Spanish for Dummies

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.

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.

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

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...........!

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!