ACTFL 2024

Vergil: Aeneid 10 is part of a new series of commentaries on the Aeneid. Each volume adapts, with extensive revisions and additions, the commentaries of T. E. Page (1884, 1900) and is edited by a scholar of Roman epic. The present volume offers the Latin text of Book 10 along with extensive notes and commentary designed to meet the needs of intermediate students of Latin.

“The new Vergil commentaries from Focus are an exciting resource for almost anyone reading the Aeneid in Latin. The editors recognize that developing core reading skills and involving students in the interpretive questions raised by the poem are not separate objectives. This recognition has resulted in commentaries that enticingly present basic information in a wider setting of observation and enquiry. All in all, the Focus series balances simplicity and subtlety, reminding students at all levels that increasing technical precision and stretching one’s interpretive curiosity are—fundamentally—one endeavor.”
—Antonia Syson, late of Purdue University, in Teaching Classical Languages (CAMWS)

Cinema for French Conversation, Fifth Edition, builds upon the strengths of previous editions of this pioneering textbook by devoting six new chapters to recent award-winning French-language films including La cour de Babel, Fatima, Ce qui nous lie, La famille Bélier, Diplomatie, and Intouchables. Each of the book’s eighteen chapters features key vocabulary for viewing its corresponding film, structured post-viewing exercises aimed at facilitating in-class discussion, related readings for each film designed to provide perspective, and much more. A (forthcoming) companion website offers links to film trailers, interviews, and other online resources. A proven aid for cultivating French-language conversation skills at the upper-intermediate and advanced levels, Anne-Christine Rice’s classic book yields rich insight into elements of historic and present-day French culture while fostering appreciation for France’s renowned septième art itself.

Films and Additional Online Resources Webpage: Click here for information about how to access the films covered in the textbook and to download additional online resource PDFs for each chapter.

Course Instructor Resources: An electronic (PDF only) instructor's manual for Cinema for French Conversation, Fifth Edition is available to qualified course instructors who have adopted the text for their course. Click here to request a copy.

Cinema for Spanish Conversation, Fifth Edition, draws on sixteen high-interest films (and related readings) to introduce students to the authentic language and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Each chapter offers a wide variety of activities designed to improve students’ conversational skills as well as opportunities for reading and writing practice. New to the fifth edition are three new critically acclaimed films, including Yuli (set in Cuba), El último verano de la Boyita (Argentina), and Oscar-award-winning film Roma (Mexico), along with readings and activities related to each. Also new is a section, added to each chapter, offering new and expanded activities related to the films, updated information on each film, and its actors and directors, and a revised and updated appendix, organized by chapter, offering a list of recent films that can be compared or contrasted to the films in the book. Available for sale only in the US, Canada, and UK.

"Cinema for Spanish Conversation is already a classic pedagogical text, geared for those students seeking to improve their verbal fluency in the Spanish language while exploring complex issues relating to contemporary Spanish-speaking societies and their diaspora through the lenses of the film industry."
—Asela R. Laguna, Rutgers University, Newark

Instructor's Manual (PDF): A PDF-only instructor's manual is available. Please use this form to request the instructor's manual.

Films page: Links to purchase/rent/stream the films are available on the Cinema for Spanish Conversation films page.

"Surprisingly, Classical Sanskrit for Everyone is indeed for everyone. Playing tour guide to the 'curious,' the 'Yoga aficionado,' and the 'scholar' on an efficient itinerary through Sanskrit grammar and its philosophical cultures, Keating’s book is refreshingly accessible and useful. Replete with an excellent analysis of important features of Sanskrit with analogies to English usage and learned 'pandit points,' it also provides supplemental discussions of Sanskrit poetry and philosophy and up-to-date online resources. Pop culture references and a playfully funny tone, at turns, disarm the uninitiated reader and give the scholar a fresh perspective on how to teach this language to a new generation of eager learners."
—Deven M. Patel, University of Pennsylvania

Additional Resources: A translation key (PDF download) and links to free online resources, including dictionaries and instructional materials, are available on the Classical Sanskrit for Everyone title support page.

