Informed by second-language acquisition research, the Avanti! program for introductory Italian is known for its focused approach and flexible content, its emphasis on communicative competence, its opportunities for recycling, and its exploration of culture. With Avanti!, students begin to learn and practice the language while developing an authentic appreciation for Italian culture, both inside and outside of class.
Avanti! is built around the following principles:
Focus and Flexibility: Whereas most Italian programs attempt to cover too much material in the first year, Avanti! reflects a reasonable expectation that most beginning learners can acquire in one year of classroom instruction. The Strutture sections focus on the core structures that are necessary for meaningful communication at the elementary level. Additional structures are either presented "for recognition only" or appear in Per saperne di più, giving instructors flexibility to teach the grammar they want to teach. The Connect platform allows instructors to fully customize course content to meet the needs of their students, whether their courses are face-to-face, hybrid, or online.
Communicative Competence: From the very beginning, Avanti! satisfies student's desire to communicate in everyday situations through a guided and gradual process of acquisition. In the Strategie di comunicazione authentic videos that open each chapter, students see and hear Italians of all ages and backgrounds using high-frequency, practical expressions that students can begin using immediately. Outside of class, McGraw Hill Connect® provides easy-to-use voice tools for synchronous partnered speaking practice and asynchronous chat (Recordable Video Chat and Voice Board powered by GoReact). With Avanti! students are always well supported in their practice whether in person or online, building their communicative competence along with their confidence.
Recycling: Avanti! is designed to provide maximum exposure to vocabulary and grammar structures. Every fourth chapter provides practice of four previously taught grammar points, which are then followed by a related topic. Chapter 16 contains only review grammar sections, providing students with additional practice with challenging structures. With Adaptive Learning Assignments in Connect, students can practice key vocabulary and grammar points outside of class.
Cultural Competence: In addition to providing a meaningful and extensive exploration of Italy's gorgeous and unique culture, the 5th edition of Avanti! places a new emphasis on the importance of intercultural competence. Students are asked to think critically about the experience of learning a language and how it can benefit people's lives through exposure to new skills, behaviors, and attitudes. The first of four new modules features a video interview of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, who sets the stage for new learners by describing the challenges and benefits of learning a new language. Subsequent modules feature a series of interviews with a diverse group of young Italians, and new activities related to intercultural competence have been added to each chapter (Prospettive a confronto and Cosa vedi? Cosa capisci?). The former Cultura section has also been extensively revised in this edition, with all sections renamed and re-envisioned to develop discourse-level language skills while exploring rich cultural content. Following a sensitivity analysis, users will also find more inclusive representation of the regions of Italy, historical information, race and ethnicity, gender and LGBTQ, religion, body image, mental health, and gender roles.
