is a section, added to each chapter, offering new and expanded activities related to the films, updated information on each film, and its actors and directors, and a revised and updated appendix, organized by chapter, offering a list of recent films that can be compared or contrasted to the films in the book. Available for sale only in the US, Canada, and UK.

"Cinema for Spanish Conversation is already a classic pedagogical text, geared for those students seeking to improve their verbal fluency in the Spanish language while exploring complex issues relating to contemporary Spanish-speaking societies and their diaspora through the lenses of the film industry."
—Asela R. Laguna, Rutgers University, Newark

Instructor's Manual (PDF): A PDF-only instructor's manual is available. Please use this form to request the instructor's manual.

Films page: Links to purchase/rent/stream the films are available on the Cinema for Spanish Conversation films page.

Ekstase und Elend is an intermediate/advanced textbook for German studies courses that presents the cultural history of German-speaking Europe from roughly 1900 to the present. Compiled by a team of scholars of German studies, applied linguistics, and history, it offers the historical, political, and social context necessary for engaging with recent cultural products from German-speaking Europe while cultivating the vital skills for doing so in German. 

Click here to visit the companion website featuring an annotated interactive timeline, media from a variety of sources, and suggested research projects.

"I like the way Ekstase und Elend translates its 'ecstasy vs. misery' dichotomy throughout the volume. It engagingly conveys sociopolitical and even economic history by laying out sharp contrasts—through texts, images, and exercises that cover a range of topics, peoples, and events. A second major strength of the volume is its sociohistorical inclusiveness. I’ve not yet run across a German-language civilization textbook that (with the exception of the Jewish peoples, in the context of Nazi Germany and WWII) includes to such an extent the narratives of historically underrepresented groups and individuals. Strongly recommended." —James Pfrehm, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Ithaca College

"On the Move! Spanish Grammar for Everyday Situations is accurate, engaging, and pedagogically sound. The authors provide concise explanations of complex grammar and incorporate them into chapters organized by the presentation of cultural material relevant to major cities throughout the Spanish-speaking world. This is an innovative approach to teaching grammar in context that will be far more engaging for students than the dry, abstract, and lengthy explanations that one finds in other textbooks. . . . The approach is consistent with content-based teaching and compatible with expectations for the abilities of intermediate-level learners as described by ACTFL Proficiency Standards." —Juliet Lynd, Illinois State University

"This text follows a natural order, is engaging, pedagogically sound, and acknowledges the way students learn and apply increasingly complex grammatic structures. The exercises are clearly presented and challenge the students to apply the structures they have reviewed." —Gustavo Arango, State University of New York, Oneonta

Additional Resources:

Audio Recordings: Twelve brief audio recordings, streaming freely online, allow students to hear for themselves regional differences in accents, intonations, and linguistic variations.

Textbook Answer Key: Request the On the Move! textbook answer key (PDF only) here.

Chapters quizzes: Thirteen chapter quizzes (PDF only), one for each chapter plus the introduction, are available to qualified instructors. Request the PDF chapter quizzes here.

In just thirteen brief, accessible chapters, this engaging little book takes "absolute beginners" from the most basic questions about the language (e.g., what does a classical Chinese character look like?) to reading and understanding selections from classical Chinese philosophical texts and Tang dynasty poetry.

"Van Norden has pulled off the seemingly impossible. With his direction, a serious student could make real headway in learning classical Chinese—while learning a great deal about early Chinese thought as well."  —Robert E. Hegel, Washington University in St. Louis

"An outstanding introduction to reading classical Chinese. Van Norden does a wonderful job of clearly explaining the basics of classical Chinese, and he carefully takes the reader through beautifully chosen examples from the textual tradition. An invaluable work." —Michael Puett, Harvard University

Additional resources: Classical Chinese for Everyone title support page.

