Ready to take your Spanish to the next level? RUMBOS is the intermediate Spanish textbook designed to "fill in the gaps" for you no matter how much Spanish you've retained from your first Spanish course. RUMBOS will lead you to higher levels of communicative competence through the combination of functional and contextualized vocabulary presentations, targeted practice of more advanced and often problematic grammatical structures, and strategy-building in the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Authentic literary readings, listening-based note-taking tasks, academic writing tasks, and oral presentations (all guided and supported by strategies) will ensure you're prepared for advanced language study.

"The authors should be commended for creating a nice balance among literary pieces, journalistic readings and realia. The reading strategies are presented in a logical order and serve to guide students when reading a text for the first time. RUMBOS provides the students with important reading strategies, such as skimming, scanning, recognizing cognates, using the main idea to anticipate content, determining narrative voices and points of view, etc.) that will surely help them succeed in third year literature courses at the university level."

"I truly enjoyed reading the four chapters that were sent to me. In the first chapter I was impressed by the easy flow of the whole chapter. It starts with the topics that will be covered in the chapter, the structures that students will learn, and the additional topics of conversation."

"This book took me completely by surprise. It is unquestionably and far and away the best intermediate Spanish textbook I've seen. The organization is excellent and the grammar explanations clear and in-depth, but it is the fresh approach to structure and vocabulary learning that will make this textbook very important."

"This book took me completely by surprise. It is unquestionably and far and away the best intermediate Spanish textbook I've seen. The organization is excellent and the grammar explanations clear and in-depth, but it is the fresh approach to structure and vocabulary learning that will make this textbook very important. It offers readings, reading strategies and techniques, writing strategies, and information on literary genre, styles, and types integrated into and throughout the entire work. The materials used in grammar explanations are often authentic, far more so than usual, and varied in type and the entire work of a chapter, in terms of vocabulary building and grammar learning, is organized around the readings or reading themes. This is contextualized learning and it is successful, far beyond anything else I have seen in intermediate textbooks. It is the kind of work students at the intermediate can easily do guided by such materials and it is the kind of work that will prepare them properly for the third year."

Jill Pellettieri is an Associate Professor of Spanish at Santa Clara University. Her areas of expertise include second language acquisition, computer-assisted language learning, and second language writing. In addition to RUMBOS, and other Spanish instructional texts and materials, she also authors the best-selling PLAZAS Workbook.Norma López-Burton is the Director of the First Year Spanish Program at the University of California Davis. Her areas of expertise include second language acquisition and curriculum development. She has been honored twice with university-wide awards and numerous grants.Dr. Robert Hershberger is an Associate Professor of Spanish at DePauw University. Before working on PLAZAS, Dr. Hershberger authored Heinle's T DIRS! and INTERCAMBIOS CD-ROMs and was the lead author and project manager for the TEMAS CD-ROM. Most recently Dr. Hershberger served as a co-author on Heinle's second-year Spanish program, RUMBOS. 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.Dr. Rafael Gómez is Professor of Spanish at the School of World Languages and Cultures, California State University, Monterey Bay. His areas of expertise include second language acquisition, distance education, and cross-cultural communication. In addition to RUMBOS and other Spanish instructional texts and materials, he also authors the Latinoamérica website.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 for teaching, advising, and extension service. In 2006, she was named Teacher of the Year in Higher Education by the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina, and she is a charter member of the Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension at North Carolina State. In addition to being a co-author of PLAZAS: LUGAR DE ENCUENTROS, Navey-Davis is also co-author of Heinle's intermediate textbook, RUMBOS.

