Spanish for Reading: A Self-Instructional Course
by Fabiola Franco, Karl C. Sandberg
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Book Summary Information
Author: Fabiola Franco, Karl C. SandbergEdition: Paperback
Audio: Spanish (Unknown); Spanish (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-03-01
ISBN: 0764103334
Number of pages: 360
Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
Accessories:
- Mastering Spanish Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach (Mastering Vocabulary Series)
- Barron's Spanish-English Dictionary: Diccionario Espanol-Ingles (Barron's Foreign Language Guides)
- Pronounce it Perfectly in Spanish: with Audio CDs
Book Reviews of Spanish for Reading: A Self-Instructional Course
Book Review: FANTASTIC. It really does work.
Summary: 5 Stars
It's been less than two weeks since I bought this book. I'm about halfway through it. (I will update this review when I'm finished!) IT REALLY WORKS. First, I probably should share my back story:
I have tried to learn Spanish for quite a few years now. It's mostly been a slap-dash self-taught effort, with the help of instructional books and dictionaries. No formal training except for a few barely-remembered semesters of Spanish in high school. I mostly have tried to *read* in Spanish (though writing/speaking are future goals). About 5 years ago I put more work into working on reading, and was getting decent comprehension, though at times it was like looking through a dirty window--you get the basic idea of what's going on, but some of the color and detail are lost. After a while, real life intervened and I had to drop my progress with Spanish reading. Now just recently I've decided to try again, and was fortunate to discover this book, which is JUST what I'm looking for.
Okay, so buried in the recesses of my mind are a lot of the words I learned 5 years ago (and before), but just prior to getting this book, reading Spanish was frustrating because I wasn't "connecting the dots" consistently.
Now, less than two weeks after starting this book (and currently in the middle of Chapter 7--halfway through this 15 chapter book), it's like a light switch has been turned on. I honestly feel like my understanding of Spanish is "clearer" and more fluid than it was 5 years ago (though don't get me wrong, I still have a ways to go!) and in large part that is due to being taught the "right" way this time around--being introduced to tenses and turns of phrase and many other good things that I didn't properly familiarize myself with in the past. (Too impatient, I guess.)
I have been studying about 2 or more hours a night. I break the study sessions into shorter 30 minute intervals, like the book suggests. I also do some periodic backtracking and "reviewing" of previous chapters to keep everything fresh in my mind.
At this pace, I might complete the book in another two or three weeks, but it might be longer than that. But in any case, since the book says it can be completed in 80-120 hours (and this is for people who are assumed to have no background in Spanish) then I can expect to finish the book within a few weeks, assuming that I continue to do 2 hours a night.
One thing I am trying very hard to avoid is getting too impatient. There is no use in rushing through the book and then finding yourself lost when it comes to reading the real thing. But even with careful review, and going over areas that I feel need more review, it's progressing fairly quickly, which is very gratifying indeed! (A caveat, I am a fairly fast reader, so this might help a *little* in speeding things up for me, but with this kind of study, I don't think it's making that huge of a difference.)
If you have previous Spanish experience, even from High School (which is as we all know, usually pretty inadequate) then you may find that all that dormant Spanish education will pop back into your mind as you follow along with this book. Be patient with yourself and faithfully follow along, and you'll find that it really does work!
If you have no prior experience with Spanish, I am confident that you'll get equally good results as long as you put in the required time and are patient with yourself.
After this book, my next goal is to improve my Spanish writing and speaking, which is not something this book is claiming to cover. (But I know it will definitely help!) I plan on studying some of the "Practice Makes Perfect" workbooks to improve writing/speaking. But at the moment I am focusing on *reading* because I do believe that being an avid and active reader in whatever language you are trying to learn makes everything else (writing, grammar, spelling) come easier down the road.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Just keep in mind, follow the recommendations of half-hour study sessions, and don't rush! You don't need to, because before you know it you'll be reading Spanish!
UPDATE March 14, 2010: Well, I am finishing up the last chapter, so am about a day or two away from being "done." It took longer than I expected to finish, because I got caught up in reading other Spanish books! Just last night I finished reading a novel in Spanish. (I read it side-by-side with the English version, which aided me in learning.) I wouldn't have wanted to read the Spanish version as a standalone book just *yet*, the fact is that I got much of what it was about before double-checking with the English version, which is quite encouraging. What is required now is more time and practice, and building up my vocabulary more.
This book really does work, but I'm finding that I struggled with the verb tenses. I'm going to review this book to strengthen my understanding of verbs, and I'll get a "Practice Makes Perfect" book on Spanish verbs. Also I'll continue with other Spanish books on writing and grammar, so I can continue in my learning of this language.
I have also purchased an electronic dictionary application for my computer, which helps me look up works when I'm reading Spanish articles online. This particular application also has a "flash cards" feature, so I'm building up a collection of flash cards of words I should know. This is also really helping.
Summary of Spanish for Reading: A Self-Instructional Course
A unique approach to Spanish reading comprehension, Spanish for Reading can be used as a textbook supplement in classrooms or by anybody who is teaching himself Spanish. It begins by demonstrating similarities between words and parts of words in Spanish and English, and proceeds to offer practical instruction that will help readers broaden recognition of words and phrases. Each of the book's fifteen chapters concludes with a reading passage, the first of them quite easy to comprehend, and successive passages increasingly complex and sophisticated. Early passages are simple essays on Spain's and the Spanish-speaking world's language, geography, and culture. Later passages are excerpts from well-known works by world renowned Spanish writers, including Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda, and Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. Students who use this volume methodically will ultimately be reading and understanding these passages in their original, unedited Spanish, without need to seek outside help. Short of spending time in Spain or Latin America, here is as good an introduction to Spanish culture as a student will be able to find anywhere. Photos and line drawings.Spanish Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
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