A Cultural Reader and Workbook for Advanced Intermediate German and Beyond

"I liked how DACHL did not follow the traditional organization for such a civilization and culture textbook. I appreciated the amount of 'space' dedicated to Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, which usually have little or none." —Tim Straubel, Western Kentucky University

Taking its name from the acronym for the group of countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, DACHL is a combined reader/workbook that offers third-year students of German a fascinating cultural and historical tour of these four major German-speaking countries. Through its unique focus on the DACHL countries and travel throughout them, it offers an eclectic mix of discussions of Germanic cultural history from prehistoric times to the present by way of contemporary German-language articles on capitals, cuisines, music, politics, commerce, architecture, UNESCO World Heritage sites, festivals, biking, and much more. The articles are accompanied by vocabulary and followed by exercises that test comprehension and activate vocabulary. Included as well are opportunities for research, oral presentations, and writing assignments.

Additional Online Resources: http://mu-internal.net/~modern/dachl/Portal.pdf.

Course Instructor's: Click here to request a PDF-only instructor's manual for DACHL.

Cinéphile: Intermediate French Language and Culture through Film, Third Edition is ideally suited as a primary textbook for second-year French language courses. It seamlessly integrates French-language feature films into the study of French language and culture, offering a comprehensive review of first-year French as well as ongoing study of grammar, vocabulary, and development of communicative skills within a context of film and cultural study.

Course instructors: If you have adopted the 3rd edition of Cinéphile as a required course text the instructor's manual and other resources may be requested here.

Films: The films covered in Cinéphile are not included with the purchase of the textbook or workbook. Links to purchase or rent the films are available here.

Cinéphile: Intermediate French Language and Culture through Film, Third Edition is ideally suited as a primary textbook for second-year French language courses. It seamlessly integrates French-language feature films into the study of French language and culture, offering a comprehensive review of first-year French as well as ongoing study of grammar, vocabulary, and development of communicative skills within a context of film and cultural study.

The third edition of the Cinéphile Student Workbook includes a new section, Activités écrites et orales, which provides outlines for supplemental written and oral work.

Course instructors: If you have adopted the 3rd edition of the Cinéphile Workbook as a required course text the instructor's manual and other resources may be requested here.

Films: The films covered in Cinéphile are not included with the purchase of the textbook or workbook. Links to purchase or rent the films are available here.

On its own, or in conjunction with a variety of free online resources--grammar and vocabulary exercises, pronunciation drills, and more--this accurate and well-organized book is the ideal reference for students of Spanish at any level.

"This guide is like having four semesters of Spanish textbooks in your pocket. All of the necessary grammar is right here. Very handy, surprisingly comprehensive, and the price is right." —Louise Detwiler, Salisbury University

"For over a decade, David Wren's Spanish Grammar: A Quick Reference has been an invaluable resource for students majoring and minoring in Spanish. Here at Indiana University Bloomington, we have often bundled it together with our other Spanish textbooks." —James Lynch, Indiana University Bloomington

Additional Resources: Spanish Grammar additional resources website.

"From Le Dernier Métro to Intouchables, Bissière and Singerman cover the latest trends of French cinema, emphasizing context and analytical method as Singerman did in Apprentissage du cinéma français (Focus 2004). The authors offer a selection of films most French cinephiles will applaud, and they incorporate insights from some of the best critical work on French cinema. Students of French film will also find all the bibliographical pointers they need to dig deeper, and instructors will appreciate the pedagogical components included in the chapters."  —Jonathan Walsh, Department of French Studies, Wheaton College, Massachusetts

Clips from each film covered in the textbook are available to qualified instructors in a password protected Vimeo collection. Instructors wishing to access clips from the films for course use may request access by using the online form here. (download a PDF of the TOC listing all of the films) 

German Culture through Film: An Introduction to German Cinema is an English-language text that serves equally well in courses on modern German film, in courses on general film studies, in courses that incorporate film as a way to study culture, and as an engaging resource for scholars, students, and devotees of cinema and film history. In its second edition, German Culture through Film expands on the first edition, providing additional chapters with context for understanding the era in which the featured films were produced. Thirty-three notable German films are arranged in seven chronological chapters, spanning key moments in German film history, from the silent era to the present.