1. ENVOLVINDONOS EN EL MUNDO HISPANO, LOS VEINTIN PASES DE HABLA HISPANA. Functions: Introduce yourself; describe where you are from, and the geography and weather of that area, explain details of your heritage; discuss Hispanic influences in the U.S.; discuss and describe celebrations and festivals Vocabulary domains: Geography and climate of the Spanish speaking world outside of the U.S., Latino and Latino celebrations in the U.S. Grammar: Uses of present indicative, meaning differences of ser and estar and haber and tener, Uses of definite and indefinite articles; Agreement and position of adjectives. Readings: Literary selection: Chicano narrative: Selection from "Es que duele" in ày no se lo tragó la tierra de Tomás Rivera; Journalistic reading: Interview with Francisco Alarcón. Writing: El informe. Espejos: Diversidad racial, Contribuciones de los Hispanos. Video: Sitios latinos del Internet. 2. LA FAMILIA: TRADICIONES Y ALTERNATIVAS, GUATEMALA, NICARAGUA, HONDURAS. Functions: Discuss family members and relationships; narrate in the past; describe family celebrations, rituals and traditions; narrate and comment on specific family moments in the past Vocabulary domains: Family members and relationships, expressions of affection, family traditions, rituals, and celebrations. Grammar: Haber + past participle Basic differences between preterit and imperfect tenses, Time expressions that signal either the preterit or the imperfect, More subtle meaning differences preterit/imperfect, verbs that change meaning in the preterit. Readings: Literary selection: "Una Navidad como ninguna otra" / cuento / Gioconda Belli; Journalistic reading: "Corpus Christi: El mico y la paloma, tradición del pueblo católico en Guatemala". Writing: La anécdota. Espejos: Qué es una familia?, Una quinceañera. Video: Matrimonio presidencial. 3. EXPLORANDO EL MUNDO, MXICO. Functions: Discuss opportunities for studying and living abroad; explain the preparations for applying to a program; describe the experience of living abroad; make a telephone call abroad; describe and compare modes of transportation; explain and compare options for touring abroad; inquire about and comment on prices of travel and transportation. Vocabulary domains: Studying abroad, Live abroad: travel and transportation options. Grammar: Prepositions por/para, reflexive and reciprocal verbs, verbs that change meaning when used reflexively, negative and indefinite expressions, comparatives and superlatives, comparative statements and certain prepositions. Readings: Literary reading: Epistolary "Cuando salí de la Habana, válgame Dios"/cuento/ José Emilio Pacheco, Journalistic reading: "Aprovechar oportunidades de intercambio: entrevista con el alumno Enrique Acuña de Relaciones Internacionales, desde Rouen, Francia". Writing: La carta personal. Espejos: La UNAM y la UAG, Explorando el mundo precolombino. Video: Manifestación de estudiantes 4. EL OCIO, CUBA, PUERTO RICO, REPBLICA DOMINICANA. Functions: Describe and discuss leisure activities; make, accept, and decline invitations; Discuss culinary preferences; describe and explain how to prepare meals; offer and accept food and drinks. Vocabulary domains: Leisure activities, Food and recipes. Grammar: Present subjunctive with noun clauses, Subjunctive, indicative or infinitive after certain verbs, Passive voice with ser and estar, Impersonal expressions, no fault Se. Readings: Literary selection: "De bípeda desplumada a Escritora Puertorriqueña" Ana Lydia Vega, Journalistic reading: "Antes que anochezca". Writing: La reseña. Espejos: Un concepto diferente del tiempo, Para chuparse los dedos! Video: Campeones mundiales de salsa. 5. LA IMAGEN: PERCEPCIN Y REALIDAD, ESPAA. Functions: Describe physical and personality traits; discuss stereotypes; describe clothing and fashion trends; express opinions and preferences about fashion and trends and stereotypes. Vocabulary domains: Physical and personality traits, clothing and fashion. Grammar: Direct object pronouns, Using direct object pronouns and other pronouns together, Indirect object pronouns, Gustar and gustar-type verbs, Double object pronouns. Readings: Literary selection: "La gloria de los feos" / cuento/ Rosa Montero, Journalistic reading: Javier Bardem. Writing: La descripción biográfica. Espejos: Nuestra imagen y los piropos, El destape: con ropa o sin ropa? Video: La anti-moda. 6. EXPLORANDO TU FUTURO. COSTA