Understanding that students enter the Intermediate Spanish course at different levels, Atando cabos brings students to a common proficiency level and “ties up the loose ends” from their first year of Spanish.  Focusing on the significance of culture and interpersonal communication in learning a foreign language, this text is comprised of high-interest, relevant themes that motivate critical thinking and classroom discussions.  Concentrating on the development of basic skills—listening, speaking, reading and writing, with an equal emphasis on fluency and accuracy—this text teaches students to express, interpret, and negotiate meaning in context while learning to analyze, compare, contrast, and understand Hispanic cultures.