For additional film resources visit Reinhard Zachau's German film website.

Download a PDF of the Table of Contents, with the full list of films covered in the book.

Intended for intermediate or advanced students of French, À Table ! The Food Culture of France is a content-based cultural text centered around the cuisine of France and various French-speaking cultures. Organized like a French menu, each chapter includes prose, poetry, film references, and recipes, together with vocabulary, grammar points, and exercises. This second edition of À Table ! features a redesigned full-color interior to reflect the richness and color of French food culture and history. The author has also added questions for reading comprehension and has expanded and rearranged select readings to give the text a more coherent organization. A chronological arrangement of chapters, along with a variety of food-related sources, encourages a comprehensive yet flexible approach to learning French language and its cultural contexts. Course instructors: A PDF-only instructor's manual is available to qualified instructors who have adopted À Table ! (Second Edition) as a required course text. The PDF instructor's manual may be requested here by completing the instructor materials request form.

A combined reader/workbook for second-year German, Sammelsurium focuses on cultural awareness while building competence in reading, writing, and speaking, and can be used with equal effectiveness as either a supplementary text or as the main reader in a course. Included are thirty-eight brief yet stimulating readings on a wide range of topics of special significance to German culture, each of which offers intermediate-level grammatical constructions and vocabulary. Many readings incorporate a verb-tense exercise, and each reading is accompanied by a separate set of vocabulary as well as an array of comprehension questions and communicative exercises. From the Brothers Grimm to German film—and from fashion to the nightlife of Berlin—Sammelsurium offers something for every taste, while strengthening skills needed by every student of German.

An electronic (PDF only) instructor's manual and a (PDF only) test bank for Sammelsurium are available to qualified instructors who have adopted the text for their course, click here to request a copy.

À la recherche d’un emploi: Business French in a Communicative Context is designed to develop students' vocabulary and cultural knowledge in preparation for working in an international environment. Exceeding the need to learn business structures and practices, most students need business communication skills, including advanced cultural competency. To meet these needs, À la recherche d’un emploi uses authentic materials from Québec and France. Communicative exercises are reality based and task oriented, encouraging a student-centered classroom. The numerous activities in the text elicit natural language use, facilitate vocabulary acquisition, and provide students ample opportunities to create relevant and personalized documents in French. In addition to completing viewing activities from feature-length films and online resources, students examine their personal goals and assess their strengths and weaknesses as they develop a job portfolio. À la recherche d’un emploi promotes learning valuable crossover skills that develop students' French-language aptitude, while also preparing them for the job market in their own country. Edition 1.1 includes a number of corrections as well as updates reflecting changes in French business culture.

 An electronic (PDF only) instructor's resource manual is available to qualified instructors who have adopted A la recherche d'un emploi, Edition 1.1 for their course. Click here to request a copy.

Designed to prepare students to actively engage in the dynamic world of Italian business, Un buon affare is a versatile textbook aimed at the upper-intermediate level that fosters cultural competency, hones practical communication skills, and cultivates linguistic expertise necessary for making connections in one of the European Union's most important economies. It will also be of great use to professionals conducting business in Italy or with Italian companies.

Additional Resources: Additional materials, links of interest, a sample syllabus, and the answer key to the exercises in Un buon affare is available for online reading and PDF download on the Un buon affare title support webpage here.

