What are the pillars of Tu mundo?

Our extensive and ongoing research in the Introductory Spanish course has led to the creation of Tu mundo, with a strong emphasis on the 5 C’s: Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Tu mundo delivers content in a variety of ways in order to ensure consistent course outcomes across all course formats.

1. Improved communication performance and skills: By jumping directly into communicative practice at the beginning of every chapter, students are encouraged to immerse themselves in the experience of active learning, whether in a face-to-face or online classroom. Grammar is presented at the end of each chapter, allowing students to study at home and work through the exercises in Connect Spanish for automatic feedback and to come to class ready to engage in discussion. This emphasis on communication in the classroom makes Tu mundo the most effective communicative program on the market. No other program commits to this methodology like Tu mundo.
2. Creating consistent learning outcomes:Tu mundo offers a powerful adaptive learning system called LearnSmart™ that allows students to identify grammatical structures and vocabulary words not yet mastered and to receive an individualized study program for mastering them. Students of all experience levels will benefit from using LearnSmart™, which includes built-in reporting and a competitive scoreboard. Connect Spanish Voice Board and Blackboard Instant Messenger (BbIM), both powered by Wimba, ensure that students are getting ample practice time no matter where their classes take place.
3. Building community and connections between students: Creating a sense of community in the face-to-face or virtual classroom is a huge part of language learning and something that Tu mundo does implicitly. Whether students collaborate in a physical classroom or in Connect Spanish, they are provided with opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations and collaborative task-based activities. The Amigos sin Fronteras, a cast of young Hispanic students that share common interests, are featured throughout the entire program and showcased in the Amigos sin Fronteras video segments. Through the Amigos sin Fronteras, students are exposed to a friendly model on how to apply what they are learning to another friendly group of students, i.e. their own class. In addition, Tu mundo presents an interactive online environment that applies engaging content and task-based scenarios that enable students to practice their language skills in a fun, immersive context that is also extremely motivating.
4. More Culture and Comparisons coverage: Culture is so often left behind, so Tu mundo presents it throughout the program. Each chapter features a country of focus which doubles as the home country of one of the fifteen amigos. Along with in-chapter cultural sections, every chapter of Tu mundo features a second video segment called Mi país, narrated by the amigos themselves, as they share information about their native countries. This window into the lives of the amigos and their cultures provides a point of comparison for students to talk about their own lives. The Mundo interactivo scenarios represent a variety of cultural contexts in which students can also interact with language and culture in a way that is meaningful to them.