Plazas: Lugar de encuentros (with Audio CD) [Hardcover]

Robert Hershberger (Author), Susan Navey-Davis (Author), Guiomar Borrás A. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1428205047 | ISBN-13: 978-1428205048 | Publication Date: October 3, 2007 | Edition: 3

PLAZAS is the place where culture and language find common ground! This accessible introduction to Spanish uses the background of vibrant, Spanish-speaking cultures from around the world to expose you to the language as it is actually used in everyday conversation. With helpful visuals, contemporary examples, and carefully crafted grammar and vocabulary presentations, PLAZAS is your key to success in the course and in the language!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The structure/layout of each chapter is very easy to follow."

"I find the wrap format [of the Instructor Edition] the most useful."

"They (instructor annotations) are very useful. I really like the teaching tips, and the information on the standards; they keep the instructor focused on the material and goals."

"To be honest, I have used so many textbooks for Spanish and by far, the best one has been PLAZAS. . . . I’ve had so much fun using and teaching from PLAZAS. The new format on the Instructor’s Edition is extremely helpful. Having the objectives and the information of each chapter is excellent. In many ways, it prepares the instructor to view grammar information and cultural awareness."

"I have used many other texts because I teach in several colleges and I find that I do my best with PLAZAS."

About the Author

Dr. Robert Hershberger is an Associate Professor of Spanish at DePauw University. Before working on PLAZAS, Dr. Hershberger was the lead author and project manager for the TEMAS CD-ROM. In addition to his teaching at DePauw, Dr. Hershberger is Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and a Tenzer University Professor in Instructional Technology. In 2005, Dr. Hershberger received the Exemplary Teacher Award by DePauw University and the United Methodist Church.

Susan Navey-Davis is Director of Undergraduate Advising for the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at North Carolina State University and Coordinator of Lower Division Spanish courses. She has received awards from regional and state organizations and from the University for teaching, advising, and extension service. In addition to RUMBOS, she is also a co-author of PLAZAS: LUGAR DE ENCUENTROS, an introductory Spanish program from Heinle.

Guiomar Borras A. received her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied Spanish language and Spanish and Latin American literature and culture. She obtained a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from Dartmouth College and a Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language and a Masters in Education from St. Michael's College. Currently she is a Professor of Spanish at Glendale Community College and has been working as a Business Spanish Professor at Thunderbird, the School of Global Management. Professor Borrás A. was the Academic Director of the Thunderbird Intensive Language Program in 2001 and coordinated the lower division classes. Her contribution to scholarship includes Heinle's SPANISH FOR LIFE: BUSINESS WORKTEXT, INTERCAMBIOS, 5th Edition, and PLAZAS: LUGAR DE ENCUENTROS, 2nd Edition and 3rd Edition. She was the President of the Arizona Language Association. She received the Thunderbird Student Government Outstanding Professor Award seven times and in 2000 received the Hacker Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching and Research.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Heinle; 3 edition (October 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1428205047
• ISBN-13: 978-1428205048
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #72 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Spanish
  • #73 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Spanish

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not recommended, August 29, 2006

By 

Spanish Instructor (Boston, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plazas: Lugar de encuentros (with Audio CD's) (Hardcover)

I have been teaching with this book for 2 years and the more familiar I am with it the less I like it and the more mistakes I find on it. It was not chosen by me and I hope we'll change it soon. The textbook and workbook have plenty of mistakes even though it is a second edition.
This book claims to cover cultural elements from most Spanish speaking countries but it only sets each chapter in a different country, with very little cultural information about each place. The "encuentro cultural" section is the only cultural information in the book (apart from the video section) and most times is inaccurate or just plain boring or not interesting at all. Another problem is that many of the communication exercises are not communicative at all and not very involving for the students. Finally, I think that a book which costs more than $100 should, at least, have more pictures and color pages and it should try to make learning a language a more rewarding and fun experience.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DOES NOT COME WITH ILRN, December 14, 2007

By 

Eric J. Eddy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Plazas: Lugar de encuentros (Hardcover)

Despite the description the book does not come with the ilrn code or the CD-ROM of the book. If you need the ilrn DO NOT! buy here. If you buy the ilrn by it self it is hundred bucks. Amazon sent me two copies because they were not smart enough to know if the book actually came with it or they didn't ship it. Wasted my time and forced me to take a 0 on my first assignment. They did provide free shipping for both returns though and took them back without question. Book is good just don't buy from amazon.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars BUY AT BOOKSTORE NOT ONLINE!, September 5, 2009

By 

Shan "Shan" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plazas: Lugar de encuentros (Hardcover)

Okay, chances are you HAVE TO HAVE Ilrn to take your Spanish class- You will NEED the BOOK CODE for Ilrn.

This book DOES NOT come with that. After you purchase this book, you will have to go online and purchase the online Ilrn for $94.95- you aren't saving any money.

My school offers a package with the book, Ilrn bookcode (to register online) and a dictionary for $191. You will either lose money or break even. Keep that in mind when you buy this book online- you most likely will have to fork out an additional $94 to use Ilrn.