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xii we use the acronym BCS, and whenever we speak of one of the three separate languages we use the initials B, C, or S. In the lesson vocabularies and in both glossaries, we have indicated words which are markedly B, C, or S by means of these abbreviations. It has not always been possible to make these identifications unambiguously, since the degree to which certain words are shared varies from word to word and speaker to speaker. In each instance we have made the most reasoned judgment on the basis of reference manuals and the advice of native language professionals. This book has been designed to complement Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian: A Grammar with Sociolinguistic Commentary, and should if possible be used in conjunction with it. The Grammar provides more thorough grammar explanations than does the Textbook; it also contains a detailed outline of the social, political and historical circumstances which allow BCS to be viewed as one system utilized by three different languages. All language material in both books is accented according to a simpler marking system than found in native manuals, a system developed specifically for these books. We took as authoritative in assigning accents the following manuals: Vladimir Anić, Veliki rječnik hrvatskoga jezika (Zagreb, 2003); Lana Hudeček, Milica Mihaljević, Luka Vukojević, Hrvatski jezični savjetnik (Zagreb, 1999); Morton Benson (with the collaboration of Biljana Šljivić-Šimšić), Serbocroatian-English Dictionary (Belgrade and Philadelphia, 1971), and the six-volume Rečnik srpskohrvatskog književnog jezika (published by Matica srpska between 1967 and 1976). Our intent in producing this book has been to bring some measure of unification to the fragmentation of language teaching which came about as a result of the wars accompanying the breakup of Yugoslavia. On a more personal level, we also both wish to give back (or forward) to students of generations to come something of what each of us has gained through many years of interaction with wonderful people, their cultures and their languages. The dialogues and exercises are an outgrowth of those developed by Ellen Elias-Bursać over a ten-year period teaching at Harvard University, and the underlying principle of the book (that of combining the unity of BCS and the separateness of B, C and S in a single volume) was devised by Ronelle Alexander, who also wrote all the grammar sections and devised the system of accentual marking. We realize that not everyone will agree with all the choices we have made in our attempt to find a balance among the many different facets of usage, both official and colloquial, in the three languages. Our intent has been to give as true a picture as possible of existing usage within a framework that is accessible to students and usable in the classroom. We welcome reactions, comments, and errata via: http://www.bcsgrammarandtextbook.org.  Acknowledgments This book could never have been written without the help of many people. There were the language teachers whose creative work on language instruction shaped the thinking behind the exercises, in particular E. Wayles Browne, Marijana Cesarec, Patricia Chaput and Thomas F. Magner. There were ten years of students who asked good questions and taught the teachers as they learned. Funding from the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning, and the opportunity to rely on the expertise of the Media Production Services and Harvard’s Language Resource Center, made developing the materials possible. Undergraduate and graduate students, native speakers of Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian, contributed to the discussion and recording of the exercises, now available as the Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Audio Supplement. Bruce Molay helped to develop a website for the draft version of the textbook, and the website made it possible for several teachers to teach from draft versions of the Textbook for two years. Both Steve Salemson and Gwen Walker of the University of Wisconsin Press gave encouragement and guidance, and Zagreb Film has allowed us to bring Professor Baltazar to America. ...

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