"An accessible, engaging textbook that serves as an effective introduction to the world of Italian business through interactive pair and small-group activities, while also providing ample opportunities for students to continue developing their listening, reading, and writing skills in Italian. The communicative activities are designed to support students’ continued oral proficiency development and enable them to actively and confidently participate in the world of Italian business. In order to fulfill this objective, many of the activities employed throughout the book are couched within the Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach. It is evident that the content of Un buon affare was meticulously selected, and Tassone provides instructors of Italian for business a great variety of activities to cover in class or assign as homework. Given its many strengths, Un buon affare is sure to actively engage students as they continue refining their Italian language skills while also deepening their cultural knowledge. Offering students and instructors a wealth of resources and interesting activities, this textbook is indeed "un buon affare," a good deal—a bargain, as the author states in the Preface to the Instructor." —Christina A. Mirisis, St. Norbert College, in NECTFL Review

El cine documental is an innovative intermediate/advanced textbook that provides students with the tools needed to communicate accurately and appropriately in Spanish. Learning is centered on cultural themes related to thought-provoking documentaries from around the Spanish-speaking world. Through the culturally rich and linguistically authentic medium of documentary film, El cine documental provides the experience of listening to many varieties of authentic speech in context, and stimulates conversation and critical thinking by immersing students in the target cultures. Organized to provide scaffolding for students as they develop their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, each chapter includes five sections: Ver, Leer, Escuchar, Escribir, and Expandir.

An online workbook for El cine documental is also available, click here for more information about the online workbook. Click here for information about where to watch, rent, or purchase the documentary films covered in the textbook. Click here to request the PDF instructor's manual.

Russian Folktales: A Reader for Students of Russian, Second Edition, offers intermediate and advanced students an ideal opportunity to engage with eight authentic cultural texts of the Russian folkloric tradition. Each transmits a popular tale long beloved by Russians—from The Frog Princess, to Prince Ivan, to Vasilisa the Beautiful, and others—that moreover presents a wealth of linguistic content. The Second Edition builds upon strengths of the First by offering a greater range of pre-reading and post-reading exercises to suit a wider variety of learning styles. Notes and a Glossary offer further aids for comprehension and interpretation. 

Russian-language audio/video files of each tale may be found on the Russian Folktales title support page here.

La culture francophone: Le monde à l’écoute is an innovative textbook designed for intermediate to advanced French courses that aim to introduce the Francophone world and its cultures in an authentic context. From Africa to the Caribbean, to Quebec, to Europe, it explores selected Francophone histories and geographies through a multitude of fascinating avenues, including: lively overviews of French-speaking countries, regions, or populations; excerpts of classic Francophone texts; discussions of prominent Francophone films (films not included, but readily available from numerous vendors), culinary dishes, music, public figures, vignettes of everyday life, and more. An array of engaging exercises offer rich opportunities to build language skills, as students become active participants in both language learning and Francophone culture itself. North American Rights Only. 

Click here for additional online audio resources and the index of songs covered in the book. Click here to see the list of films covered in La culture francophone and information about where to watch the films online or purchase DVDs and digital download/rentals of the films.

Instructor resources: An answer key for the textbook (PDF only) is available to qualified instructors, click here to request a copy.

Drawing on authentic cultural materials ranging from thought-provoking artwork to classic literature and short contemporary films, Retratos: Arte y sociedad en Latinoamérica y España offers a fresh and inspired approach to the teaching of advanced Spanish Composition. In each of the eight thematically-organized chapters, these primary source materials provide a "portrait" of an historically or culturally important figure in the Latin American and Spanish worlds, offering students rich opportunities to explore cultural differences, learn grammar in context, and complete writing activities directly related to both their own daily lives and the world around them. North American Rights only.

Geschäftsdeutsch introduces the students to the language of business German. It is foremost a language book, with the goal of increasing the students’ knowledge and interest in Germany’s national and global economy. Edition 1.1 includes a number of corrections as well as updates reflecting changes in German business culture. Course Instructors: An electronic (PDF) instructor's manual and electronic (PDF) instructor's test bank are available for qualified instructors who have adopted the text for their course. Click here to request the instructor materials.

