Practice Makes Perfect Basic Spanish

I took five years' worth of high school and college Spanish 20 years ago, but unfortunately I didn't do anything to keep it up in the intervening years. After a couple of great visits to Spain, I wanted to pick the language up again. This book was exactly the right tool to begin the process of doing so. As the author states up front, this wouldn't necessarily be the right choice for a student with no previous exposure to the language who isn't taking a class or using some other grammar resource(s). But since I did remember the general concepts and just needed to refresh the vocabulary and verb endings and so forth, it was perfect for me. It hasn't gotten me all of the way there (not by a long shot, actually--lots more work to do), but it's been an extremely helpful and essential first step. I liked the workbook format--it was very effective at helping me reactivate half-forgotten vocabulary and grammar concepts. And in general, I thought the author did a good job of selecting useful vocabulary items and making the exercise and reading lively enough to hold a person's interest. There are no tricks here: she sets out the key points of the lesson and then drills it home with dozens of translation questions, all with answers available at the back of the book. After working through every page over the course of about two weeks, I feel quite secure in almost all of the points she covered. It is worth mentioning, however, that this particular volume doesn't cover some really important stuff. In particular, it only tackles present tense verbs, so if you're interested in studying past or future tenses or different moods, you'll need additional resources. Also, there is no audio companion to the book, so it doesn't necessarily help with listening comprehension. To my mind, those are completely reasonable compromises to keep the book length manageable and the price low. I would totally recommend this book to anyone trying to learn (or re-learn) Spanish. In fact, based on how well this volume worked for me, I have ordered three other books in this series (Verb Tenses, Vocabulary, and Complete Spanish Grammar), and I'm finding that they build very well on the foundation laid in Basic Spanish. They even repeat much of the same vocabulary, which helps me retain what I've learned. I've used Rosetta Stone and taken classes for Arabic language study, and while the classes are indispensable (and Rosetta Stone is NOT), nothing helps me activate language faster and more fully than the kinds of repetitive, recycled-vocabulary exercises found in Practice Makes Perfect Basic Spanish. It's an excellent resource.

"Basic Spanish" by Dorothy Richmond is the best book available for the beginning Spanish student. The two main goals of the book are to teach vocabulary and grammar. The vocabulary chosen for the book is overall very good. Many verbs are taught, which is different from many other books, which tend to under-emphasize verbs. Irregular verbs and stem changes are reviewed often enough that the learner can memorize when they apply. The book includes the various uses of the prepositions in Spanish and how to know when to use various prepositions, which is especially important since "por" and "para" have such diverse meanings. The grammar in the book is basic and taught thoroughly so that the learner is comfortable with the topics. Verb tenses are the major topic missing; a more advanced book will be needed for learning those. The grammar topics that are taught are constantly reviewed in the chapter reviews and in later exercises. The exercises also have solutions in the back of the book if you need them. Some of the other reviews say that this book is not for an absolute beginner, but I disagree. The only knowledge that is needed coming in is a basic understanding of English grammar. If you don't know what a direct object or the past tense is, then yes, this might not be basic enough, but in general I would recommend this for any learner, from middle school to adult.

Currently, I utilize Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, and am working through this text. I am getting ready to move to Mexico (while I continue to work in the Gulf of Mexico, out of Louisiana). My fiancé is Mexican, and speaks very little English. So, I have been studying like crazy, and researching study methods like crazy. It is imperative that I rapidly get a grasp on Spanish. (My brain doesn't cary Google translate). This book has given me much more conversational functionality. The writing assignments have helped me immensely, especially the translation sections. The words and phrases which I have learned through this book thus far have easily integrated into my dialogue. Pimsleur has also been fantastic for this. Rosetta Stone is sorely lacking in aiding my dialogue, but has helped me in my reading comprehension (unless you are a pirate, or have adequate means, I do not recommend RS. IF "argh" is in your vocabulary, or your treasure chest is full, get it. It takes a long while to get past some of the annoying simplicity, and toward the end of level one gets WAY better! They can still make it a bit more challenging, in my opinion, but I digress.). There are some mistakes in the book, such as the over-use of nosotros (being used more than once in a sentence) and some other cosas pequeñas that a native speaker pointed out to me (sorry, but I do not recall them...). That is the only drawback, but is easy to overlook. PMP Basic Spanish is fun and diverse. I find the assignments quite enjoyable and interesting. Many of the Q & A's reference pop culture, both current and past. Often, when I get things wrong it is due to my lack of pop savvy! (I've learned a bit about Harry Potter since I started this book). Over all, I would highly recommend this book as a supplementation to your Spanish learning arsenal.

