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 1 covers material for the first two semesters of college-level language-classroom work, and volume 2 covers a third and fourth seme- ster of study, addressing more advanced grammatical structures and introducing additional vocabulary. 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.

The use of authentic materials in language classrooms is sometimes discussed as a reliable way to expose students to the target language, but there is also disagreement regarding what kinds of authentic materials should be used, when they should be used, and how much of the curriculum should revolve around them. This volume in the Myths series explores the research related to the use of authentic materials and the ways that  authentic materials may be used successfully in the classroom. Like others in the Myths series, this book combines research with good pedagogical practices.
 
The myths examined in this book are:

• Authentic texts are inaccessible to beginners.
• Authentic texts cannot be used to teach grammar.
• Shorter texts are more beneficial for language learners.
• Activating background knowledge or making a word list is sufficient to prepare students for authentic texts.
• Authentic texts can be used to teach only listening and reading.
• Modifying or simplifying authentic texts always helps language learners.
• For learners to benefit from using authentic texts, the associated tasks must also be authentic.

The Epilogue explores the challenges of using authentic texts in the classroom and calls for more research.