Product Description

Developed by memory expert Dr. Michael M. Gruneberg, "Instant Recall French Vocabulary" offers a proven method that provides easy-to-remember word pictures to help you recall words in French - instantly. All you need to do is listen, picture the images, and then respond to the tests - and you'll learn 200 basic words and phrases faster than you ever imagined possible. Think of an image in your mind's eye for about ten seconds. The French for fish is poisson. Imagine that you poison your pet fish. The French for bread is pan. Imagine putting loaves of bread in a pan. The French for milk is lait. Imagine a hen that lays a bottle of milk. The French for water is eau. Imagine that you owe a miserly Frenchman for a glass of water. Now, what are the French words for water, milk, bread, and fish?Studies have shown how fast and easy this course is: Students have achieved remarkable results up to three times quicker than through conventional methods. For travelers wanting to be able to communicate abroad and for those having difficulty learning basic French at school or in class, "Instant Recall French Vocabulary" is the quick way to success.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13317 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: Spanish, English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

From the Back Cover

Developed by memory expert Dr. Michael M. Gruneberg, Instant Recall Spanish Vocabulary offers a proven method that provides easy-to-remember word pictures to help you recall words in Spanish--instantly. All you need to do is listen, picture the images, and then respond to the tests--and you'll learn 200 basic words and phrases faster than you ever imagined possible.

Think of an image in your mind's eye for about ten seconds.

• The Spanish for soup is sopa. Imagine a soup that tastes like soap.
• The Spanish for rice is arroz. Imagine someone shooting arrows that land in your plate of rice.
• The Spanish for cheese is queso. Imagine a case o' cheese.
• The Spanish for bread is pan. Imagine loaves of bread stuffed in a pan.

Now, what are the Spanish words for bread, cheese, rice, and soup?

Studies have shown how fast and easy this course is: Students have achieved remarkable results up to three times quicker than through conventional methods. For travelers wanting to be able to communicate abroad and for those having difficulty learning basic Spanish at school or in class, Instant Recall Spanish Vocabulary is the quick way to success.

About the Author

Dr. Michael Gruneberg is an internationally respected authority and author on memory enhancement. He is the president of the American Society for Applied Research in memory and cognition.

Customer Reviews

A Quick Jab at Vocab!
... Instant Recall's definitely worth ... the price.

While its offering of 200 words is a less than ideal, one can go through the course in about 4 hours realistically (including breaks, checking out the blooklet which includes spellings and pronounciations, and about 2 1/2 hours of listening, imagining and testing time).

I found that closing my eyes while listening to the CD, helped in imagining the associations between the Eglish and corresponding Spanish words. While there're no verbs (which is where I think most people would need help) a quick shot of 200 words is bound to help any beginner's confidence.

I picked up the words fast, it's not hard considering they're spilt in categories and fed one at a time, in sets of ten. A word is announced in English (by Alex) and then it's Spanish counterpart (by Isabella), after which Alex asks you to picture an association.

Alex: The word for soup in spanish is...
Isabella: Sopa!
Alex: Imagine a soup that tastes like soap.

You're given some time... enough to work your imagination, and then Alex & Isabella move on to the next word. After a set of ten in a particular category you're tested.

I think the technique works pretty well, but then again that might depend on the individual.

I recommend using this along with the Michel Thomas Spanish Audio CDs.

Neither audio set substitute good one-on-one teaching, but they're definitely good supplements (and should be good for those short of time).

Had it dealt with verbs it would definitely get five stars!

Instant Recall Spanish Vocab
This is a great CD set to learn around 200 Spanish words using word and imagery association. The product review on this page explain the methods quite well. I found the explanations very clear and I was able to picture the images very well, therefore storing the vocab in my memory. Like other reviewers here I suggest you listen to this with your eyes closed to really picture the images in your mind. Some of the links are a touch tenuous, and these are the words I fail to remember, I've found (and recommend) that using my own imagery works better for these words and I'm slowly starting to grasp the remaining few words that previously escaped me. Not only is this course good for learning basic vocab, but it is also good for your brain overall, encouraging memory techniques that can be transferred outside of this course. The speakers on the discs are clear and are pleasant to listen to. Some courses i've done previously have put me off straight away with cheesy music and terrible speakers; this course has none of that. Overall this is a great place to start if you want to learn Spanish to get by on holidays and if you want to get a good grounding before starting night classes. I'd also recommend Michael Grunbergs Spanish association book that compliments this course perfectly and which I picked up on amazon for 2.99. This course is well worth a try.

Excellent beginners tool
I was a complete beginner and this gave me the confidence to continue. It's quick, it's easy and I wish there was more of it. I can't recommend this enough if it's your very first tool for learning Spanish.