I purchased this book along with others in the series, to help with my quest to relearn the language. I love how the author makes it very easy to follow along, and I love how she uses humor, and pop culture to help in the learning process. The chapters are not very long, and it is very easy to answer the questions at the end of each. There is also an answer key in the back of the book, to help you see how you did. Overall, this book has been very useful, and I can't wait to continue on in the series. Definitely worth buying, if you are looking for a great way to begin learning Spanish.

I love this book. I am a total beginner and am almost finished with this book. I love the way the exercises are laid out, build on one another, and remain focused on only the vocabulary you've learned so far. An excellent tool. Look forward to finishing one and moving on to the next book. I have tried Rosetta Stone--mind numbingly boring and slow. Good if pronunciation is your problem, but pronunciation isn't my problem. It teaches you as if you were a baby learning your first language. News flash--I am not an infant. I tried tutors, but the lack of structure was difficult. Once I have basic vocabulary, I will engage an tutor (online, from the region, via Skype) to enhance my learning and speaking skills.

Fun little workbook. I took Spanish in high school and was looking to refresh myself a little. This was a great start. Refreshed me on some vocabulary that I'd completely forgotten about (and even learned some stuff I didn't know!). The questions are a bit repetitive, but, quite frankly, that's what you need to drive the point home. The author does a great job of teaching new vocabulary and grammar and still bringing back the older stuff constantly so it doesn't just slip out of your mind. There's great "Did You Know" trivia sections, too, written in Spanish, are truly great bits of information and help practice your reading comprehension and translating skills.

I'm using this book to review what I learned in Spanish 101. On the plus side, I'm expanding my vocabulary. There are many words in this book that were not introduced during my one semester of college Spanish. However, I fear the book may be teaching me some obscure words that won't be very helpful when I go to Spain. For example, "anaranjado" for the color orange? According to the Oxford Spanish Desk Dictionary this word means "orangey" - and it is not even included in my Collins pocket dictionary. (I'm going with "naranja".) I've translated some of the weird stuff in the book. Here is an item that appears in a list of "fun facts" about what animals eat: "Technically, a dog is carniverous, but many dogs also eat plants. When a dog eats a plant, the dog frequently vomits." And here is one of the true or false questions: "After a meal of three hamburgers, four packets of french fries, and five cups of soda, a person is full." (I'd be sick!!) Finally, the book includes a bizarre little essay about the writer Ayn Rand. Out of all the writers in the world, the author chooses to feature this right-wing ideologue. The essay reads in part: "Her novels are especially splendid for people who are between the ages of 18 and 25, because during these years a person usually develops independence from his parents and begins to make important decisions about life for the first time." Update: I checked with my daughter-in-law, who is Spanish, and she tells me that people in Spain do not use the word "anaranjado" for orange. On the plus side, the book's humorous re-telling of the Cinderella tale made me laugh out loud. I've come to realize that the silliness is intended to keep the student alert and interested, so I'm changing my two stars to three. I still think the Ayn Rand essay is weird, and can't help but wonder if the author has an agenda beyond teaching Spanish. (I read The Fountainhead when I was 18, and I certainly didn't feel any desire to emulate the characters in the novel. Rand's characters aren't really believable because she is, first and foremost, an ideologue concerned with the promotion of her views.)

I was surprised to hear that this book is not designed for beginners. I have several Spanish books for independent study and this is the one I like best. Many of my other books go into too much detail for someone just starting out--long lists of vocabulary to memorize, multiple grammar point introductions, etc. I really needed something very easy to jump-start me before I dived into the harder stuff. This one dishes it out in very palatable doses with just a few vocabulary words and just one or two grammar points in each lesson or only two or three pages. Yes, it's true that this book will not make you fluent and its scope is very modest. Still, after delving into all those other more intense books, this one worked for me. I don't feel frustrated and do feel that I'm beginning to build a small, but basic vocabulary and a few grammar concepts. One negative for me are all the contemporary cultural references--a lot of celebrities I've never even heard of. Still, that's only a small complaint and you quickly get used to it. Soon, I'll be ready to ratchet my study up a little and tackle 'Easy Spanish, Step by Step' and then 'Ultimate Spanish.' If I were in a class and had to learn 50 vocabulary words a day because of time limits, I'd opt for a more intense book, but since I'm studying Spanish primarily for fun and to be able to read Spanish literature, I need something with a more mellow attitude. Practice Makes Perfect Basic Spanish fits the bill for now.