*  Download the Table of Contents for Common Ground (PDF)

*  Visit the companion Website with additional Online resources

“There is so much to know and to consider when learning to teach a language, and Common Ground presents, in a straightforward and simplified way, the most important concepts, based on SLA research. Students are more likely to retain and apply this important information when it is presented concisely, with many specific examples, as it is in this book. Common Ground has a logical organization that is easy to follow, both in terms of chapter order and the sequencing of information and activities within each chapter. The content is accurate, current, concise, readable, and easy to understand. The number of sample activities in the second half of each chapter is wonderful--they serve to illustrate the concepts in the first half of the chapter and provide students/teachers with a wealth of ideas that they will be able to adapt and use in their own classrooms. The companion website will be a great resource and a good way to update the book more regularly than producing subsequent editions, especially with respect to tech tools, webinars on teaching with technology, etc. I will definitely adopt this book into my courses; I think others will too, because of the high quality of the authors’ work, the conciseness of their writing, the numerous useful examples, and the low cost of the book to students.” —Tammy Jandrey Hertel, University of Lynchburg, and author of El cine documental: Spanish Language and Culture through Documentary Film

“Common Ground is accessible to teachers at all levels yet firmly rooted in current questions of second language acquisition (SLA). One of its primary strengths is the authors themselves, both of whom are accomplished language teachers who understand the challenges and opportunities in communication-focused language teaching. Their experience, expertise, insight, and enthusiasm for language teaching translate into a book that is refreshingly practical for teachers, especially teachers who are striving to break from traditional drills commonly presented in textbooks. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of every language teacher who is looking for concrete examples of how SLA principles meet the realities of the classroom." —Stacey Margarita Johnson, Vanderbilt University

Ekstase und Elend is an intermediate/advanced textbook for German studies courses that presents the cultural history of German-speaking Europe from roughly 1900 to the present. Compiled by a team of scholars of German studies, applied linguistics, and history, it offers the historical, political, and social context necessary for engaging with recent cultural products from German-speaking Europe while cultivating the vital skills for doing so in German. 

Click here to visit the companion website featuring an annotated interactive timeline, media from a variety of sources, and suggested research projects.

"I like the way Ekstase und Elend translates its 'ecstasy vs. misery' dichotomy throughout the volume. It engagingly conveys sociopolitical and even economic history by laying out sharp contrasts—through texts, images, and exercises that cover a range of topics, peoples, and events. A second major strength of the volume is its sociohistorical inclusiveness. I’ve not yet run across a German-language civilization textbook that (with the exception of the Jewish peoples, in the context of Nazi Germany and WWII) includes to such an extent the narratives of historically underrepresented groups and individuals. Strongly recommended." —James Pfrehm, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Ithaca College

Hidden Berlin brings to life the city's tumultuous history by tracing the evolution of six iconic locations: the reconstructed City Palace, the Berlin Wall, the Nazi Olympic Stadium, Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg Gate, and the recreated Nikolaiviertel. In exploring each of these areas, Hidden Berlin illustrates how Berlin has become one of Europe's most complex and dynamic cities. Richly illustrated with images and maps, the volume engages readers through detailed timelines and activities. Additional locations of interest and a bibliography present opportunities for readers to explore on their own. A companion website provides a host of internet-based activities, suggestions for readings, and supplementary resources for each chapter (website forthcoming in spring 2022). Hidden Berlin is an engaging volume for courses on the culture of Berlin or modern Germany, students studying abroad, and visitors to the city who want an enlightened experience.

Additional Resources: Visit the author's companion website.

ACTFL 2020 Virtual Convention Author Workshop: Juntos: Italian for Speakers of English and Spanish. Presented by Clorinda Donato (California State University, Long Beach). Watch it on Vimeo here.

Juntos: Italian for Speakers of English and Spanish, Third Edition, is the first comprehensive textbook for the teaching of Italian to students who already possess knowledge of Spanish, whether as L1 Spanish speakers, heritage speakers, or L2 Spanish learners. Suitable for students at the high school and college levels, Juntos is also the first textbook to cultivate interlinguistic awareness through intercomprehension, developing bridges that foster the recognition and use of students’ bilingual repertoire as a tool for learning Italian and acquiring other Romance languages. "A Revolution in Language"—read about UC Irvine's new accelerated Romance language courses for Spanish-speaking students and their experience with Juntos.

