We've listened to intermediate Spanish instructors across the country to find out exactly what they are looking for in their course materials. Of course, all of them are looking for the materials that will best help students develop their language skills, but they are also looking for more than that. They've told us that they want materials that will motivate students, that will help them understand the value of learning another language, that will help them understand and appreciate cultures - others as well as their own - and that will bring them closer to the Spanish-speaking communities right here in the United States. En comunidad: Comunicación y conexión is an exciting new intermediate Spanish program that responds to these very needs: --En comunidad carefully and consistently addresses the "Five Cs" of languages learning (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities). --En comunidad offers a learner-centered approach that helps motivate students to take responsibility for their own language-learning process. --En comunidad targets the use of language skill for real-world, practical purposes, thus helping students see the immediate value in their learning process. --En comunidad not only focuses on Spanish-speaking communities outside the United States, but also those within the United States. --En comunidad provides a contextualized approach that integrates all four language-learning skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and doesn't "compartmentalize" the acquisition of vocabulary and grammar.