"Treffpunkt Deutsch" has been carefully designed to encourage readers to interact spontaneously and meaningfully in German. Reader-centered, communicative learning is the foundation upon which this book is built. This book uses a unique array of exercises and activities that will have the reader speaking, reading, writing, and listening to good, modern German. "Treffpunkt Deutsch" also features a strong emphasis on German culture. For anyone who wants to learn German.

Willkommento the fourth edition ofTreffpunkt Deutsch!It is hard to believe that fourteen years have passed since the first edition appeared. Those fourteen years have seen the reunification of Germany, the addition of three more countries to the European Union, the introduction of the euro, and the standardization of German orthography for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The fourth edition continues to reflect the historical, cultural, and linguistic changes in the German-speaking countries. We are honored to have had such a loyal following of instructors and students over the past three editions. Their kudos and constructive criticism have been a source of great inspiration to us. Many of their practical suggestions were incorporated into the second edition and the third edition, and further suggestions have now been implemented in the fourth edition. We hope that new users of the text will become equally committed to the pedagogy presented in this text. Student-centered, communicative learning is the foundation upon whichTreffpunkt Deutschis built. The text has been carefully designed to encourage students to interact spontaneously and meaningfully in German. Using this text will transform the classroom into aTreffpunkt,a meeting place,where students will get to know one another better through the target language. All language models, grammatical examples, and communicative activities use idiomatic German that is characteristic of and suited to the particular settings in which they appear. Linguistic competence is developed through skill-chaining, i.e., through cyclical practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing: Listening comprehension is an integral part of the text, not an activity done in the isolation of the language lab. This signals to students that developing aural skills in the target language is the first step for successful communication. We are proud to have been pioneers in introducing intext listening comprehension materials. Supplemental listening comprehension material is of course provided in theHorverstandnissection of theArbeitsbuch. Speaking skills are developed by having students progress from controlled dialogue situations to open-ended conversation about topics that personally involve them and their interests. Speaking skills are further honed by role plays and activities that are spin-offs of the in-text listening material. Reading practice is introduced from the outset of the text. TheLeutesections in each chapter present readings about famous and ordinary people in the German-speaking countries. FromKapitel10 on, theLeutereadings are augmented by authentic reading texts that challenge but do not overwhelm beginning students. All readings leave pre- and post-reading activities. Writing skills are developed through guided writing activities. These are introduced as early asKapitel 1.Themes for writing activities are centered on students' personal interests and are usually spin-offs of the in-text listening material. The development of cultural competence continues to be a major goal ofTreffpunkt Deutsch.The culture of the German-speaking countries is not relegated to theKultursections, but pervades all aspects of the text, including the line drawings. Many users have commented on the German "feel" that the artist, who lives in Germany, has projected into his work. Vocabulary building takes a high priority. The two vocabulary lists in each chapter are organized according to parts of speech, and within these sections, in semantic groupings. The lists are followed by exercises (Woorter im Kontext) that help students internalize the lexical items. Vocabulary learning is further enhanced by the vocabulary-building activities in the uniqueWort, Sinn und Klangsections, wh