German for Reading presupposes no previous acquaintance with German and can be used with equal effectiveness by graduate students in the arts and sciences who are preparing to pass a reading knowledge examination, or by undergraduates who are beginning to deal seriously with the problems of reading. Its programmed format permits it to be used either as a classroom text or by individuals working on their own. The second edition builds on strengths of the first while updating outdated terminology, removing terms and phrases no longer in use, and incorporating many revisions made in light of suggestions from readers.

Mapeando a Língua Portuguesa através das Artes is an exciting, comprehensive textbook for intermediate Portuguese courses. Mapeando features interviews, authentic texts, and works of art, all of which serve as springboards for students to express themselves in Portuguese through performance, debate, and communicative exercises. Each of the twelve units is structured around a particular art form, such as photography or literature, and includes three grammar lessons, three original texts, and integrated audio and video activities.  A complementary website featuring streaming video and audio files is available here. Course instructors: Request the Mapeando a Língua Portuguesa através das Artes textbook answer key here (PDF only).

Caderno de Produção is an integral and interactive companion to Mapeando a Língua Portuguesa através das Artes, providing additional innovative exercises for each chapter of the textbook. Throughout each unit, all of which are in Portuguese, students will build their speaking, writing, and comprehension skills with exercises in vocabulary, grammar explanations and structures, additional readings, and videos featuring interviews and images from well-known artists of the Portuguese-speaking world, (the videos are available here at no charge). Course instructors: Request the Caderno de Produção workbook answer key here.

The Cineplex Workbook is an essential companion to Cineplex: Intermediate German Language & Culture through Film, providing additional exercises for each chapter of the textbook that help students build reflexes in the German language. Exercises target vocabulary and grammar acquisition, as well as general comprehension. Useful for classroom or lab periods, for homework assignments, or for individual study and practice. Identify problem areas and track progress. An electronic answer key, for qualifying instructors, is also available, as is the complete, online, autocorrecting version of the Workbook.

Course Instructors: click here request the electronic (PDF) instructor's manual for Cineplex. Please contact Reinhard Zachau via his website for information about accessing film clips. 

Cineplex: Intermediate German Language and Culture Through Film is a communicative textbook for second-year German-language courses that uses engaging, authentic cultural materials: feature films from Germany. Each of the ten chapters in Cineplex focuses on a contemporary, critically-acclaimed film—on highly motivational topics ranging from the West-German student movement to the German Democratic Republic to Turkish-German migrants to the Holocaust—that appeals to the needs of intermediate learners and their understanding of German-speaking culture. Designed for today's student, Cineplex is more than just a textbook—it is a space in which students can 'meet' the people of Germany through the big screen and experience German language and culture as it is performed in context.

Course Instructors: click here request the electronic (PDF) instructor's manual for Cineplex. Please contact Reinhard Zachau via his website for information about accessing film clips. 

An engaging, content-based book for incorporating Francophone cinema and culture into advanced French Language courses or Francophone Studies courses. Each chapter of the book is devoted to a single feature film and includes aids for students watching the film, discussing and writing about the film, and understanding the film within the cultural context. The films come from all regions of the Francophone world, from Vietnam to Algeria to Haiti, and are organized chronologically from the colonial experience to today. Course instructors: An electronic (PDF) instructor's manual for Francophone Cultures is available to qualified instructors who have adopted the text for their course, click here to request a copy.

Cultura y cine: Hispanoamérica hoy, a Spanish-language textbook designed for students at the intermediate/advanced level, explores contemporary Hispanic America through Spanish-language feature films and authentic cultural texts. Topics covered include politics, education, diversity of people and geography, immigration, religion, indigenous traditions, economic issues (both advantages and challenges), music, art, and family life. Each of the eight chapters focuses on a central theme and a high-interest film and includes interviews providing current perspectives on the topic, one or more articles from periodicals, a literary selection, cultural notes, and a variety of activities including many that will appeal to today’s digital-age students. Five Vistazo panorámico sections provide a visual introduction to course fundamentals. Course Instructors: An electronic (PDF only) instructor's manual is available for qualified adopters. If you have adopted the text, request the instructor's manual here.

