Easy Spanish Reader (Language - Spanish)

I do rate this book because it does have a good learning curve. Especially the way it puts translations of new language next to the actual text. But I think your enjoyment of this book will depend on your level of patience. Although I believe the questions at the end of the chapter do make you think and try to comprehend the language more, they do break up the flow of the book, and can become a self imposed chore. Trying to rememeber what you have read when you answer these questions rather than referring back to the text, and finding that you have given the exactly the right answer is a good source of affiramtion. The repasos in the first two parts however I think are a complete waste of time.

This book has been a real help to me as I have started to learn spanish. You do need basics in the language before you start. I have been using the Michel Thomas C.D.s alongside the Spanish Reader. So far I've only read the first of the three sections about two fourth-year students, at high school in America. It's not so much 'easy' but challenging (as I have a shocking memory). At first I used the really helpful dictionary at the back of the book, and scribbled in a few words in English. However, now I'm reading it again and finding it much easier! Can't wait to get my teeth into the rest of it now. If your searching for a way of really pushing your spanish along - then this is it!

I'm half-way through this book, really enjoying using it and already wishing there was a follow up that I could move onto. I'm using it alongside the Michelle Thomas audio tapes and they are working really well together. I could read this book and understand the first few pages straight away and as I progress with the tapes they help me to understand the different verb tenses that appear later in the book. I think I would struggle with tenses if I was just reading the book by itself. I can't always be bothered to listen to the tapes or speak Spanish or write something down or any of the other things I know I should be doing to learn the language but I pick this book up and read a bit pretty much everyday and it always feels like something I want to do rather than should do.
I don't think it's that the stories are particularly interesting. It just feels great to be able to understand a foreign language for the first time in my life.

If you learn through reading then this book is a good way of getting into Spanish. The progression is not too fast and the written pieces help learning by using simple to recognise scenarios. I had a dictionary and the Hugo Spanish in 3 Months book handy because the grammar is a bit tricky, but I have found the book an enjoyable read particularly the second section where there are some unusual words.

If you want to learn conversational Spanish then this is perhaps not the best for you. But my goal is to read Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (Spanish version) so this book is helping.

This book (though American - sorry) is an excellent way to encourage even a total learner to progress through varying levels of Spanish knowledge and grammar at a nice steady and easily asorbable rate.

The first part of the book deals with two American college students and their activities at college, home and with friends.
The activities at the end of each short readinig section reinforce knowledge imparted by the simple method of written repetition - without being boring.

The 2nd part of the book goes on to give a simplistic outline of the Spanish-associated histories of South Amercian/Mexico whilst improving the knowledge of the reader.
again the actitivies depend on repetition or additional perusal of any specific test to ensure that progress continues to be achieved.

The third part of the book - the most charming and comical - is loosely based on the Life of Lazarillo de Tormes - the 14th century story of a low born, (lovable) rogue and his trials and tributations in life working (or not) for a wide range of odd masters. Lazarillo finally achieves importance as a towncrier and conssiders himself an 'honorable man' by the end of the book. This section not only teaches word and verb usage but also different sentence structures and, in addition, also gives a very gentle introduction to Spanish Literature (where the original story of Lazarillo means the keen student will spend much time investating interesting archair Spanish usage.