Product Description

This exciting new Easy Learning language course allows learners to take on board all of the Spanish they will need while abroad without the need for thick textbooks and complex grammar. 3 audio CDs and accompanying colour booklet make language learning fun, fast and flexible. 3 audio CDs guide learners through a series of 12 short units. Each unit introduces 5 new key words or phrases before expanding on the basic vocabulary with practice activities, memory tips and culture and etiquette advice. An accompanying 48-page colour booklet provides full transcripts of the CD conversations as well as helpful hints to guide the user through their learning experience. Unit 1: Hello Unit 2: Excuse me Unit 3: Where's the bar? Unit 4: Over there Unit 5: What would you like? Unit 6: Have you got any!? Unit 7: Can you help me? Unit 8: I want to go to! Unit 9: Have you got a room? Unit 10: It hurts Unit 11: I want to make an appointment Unit 12: What's it like?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3188 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-07
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 3
• Binding: Audio CD

About the Author
A well-known figure in the field of language learning, Rosi McNab has produced bestselling courses and materials for Collins, Heinemann, Pearson Education, Hodder Education, BBC and Goethe Institut. Her hugely successful and ground-breaking books are currently used in primary and secondary schools across the UK and abroad.

Customer Reviews

Excellent self-teaching language package
I wanted to learn Spanish but have neither the time nor money to attend a regular course - I've downloaded these CDs onto my MP3 player and am very impressed by them. The course is broken into easy-to-digest units, and you are encouraged to learn a little, then take a break.

The recordings are clear, and authentic. I felt the "teachers" were friendly and their crisp yet relaxed approach means you are interested in what you're listening to, and you don't feel lectured.

It's early days but I feel my confidence with Spanish improving and I would recommend this course - and others by Collins - to anyone.

A vibrant new way to learn Spanish.
The Collins easy learning is a quick and simple way to pick up the language. Many of these types of language learning programs promise big things and dont deliver.

The learning program is split up into 12 short units which introduces 5 keywords and phrases per unit. To aid the understanding of each unit, there are sections on culture and etiquette. This is most helpful in adopting the spoken language, and this approach is a new idea I've not come across before within these learning packages and I have to say it works really well when trying to adopt the language into a conversation.

It also gives a better understanding of which words to use and why and will improve word selection dramatically. This is by no means an advanced learning package, so don't expect to be speaking fluent Spanish within a few weeks because that's not going to happen. What you can expect is to learn how to use the language properly. It will heighten confidence greatly to take the language to the next level or if your happy to get by at the intermediate level then look no further.

The package is a complete bargain, and contains transcripts of the CD's. I recommend putting the CD's onto an MP3 player. I have done the course twice now and even though I'm no Spanish linguist I can speak Spanish much more confidently now. I certainly wouldn't feel stupid using it abroad any more.

A great product at a great price don't miss out.

English people don't learn foreign languages ...
... even in school. Instead they learn to speak languages - the focus is on collections of phrases, leaning heavily on cognates, with little time spent on context, grammar, or formal learning of vocabulary. Unsurprisingly, few Anglophones are able to remember much of any foreign languages within a year or two of leaving school.

If you really want to learn to speak Spanish this way (and to be honest, that's about as much as most people do), then the Collins Easy Learning Spanish is as good a way to do it as any other. It is audio-based, with hardly any written material - you are encouraged to stick it onto your MP3 player for practice. The course is structured to give you a catalogue of phrases that will allow you to get by in Spanish. It is clear, uses sensible strategies for word retention (repetition, word association) and progressive, with a good focus on pronunciation which is an area where English people are frequently weak. Collins has a reputation for being solid in matters related to language, and this is a good product at the cheap end of the market.

For myself, even with a relatively shallow grasp of grammar, I found it frustrating in lesson 2 to separately learn the phrases: "Donde esta el hotel" "Donde esta el ascensor" "Donde esta el restaurante" etc. when I could have learned the verb "estar" and some vocabulary, which would have opened up "Donde estamos" "Donde esta la iglesia" without having to learn them separately. A more grammar-based course (like Spanish: Beginner's CD Language Course (Hugo in Three Months CD Language Course)), although less accessible, would result in a better real understanding of how Spanish works. But I know I'm swimming against the tide in suggesting this.