Making use of Dicionario do viajante insolito by Brazilian writer Moacyr Scliar as a point of departure, Viajando aims to help students develop reading comprehension and oral and written comprehension of Portuguese, filling a much needed void as a reader or complementary intermediate text.

"Rice's La France contemporaine à travers ses films successfully fosters a dynamic learning of French language and culture through the study of French cinema. It should appeal to a broad range of learners and avid cinphiles, while providing interesting glimpses into some of Frances most complex and hotly debated cultural issues of today."
     —Cheira Belquellaoui, DePauw University, in French Review

Three Centuries of Spanish Short Stories invites readers to discover seventeen Spanish short stories written by well-known and also several newly recognized authors from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Authors represented in the anthology include: Juan Valera , Mercedes Abad and Jose Maria Merino. Intermediate and advanced students of Spanish learn about the modern Spanish short story and gain confidence in their literary analysis while strengthening their speaking, reading and writing skills. Numerous pre and post-reading activities for each short story generate classroom conversations. For Spanish language courses in third year or higher, in Spanish literature, the Spanish short story, history of literature, or topics courses where short stories form special topics. 

Written entirely in Spanish, the book is designed to help native English speaking students improve their Spanish pronunciation. Appropriate for those with two years of Spanish on up, the text is ideal for lower level classes to catch bad speaking habits before they set in. For upper level classes the book can serve as a tool to refine pronunciation skills. The book is designed to be completed in one semester and covers specific pronunciation issues common to English speakers and solutions to these problems. Side by side English and Spanish word comparisons are made to allow the student to first pronounce the English and then the Spanish words, providing ear training and articulating exercises. A variety of oral exercises are included which can be practiced in groups. Course Instructors: An electronic instructor's manual is available for qualified course instructors who have adopted this text for their course. If you have adopted the text, click here to request the instructor's manual.

Corneille's Le Cid, the powerful, classic, seventeenth-century tragicomedy, has been designed in this edition to help English-speaking students approach the original French, with an introductory essay, language and culture notes, and study questions, all in one convenient volume.

Based on the pioneering text Cinema for Spanish Conversation, ¡De Pelicula! uses recent feature films with a PG or PG-13 rating to build Spanish language skills in listening, speaking, and reading. The text also provides a unique method to explore the cultural concepts depicted in the films. As with the parent text, ¡De Pelicula! provides a context for listening to the film through previewing exercises, background information, vocabulary, cultural material, and post-viewing exercises, including student exercises to be done in small groups. This version covers eight films and may be used as a primary or ancillary text in fourth year high school courses, for community college courses—especially those language courses taught in the evening—or in single-semester courses at most colleges. Course Instructors: An electronic (PDF only) instructor's manual is available for qualified adopters. If you have adopted the text, request the instructor's manual here.

"This new Inferno is very quickly going to become a favorite. The translation itself is unusually dynamic and returns to the poem a register of daily speech that increases clarity and energy. It never loses sight of the fact that the Inferno tells an intensely involving story. This volume also offers real help to the novice reader. The synopsis printed at the beginning of each canto; the detailed commentary on each canto, at the end of the book; and, most importantly, a really excellent Introduction—all these give the reader constant and multileveled guides to the journey."
     —F. Regina Psaki, The Giustina Family Professor of Italian Language and Literature, University of Oregon

Cinema for Portuguese Conversation uses Brazilian, Portuguese, and Lusophone African cinema to enhance the study of Portuguese language and culture, including the sertão, urban violence, political transitions, women, and the mythological legend of Orpheus. Fourteen feature films are covered, drawn largely from modern Brazilian film. Examples from Cape Verde and Portugal are also included. An electronic (PDF only) instructor's manual for Cinema for Portuguese Conversation is available to qualified course instructors who have adopted the text for their course. To request a copy, click here.

