DEUTSCH HEUTE, International Edition successfully develops the skills of introductory German students by maintaining a focus on building listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Manageable for two-semester courses, the text covers grammar in a logical sequence, leaving the subjunctive and passive voices to the last two chapters. Each chapter contains many function-based activities that focus on specific emotional expressions, such as showing skepticism or sympathy, signaling a lack of understanding, and giving positive and negative responses. Students are introduced to contemporary life and culture in German-Speaking countries through a cast of recurring characters who appear in the Bausteine für Gespräche (dialogues) and in some readings and exercises, as well as in the Student Activities Manual (SAM) and tests.