Product Description

This Student's Book provides a smooth transition from GCSE to AS level and through to A2, following the new four-unit exam specifications from 2008.

The book is structured in 13 units, 7 for AS (the first of these being a transition unit from GCSE to AS) and 6 for A2. Each unit follows broadly the same three stages:
- introductory,
- consolidatory/developmental and
- creative.

All four language skills are carefully developed throughout the course through the exploitation of authentic written and recorded material, and with appropriate oral presentation and written tasks, to prepare students for their examinations. Grammar is presented and exemplified in context, with explanations in English, and an effective and comprehensive summary is provided at the end of the book.

It is supported by two Dynamic Learning resources:

- For Teachers the Network Edition DVD-ROM (978 0340 968628) provides all elements of the Student Book for use on the whiteboard or school network plus all required audio files and Teacher's Resource Book. It also adds video clips and interactive versions of 200 of the language activities. The aim is to allow teachers to teach in a truly integrated way launching all the resources they need from a single platform. It also includes a powerful and intuitive 'lesson builder' for you to create your own lessons from the resources we have provided combined with your own favourite websites or other learning activities.

- For the Student each copy of the book comes with a CD or a password to access a powerful set of activities and advice for independent learning. This Dynamic Learning Home Edition CD-ROM includes expert advice, and interactive activities, and exam practice for Listening, Grammar, Vocabulary, Speaking, Exam and Study Skills as well as a range of weblinks to explore to help students improve their Spanish.

For the full range of series resources see also:
Audio CD Set 978 0340 968932
Teacher's Resource Book 978 0340 968925

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40424 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Mike Thacker is Chair of Examiners for Spanish, an experienced A Level examiner, and a popular trainer in language learning.

Monica Morcillo Laiz now teaches in Spain but has extensive experience of teaching Spanish in the UK.

Customer Reviews

A waste of money without the CDs
This textbook is actually a waste of money without the CDs, which is very annoying, and it makes no sense to market it like this. In my opinion, there are much better Spanish learning resources on the market (CDs included) for around the same price. The content is interesting but not very well organised.

A good study aid but should be available with CD
I am in my third year of studying Spanish at evening class and am using this book to prepare for an AS level in May. It is a good study aid, so much better than the very basic GCSE texts which were aimed at school children studying for GCSE and were really boring for adults. Ponte al Dia is quite challenging, some of the chapters are more interesting than others but it is topical and informative.

There are several ways in which it could be better though: there are a lot of idiomatic expressions which despite having an extremely large Spanish/English dictionary I can't always translate. There is no vocabulary index, and no answers to the exercises. The major disantavantage as far as I'm concerned (and I know that my colleagues in the class feel the same) is that it does not come with a CD, even though there is a CD and a lot of the exercises require it. I can't even find the CD for sale. The teacher hasn't got it either as it apparently costs upwards of £60 and he would have to buy it himself. This is extremely annoying as it effectively means we can't do half the exercises, and our teacher has to provide other material, which he does to the best of his ability but it's not the same.

Useless
I have just received this but if you want to know the answers to the questions, or listen to the clips needed for the listening exercises, you have to buy an £80 teachers edition.