As the best-selling introductory Spanish textbook in the United States, Puntos de partida has long been a favorite of instructors across the country. For this new edition, the authors and editors of Puntos have turned to those very instructors to help formulate a plan that would respond to the needs of a changing discipline. We reached out to more than 275 students and instructors across the country, and the result is a thoroughly revised edition that we are confident will address new needs and preferences while continuing to provide the solid foundation in communicative language development that is the hallmark of Puntos de partida. Puntos de partida is available with CENTRO a portal learning management system through which various digital components, including Quia(t) Workbooks and Laboratory Manuals and Quia e-books, are delivered. This McGraw-Hill exclusive system offers a single log-in authentication for students and a single gradebook for instructors. With Puntos de partida student and instructors will benefit from several online resources available in CENTRO: For students: Quia e-book Voice Board Quia Workbook Quia Lab Manual (includes the full laboratory audio program) Puntos de partida video program (free with purchase of any of the Quia products) Puntos de partida ActivityPak (free with purchase of any of the Quia products) Spanish Grammar Tutorials (free with purchase of any of the Quia products) Link to the Online Learning Center: http://www.mhhe.com/puntos8 For instructors: Grammar PPT slides Overhead transparencies of line art from the textbook PDF version of the Instructor's Manual/Resource Kit Customizable Word-file version of the Testing Program Cultural PPT slides of the 21 countries of the Spanish-speaking world Image Bank including more than 100 photos of the Spanish-speaking world