In the twenty years since the publication of the first edition of Puntos de partida (or Puntos, as the series has come to be called), more than a million students have studied Spanish using Puntos. The coauthors of Puntos de partida are grateful for this tremendous and positive response to its goals and approach. The goal of the coauthors -- cited above -- has remained constant since the first edition. As for the text’s approach, we believe that it has evolved, keeping pace in its own way with technological advances and with our increasing knowledge of how languages are learned. The ancillary package for the first edition of Puntos, excellent for its time, seems small in comparison to the plethora of materials that are available to instructors today. We remember our excitement as we worked hard to develop what we felt was a truly creative audio program (available for copying on large reels!) for the first edition. We have been delighted to feel that same excitement over the years as we have used new technologies to create video programs, computer programs, CD-ROMs, and other electronic supplements. In the context of language learning, these supplements are not window dressing; they are true enhancements that make Spanish come alive for students in ways that a classroom instructor alone cannot do. In addition to those new technologies, instructors will find in the sixth edition, a special Anniversary Edition, those features that they have come to know and trust over the years and that have made the text one of the most widely adopted in the country. These features include:

• an abundance of practice material, ranging from form-focused exercises to communicative activities
  
  
• vocabulary, grammar, and culture that work together as interactive units
  
  
• an emphasis on meaningful use of Spanish
  
  
• a positive portrayal of Hispanic cultures
  
  
• supplementary materials that are carefully coordinated with the core text and that actually "work" with it.

• a special Annotated Instructor’s Edition that includes a larger trim size to accommodate a wrap-around design. The result is an AIE that is not only easier to read but one that includes special recurring features, including notes and special activities for Heritage Speaker students, comments on the National Standards, and suggestions for integrating multimedia.
  
  
• a redesigned two-page chapter-opening spread that introduces students to the chapter theme through engaging questions and also serves to preview the integrated multimedia components
  
  
• a new Panorama cultural page in each chapter that focuses on individual countries of the Spanish-speaking world
  
  
• a revised En los Estados Unidos y el Canadá... feature, which now includes cultural information about the Hispanic community in Canada
  
  
• a revised Un paso más section at the end of each chapter, including new readings and writing activities in almost all chapters
  
  
• a new text-specific, integrated video (En contexto) filmed on location in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru. Integrated in the new Videoteca section of each chapter, this video illustrates functional language for the learner.
  
  
• a completely revised interactive CD-ROM that reviews and practices vocabulary, grammar, and skills in an engaging, meaningful way
  
  
• a new Online Learning Center website that provides important resources and materials for instructors and students additional innovative multimedia products