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"Ever since I passed the Barrier final exam at Groton School a few years ago, I have frequently referred back to my BSB books to refresh my memory about certain grammar concepts or to review tricky verb conjugations. Of course, I have had to use other grammar books since then, but I just think the BSB books are so much easier to use because there are so well designed. I am taking a Spanish Oral Expression course this year at Harvard, and whenever I don’t remember whether to use the subjunctive or the indicative with a certain sentence construction, I visualize the CHAD-ATE, ESCAPA and other helpful charts from BSB ... and I automatically know which tense to use! One of the main strengths of BSB is that all the grammar concepts are laid out and explained in a way that is easy to understand and remember. This has provided me with a solid grammar base for writing in Spanish and has strongly reinforced my speaking skills."
- François Mathieu
Harvard University, Class of 2011
Since 1996 we’ve been asking our students and teaching colleagues to name the ingredients of a “perfect textbook.” They’ve told us about their preferences in no uncertain terms:
- “I’m tired of all the bells and whistles…no more fluff…just give me the essentials.”
- “Keep it concise and focused – straightforward and simple.”
- “Logically organized”
- “Crystal-clear explanations”
- "I want a textbook that's BACK TO BASICS. My students MUST have a secure grasp of grammar to make all the time they spend using on-line resources worthwhile."
- “User-friendly, encouraging, and fun to use”
- “Spacious layout”
- “Up-to-date national facts and cultural references”
- “Helps students find the confidence to succeed, and gives them what they really need to achieve fluency.”
- “A text that actually gets the job done!”
As we’ve said before, many of the ideas we incorporate into our texts come from fellow teachers and students of Breaking the Barrier. Follow these links for additional comments:
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