Cinema for German Conversation covers twelve German language films that are used as the basis for discussion and language acquisition, teaching vocabulary, strengthening oral and written skills, and as well as an introduction to modern German culture. The films are selected to provide interesting viewing, key cultural information, and accessible language levels. Each chapter of the book is devoted to a single movie and includes aids for students watching the film, discussing and writing about the film, and understanding the film in a broader cultural context. An electronic (PDF only) instructor's manual for Cinema for German Conversation is available to qualified course instructors who have adopted the text for their course. To request a copy, click here.

Animation for Russian Conversation draws on the best known Russian works of animation—Cheburashka, Karlson the Hedgehog, and Vinni Pukh. Intended for Russian students of the Novice High to Intermediate Mid levels according to ACTFL guidelines, this book offers high interest to anyone learning Russian through authentic, but accessible Russian materials. Exercises cover vocabulary and grammar, with advanced exercises to challenge students further.

"I find this an ideal introductory textbook for students of German literature. The material included provides an excellent overview of German literature since 1750 by embedding it in a cultural-historical context and clearly explaining the literary, cultural, and historical concepts involved. The copious exercises provide opportunities for students to organize their knowledge, engage in textual analysis, and expand their understanding of the interrelationships of literature and culture."
    —Margaret K. Devinney, Director, German Program at Temple University

"1,000 Jahre Deutsche Literatur does a marvelous job of presenting literary texts within their cultural contexts, including an excellent overview of the history of the German Language from Germanic times to the Enlightenment. Professor Clay's writing style is lively and accessible. The accompanying pedagogical exercises reinforce learning of the material, while also affording opportunities for independent thinking and reflection. This newly-revised edition should be a favorite for students and teachers alike."
   –Dennis Mahoney, University of Vermont

This Focus student edition of Candide has been designed to help students approach the original French text through an introductory essay, vocabulary and cultural notes, activities and study questions. All material is in French, and complete in one volume.

A new edition of a classic anthology, published in five convenient and inexpensive volumes, updated for the modern student. Selections in French, with introductory material and notes in English. Includes time lines, introductions to each period and its culture, and short biographies of the authors.

A masterful example of the psychological novel in French literature, this edition has been designed to help the English-speaking student approach the original French through the use of a thorough and informative introduction, ample and informative notes and study questions, all of which are contained in one convenient volume. Pierre et Jean is a naturalist work written by Guy de Maupassant in 1887. It tells the story of a middle-class French family whose lives are changed when a deceased family friend, leaves his inheritance to Jean. This provokes Pierre to doubt the fidelity of his mother and the legitimacy of his brother. The Focus Student Editions are appropriate as introductory texts for French language courses in literature and culture. 

French Cinema: A Student's Book is an introduction to French cinema, in English. This text includes the history of the origins of French film, an explanation of how to analyze a film, a lexicon of French cinema terms, and an analysis of 17 major masterpieces of French filmmaking. A parallel French version of this text, Apprentissage du cinema francais, is also available, so the same course can be taught to students of French culture as well as students of French language.

Additional Resources: French Cinema companion website.

A new edition of a classic anthology, published in five convenient and inexpensive volumes, updated for the modern student. Selections in French, with introductory material and notes in English. Includes time lines, introductions to each period and its culture, and short biographies of the authors.

The second book in a two book series on German film study, Arbeitsbuch zu German Culture through Film covers 14 of the 31 films covered in the first book in the series in German with an emphasis on German language skills. The first book in the series, German Culture Through Film: An Introduction to German Cinema, covers 31 German films in English. 

For additional film resources visit Reinhard Zachau's German film website.

Molière's 1662 comedy L'École des femmes is considered by critics to be among his finest work. The story of a man who is so obsessed by feminine unfaithfulness that he plans to marry his young, naïve ward, whom he has groomed to be the perfect wife, is a classic example of Moliere's bold comedic style. This edition features the French text of Molière's play with vocabulary and notes suitable for students studying for the AP exam in French Literature.