‘Aurrera!’ is a comprehensive text for beginning-level students who are learning Basque (the Batua form approved by the Academy of the Basque Language) in a classroom setting or on their own. Each chapter introduces elements of grammar and offers students written and spoken exercises, vocabulary, dialogues, and other activities that demonstrate the language in action, plus Basque reading texts that entertain while they illustrate the points of the chapter. The complexities of Basque grammar are explained in clear, easy-to-understand terms, and the dialogues and exercises introduce students to common idioms and the basics of social conversation. Volume 2 covers a third and fourth semester of study, addressing more advanced grammatical structures and introducing additional vocabulary. The books are supported by a free downloadable MP3 audio companion guide to a selection of the dialogues in each volume. The guide allows students to listen to the dialogues read by native speakers and to practice their own pronunciation and conversation skills. The dialogues are entertaining and follow a unique and humorous friendship throughout both volumes. The friends have conversations on diverse topics. Volume 2 includes a pronunciation guide. ‘Aurrera!’ offers a systematic and engaging approach to teaching Basque in a classroom. In addition, it gives independent learners a sound foundation in the language that will allow them to make their own way in a Basque-speaking environment and to read basic Basque texts.
