Spanish for Dummies

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By: Susana Wald
(41 customer reviews)
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EDITORIAL REVIEW

Is speaking Spanish nothing more than a bad high school memory for you? Are the phrases "Yo quiero Taco Bell" and "Hasta la vista, baby" the extent of what you can say in Spanish?

Whether you need a quick primer for an upcoming business trip or want to build on a basic understanding of the language, Spanish For Dummies can help. But the book is more than just a language text full of cool phrases and useful vocabulary -- it's also a cultural guide for those moments when you really need to know how and why things are done.

Part of what makes this book so valuable is its whole-language approach to Spanish. Instead of burdening you with endless vocabulary lists and tricky grammar rules, Spanish For Dummies gives you the tools to take your Spanish on the road. Focus on everyday situations and hone your small-talk skills that help you with basic communication in Spanish. What's more, the authors have scattered throughout the book tidbits that contextualize the language so you understand the people, places, and things that are unique to Spanish-speaking cultures. An audio CD enables you to hear Spanish as it's really spoken by presenting dialogues between native Spanish speakers.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Publisher: Get Organized
Pub. Date: 15th December 1999
Catalog: Book
Media: Paperback
Number Of Pages: 432
Ean: 9780764551949
Isbn: 0764551949
Upc: 785555006157

ABOUT THIS BOOK

USER REVIEWS

Mainly a crash course
~ Written on Nov 7, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

This book is only for those who might be going on vacation in a Spanish speaking country and only want to know a few words and phrases.

It covers beginner topics like: vocabulary for food, asking how someone is and their name, talking on the phone, and asking directions.

It very briefly covers some grammar: the difference between ser and estar, simple present and simple past tense, the [(ir) + a + (infinitive)] future tense, and reflexive verbs. It doesn't cover any other tenses.

The speakers in the audio portions speak slowly. It is only for a very beginner of the language.

Spanish for Dummies
~ Written on Nov 2, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

This book is perfect for the beginner. I started to take a class in our High School but was totally lost since the instructor was asking us questions in Spanish. Needless to say I didn't go back. This book starts you off as if you never had any lessons or don't know a word in Spanish. It starts by explaining how to pronounce the letters and goes on from there. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a beginner.

Beginning Spanish
~ Written on Sep 19, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

Great addition to learning spanish. Basic and easy to grasp spanish words and phrases.

The 'dummies' are not the readers....
~ Written on Sep 11, 2009. out of 1 users found this review helpful.

The referenced 'dummies' are not the readers or the poor consumers who fall for the hype. The 'dummies' are the compilers, editors, and general production personnel behind this giant turn-off to any language study.

I don't know whether to begin with the confusing layouts, jumble of type and eye-distracting arrows & boxes and symbols, or just the general pedestrian tone. A 10-year-old would be insulted by the language, and the ridiculous supposedly 'chatty' references, asides, and extraneous observations.

I sincerely wish I had returned the product but it was a few days before I actually analyzed the content. The only saving grace is not paying full retail price - thank you Amazon for saving me some $$.

I recommend that anyone even remotely interested in this book consider carefully its poorly crafted style, its non-linear approach to any language learning process, and its lack of interest. It seems written for a consumer who might want to order a drink in their local spanish eatery. Please go to a local bookstore and flip though a copy before investing time and $$ in a wasteful pile of paper.

Ashamed of myself for falling prey to the gimmick and not doing more homework before the purchase...........!

Great Book
~ Written on Aug 26, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

This is a very good book. I'd never picked up a book in the "Dummies" series (because the name of the series may have contributed to the dumbing down of our country)... Anyway, THIS book is great. I got it for the ideas I can find to spice up my own teaching of Spanish, not for learning it myself. Still, as a professor of Spanish and author of Spanish books, I can always use a fresh idea.

I'll be putting a book cover on it!

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