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Breaking the Spanish Barrier Online and Breaking the French Barrier Online are accessible on any device. Individuals or schools may purchase one-year licenses. The fully interactive online books can be used alone or as companions to our print textbooks. 

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EXPLORE THE WORLD
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Learning a language allows a student to hear new voices, to communicate with people who have different experiences, and to come to appreciate the beauty of places around the globe. In this series, we will visit every Spanish-speaking country, presenting rich cultural information including about famous people from these lands. The goal is to inspire and to break down barriers. There are valuable lessons to learn everywhere in the world.
LET’S GO!
BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY
Girl in a jacket
Breaking the Barrier teaches you the most useful words in the Spanish language. Sound files, pictures and innovative flashcards make our system the best anywhere!
TRY IT!
CULTURAL ARTICLES
Girl in a jacket
Throughout the series, we introduce students to people with stories to tell, In this article about the “lulo” fruit, we meet a grandmother who shows us how she makes a special after school drink for her grandchildren. Video, audio, written text and comprehension questions provide a complete cultural experience for students.
LET’S GO!
ADVENTURE SERIES
Girl in a jacket
This recurring dialogue series is action-packed, featuring three teenagers with an appetite for fun and adventure. Starring native speakers from around the globe, “Las aventuras de Rafael, Elisa y El Tigre” is a student favorite.
LET’S GO!
LISTEN AND LEARN
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Throughout the series, all new grammatical ideas are brought to life with rich sound files from native speakers. By hearing the language, a student better remembers it.
LISTEN!
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
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Breaking the Barrier believes that a student must practice each concept frequently. Hundreds of exercises test understanding and help a student master each concept. Exercises are interactive, allowing a student to get immediate feedback. There is no question that this technique is the best one to aid students on their pathway to fluence.
TRY IT!
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John Conner

Author and Series Editor

John is the principal author and editor of the Breaking the Barrier series. Since 1981 John has taught Spanish in the World Language Department of Groton School, where he is also the Dean of Faculty. John was a consultant to the College Board and served on the A.P. Test Development Committee. A devoted classroom teacher, enthusiastic advocate for his professional colleagues, and lively public speaker, John has helped generations of students on their pathway to achieve language fluency.

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Our Series

Clear explanations, authentic audio, video, vocabulary flashcards, interactive exercises, cultural articles, video teaching capsules, and an audio adventure series help students gain confidence from the very first day. Up-to-date information is offered about Spanish-speaking countries around the world.

Breaking the Spanish Barrier 1 (Beginner)
Our level 1 starts from the very beginning by introducing simple words and phrases that can be used right away. Throughout the chapters, easy-to-understand explanations unravel these essential building blocks of language:
  • nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions
  • present, preterite, imperfect, and progressive tenses
  • formal commands
Sample Chapter
Breaking the Spanish Barrier 2 (Intermediate)
The Intermediate text first reviews key grammar topics to ensure that all students have a strong grounding in the present, preterite, and imperfect tenses. New topics include:
  • future, conditional, present perfect, pluperfect, present subjunctive, and pluperfect subjunctive
  • indefinites, demonstratives, and reflexive pronouns
  • informal commands, comparisons
Sample Chapter
Breaking the Spanish Barrier 3 (Advanced)
Continuing the strategies established in the first two courses in the series, the Advanced Level begins by reviewing the major present, past, conditional and future tenses. New material includes:
  • all perfect tenses, including the present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect and conditional perfect
  • the subjunctive mood (with commands, verbs of emotion, hypothetical situations, adverbial phrases)
  • comparatives, the passive voice, “if clauses,” punctuation, and uses of the infinitive
  • intriguing vocabulary, with a special focus on adjectives covered in early chapters, followed by nouns, verbs, and idiomatic expressions
Sample Chapter
Breaking the French Barrier 1 (Beginner)
Our level 1 book assumes no prior knowledge of French. The “First Steps” lesson also presents all the sounds of the French language so that students can develop an authentic accent. Throughout the chapters, easy-to-understand explanations teach these essential building blocks of language:
  • nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions
  • the present, passé composé, imperfect, and progressive tenses
  • formal commands
Sample Chapter
Breaking the French Barrier 2 (Intermediate)
Our Level 2 text first reviews key grammar topics to ensure that all students have a strong grounding in the present, passé composé and imperfect tenses.
  • New lists of vocabulary further expand students’ ability to describe the world around them
  • An adventure series also is featured in Level 2 as characters travel to exciting new places with unexpected twists and turns
The new material in Level 2 includes:
  • the future, conditional, present perfect, the pluperfect, present subjunctive, and the pluperfect subjunctive tenses
  • indefinites, demonstratives, and reflexive pronouns
  • informal commands, comparisons
Sample Chapter
Breaking the French Barrier 3 (Advanced)
Our Level 3 / Advanced book targets students in their 3rd or 4th year of French. It is a text that highlights all the key grammar found on AP, SAT II, IB, or college placement tests.
  • all perfect tenses, including the present perfect, pluperfect, future perfect and conditional perfect
  • the subjunctive mood (with commands, verbs of emotion, hypothetical situations, adverbial phrases)
  • comparatives, the passive voice, “if clauses,” punctuation, and uses of the infinitive
  • intriguing vocabulary, with special focus on adjectives in early chapters, followed by nouns, verbs, and idiomatic expressions
Sample Chapter

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