RICA, PANAM, EL SALVADOR. Functions: discuss the job search and qualifications; describe opportunities for working abroad; express opinions and conjecture about future career plans; manage the conversation during an interview; describe contexts for volunteerism; express preferences about volunteerism; giving instructions about how to carry out tasks; making a formal phone call. Vocabulary domains: Professions and job positions, qualifications, and benefits; job search; volunteerism; needs and types of assignments. Grammar: Uses of the Future tense, Uses of the Conditional tense, Ways to imply the future: pienso ir a, using present tense etc., Formal commands, Informal commands, Placement of pronouns with commands. Readings: Literary selection:"Flores de volcán"/ poesía/ Claribel Alegría, Journalistic reading: "Un mes inolvidable". Writing: La carta profesional. Espejos: En busca de trabajo, Arzobispo Oscar Romero. Video: Maquiladoras en El Salvador. 7. DERECHOS Y JUSTICIA. ECUADOR, PER, BOLIVIA. Functions: Assert and defend opinions about rights and politics; discuss political problems and solutions; explain laws and how they are enforced; discuss conditions for remedying broken laws; speculating about legal outcomes. Vocabulary domains: Human and civil rights; indigenismo; governments and politics; Types of laws; police; courts; lawsuits. Grammar: Subjunctive in adjective clauses, Subjunctive versus indicative after indefinite expressions, Subjunctive in adverbial clauses, Conjunctions requiring the indicative. Readings: Literary Selection: Entre dos luces/ teatro / César Bravo, Journalistic reading: "Creciente poder irrumpe en los Andes". Writing: El reportaje. Espejos: La situación indígena, Las líneas de Nazca. Video: Manifestaciones en el Ecuador. 8. LA EXPRESIN ARTSTICA. COLOMBIA Y VENEZUELA. Functions: Describe and compare artistic styles and movements; discuss social implications of art; criticize art; describe major characteristics of literature; discuss pieces of literature; express opinions about literary preferences. Vocabulary domains: Types and styles of art; movements; forms of literature; literary styles; periods and genres. Grammar: Past subjunctive, Si clauses, Subjunctive versus indicative in if clauses Relative pronouns, Lo que, lo cual and cuyo. Readings: Literary Selection: "El insome"/ poema/ Eduardo Carranza, Journalistic reading: "Fernando Botero retrata la guerra en Colombia en una nueva exposición". Writing: El poema. Espejos: La arquitectura venezolana, Rómulo Gallegos. Video: Luces de Bogotá. 9. TECNOLOGA: PROGRESO? ARGENTINA, URUGUAY. Functions: Describe and discuss past and present technological advances, speculate about future technology; explain benefits and setbacks of technological advances throughout time; Express opinions about the ethical issues of cloning, transplantation, sypware, etc. ; speculate about impact of technology on the future. Vocabulary domains: Technological advances, Ethical scientific issues. Grammar: Present perfect subjunctive, Past perfect subjunctive, Distinguishing between present perfect subjunctive and past perfect subjunctive, Future perfect, Conditional perfect, Future and Conditional perfect to express probability. Readings: Literary Selection: "Vacío era el de antes"/ cuento/ Luisa Valenzuela, Journalistic reading: "Una encuesta de la Universidad Argentina de la Empresa UADE: realizada en Capital y GEl. Celular estrecha los lazos familiares". Writing: La exposición. Espejos: Las caceroladas en el internet, Tradición y tecnología en la agricultura. Video: El cementerio virtual. 10. RETOS SOCIALES Y AMBIENTALES. CHILE, PARAGUAY. Functions: Describe current social problems; assert and defend opinions about social problems, propose solutions; discuss and explain ecological challenges past, present, and future; speculate about impact of the ecology on the future. Vocabulary domains: Social challenges: Language minorities; multiculturalism; drug abuse, etc., Environmental challenges: deforestation; endangered species, etc. Grammar: Progressive forms, Use of the infinitive and present participle, Sequence of tenses. Readings: Literary Selection: La última niebla/ novela / María Luisa Bombal, Journalistic reading: "Mapuches, discriminación y basura". Writing: La argumentación. Espejos: Paraguay; un país bilingüe, Los cartoneros y el reciclaje en Chile. Video: Mapuches: Concierto y Miseria.