The hallmark of ¡Avance! is its intelligent treatment of topics that speak to students and their own interests. The chapter topics are not run-of-the-mill, survival-type topics; rather, they are topics that truly promote a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and of Hispanic cultures, such as those dealing with stereotypes, cultural traditions, and beliefs and ideologies. Topics are approached from a cross-cultural, sociological point of view, with the overall goal of ¡Avance! being that of challenging students not just to learn about the language and cultures of the Hispanic peoples, but to think about their own culture critically. Thus, learning Spanish with ¡Avance! is not only interesting, but also becomes personally relevant.

The new edition features Connect Spanish™ and LearnSmart™, with their continuously adaptive learning tools and numerous digital learning resources specifically designed for Intermediate Spanish.