Additional Online Resources: A title support website with audio, activities, and additional web resources for all 36 lessons in Juntos is available here.

Training Videos for Instructors: Training videos designed for instructors looking for step-by-step instructions for teaching Italian multilingually to Spanish-speaking students are available here.

Instructor Guide and Answer Key: A PDF-only Instructor’s Guide and Answer Key is available to qualified instructors by request. Please use this form to request the Instructor’s Guide and Answer Key.

"An innovative, highly engaging Italian textbook, that can be used at the high school or university level. . . . With its translingual perspective, new comparative approach, and array of activities, Juntos provides learners of Italian a new tool to hone their linguistic skills, improve their cross-cultural competence, and deepen their understanding of how languages and cultures are interrelated and mutually enriching." —Christina A. Mirisis, St. Norbert College, and Simona Wright, The College of New Jersey, in The NECTFL Review

"From Le Dernier Métro to Intouchables, Bissière and Singerman cover the latest trends of French cinema, emphasizing context and analytical method as Singerman did in Apprentissage du cinéma français (Focus 2004). The authors offer a selection of films most French cinephiles will applaud, and they incorporate insights from some of the best critical work on French cinema. Students of French film will also find all the bibliographical pointers they need to dig deeper, and instructors will appreciate the pedagogical components included in the chapters."  —Jonathan Walsh, Department of French Studies, Wheaton College, Massachusetts

Clips from each film covered in the textbook are available to qualified instructors in a password protected Vimeo collection. Instructors wishing to access clips from the films for course use may request access by using the online form here. (download a PDF of the TOC listing all of the films) 

"Colleagues who teach courses on contemporary France in French departments will be very pleased by the much-anticipated arrival of the fourth edition of Les Français, co-authored by Jean-François Brière and Julie Fette. While the updated version reflects the profound changes that have taken place in French society since the publication of the third edition in 2001, among them the effects of the digital revolution and the increasingly visible roles of women and minorities, the book remains faithful to the spirit of the book’s original author, Laurence Wylie. Unlike other textbooks on contemporary France, Les Français does not merely catalog recent events in French history. Instead, it focuses on the ways in which the history and traditions of French society and culture have shaped current attitudes toward a variety of issues, from the debates on laïcité to the laws on parité and le mariage pour tous. This historical and comparative perspective, which gives American students the tools to understand why the French think and behave differently from Americans, constitutes the greatest strength of the book, making it the foremost French-language textbook on contemporary France." —Venita Datta, Professor of French Studies, Wellesley College

Click here to watch authors Julie Fette and Jean-François Brière's Les Français online book launch event hosted by the Institute of French Studies at NYU.

"On the Move! Spanish Grammar for Everyday Situations is accurate, engaging, and pedagogically sound. The authors provide concise explanations of complex grammar and incorporate them into chapters organized by the presentation of cultural material relevant to major cities throughout the Spanish-speaking world. This is an innovative approach to teaching grammar in context that will be far more engaging for students than the dry, abstract, and lengthy explanations that one finds in other textbooks. . . . The approach is consistent with content-based teaching and compatible with expectations for the abilities of intermediate-level learners as described by ACTFL Proficiency Standards." —Juliet Lynd, Illinois State University

"This text follows a natural order, is engaging, pedagogically sound, and acknowledges the way students learn and apply increasingly complex grammatic structures. The exercises are clearly presented and challenge the students to apply the structures they have reviewed." —Gustavo Arango, State University of New York, Oneonta

Additional Resources:

Audio Recordings: Twelve brief audio recordings, streaming freely online, allow students to hear for themselves regional differences in accents, intonations, and linguistic variations.

Textbook Answer Key: Request the On the Move! textbook answer key (PDF only) here.

Chapters quizzes: Thirteen chapter quizzes (PDF only), one for each chapter plus the introduction, are available to qualified instructors. Request the PDF chapter quizzes here.