Spanish for Dummies
by and the Language Experts at Berlitz
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Book Summary Information
Author: and the Language Experts at BerlitzBrand: Get Organized
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-12-15
ISBN: 0764551949
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: For Dummies
Product features:
- Helps you master the lanuguage quickly and with ease
- Features guidebook with audio CD
- Use for student learning or working with multi-lingual co-workers
- Paperback
- 432 pages
- Intermediate Spanish For Dummies
- Spanish For Dummies Audio Set
- Spanish Phrases For Dummies
- Spanish Verbs For Dummies
Book Reviews of Spanish for Dummies
Book Review: Worst I've Seen
Summary: 1 Stars
I have been teaching Spanish for over 30 years, and recently made the mistake of choosing Spanish for Dummies as the text for a Beginning Spanish Conversation class. From a pedagogical standpoint, Spanish for Dummies is a disaster. It is a poorly organized book, which, aside from being shot through with almost-useless chitchat, misinformation, and typographical errors, has the major flaw of using entire verb tenses and moods without any introduction or explanation. A better title for the book would be Spanish for Dummies, by Dummies.
While the book does mention and provide models for the present, simple past, and future tenses of verbs, it includes in its dialogs the following tenses with no explanation: imperfect, conditional, perfect, and progressive. Also, with no explanation, the subjunctive and imperative moods (commands) are used in dialogs. Why would anyone go through a 338-page book and not expect to at least learn about these verb tenses? Additionally, the book's "la-la land" approach to grammar is exemplified by its presentation of the periphrastic future (ir a + verb) under the heading "the simple future" (p. 288). The simple future, grammatically speaking, is the one offered in Appendix B.
An example of useless chitchat, in a book that purports to be teaching the reader Spanish, is the following statement on p. 143: "Being outdoors can promote a quiet, contemplative feeling as you appreciate the beauty of nature, or it can energize you, inspiring you to action." This is only one example of the fluffy nature of this entire book.
An example of misinformation is the statement on p. 296 that if a flower pot is falling in any country but Mexico you shout "¡Cuidado!" whereas in Mexico you have to say "¡Aguas!" Does the author seriously believe that Mexicans don't understand the warning "Cuidado"?
Typographical errors occur with almost the same frequency as page numbers in this text, though apparently some were corrected without a new edition of the book being announced. My students and I had differing text in what were supposed to be copies of the same edition. An example, one of dozens, is found on p. 240: my book had "los del segundo piso" (an erroneous pronoun reference to "las habitaciones" in the earlier part of the dialog) while my students' books had the corrected "las del segundo piso". Other typographical errors are found on p. 369 (Track 10 is for Chapter 6 not 5) and p. 375 ("where are you" should be "where are you going"); I offer these just by flipping through and noting places I marked as I noticed the errors.
It is hard to conceive of a situation where this would be a useful book for anyone with a serious desire to learn Spanish. It is the worst material I have seen in the field.
Summary of Spanish for Dummies
Spanish For Dummies is the fun and easy way to learn Spanish quickly and painlessly! Written by the experts at the renowned Berlitz school, this hands-on resource shows you the ins and outs of the Spanish language and culture, acting as both a guidebook and a reference. Soon you will have all the tools you need to:- Master the nuts and bolts of grammar
- Greet others and introduce yourself
- Get to know people with small talk
- Order in restaurants
- Shop anywhere
- Go out on the town
- Enjoy yourself with local recreation
- Have a conversation on the phone
- Work in an office and around the house
- Ask for directions
- Check in and out of a hotel
- Use transportation
- Call for help in an emergency
This guide features ways to start speaking Spanish quickly, as well as common expressions, important holidays, and phrases that?ll make you sound fluent. Complete with an audio CD that allows you to hear actual Spanish conversations by native Spanish speakers, Spanish for Dummies is the ultimate guide for speaking Spanish quick and easy!
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
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