Rating: 
Summary: Convenient
Review: Hello.Nearly all of these lessons are a convenient size for those around-town trips - not too long, not too short - and are a great way to use some of those otherwise-lost minutes driving to and from work. Any less-than-ideal elements to these CDs? Yes. I have no opportunity to speak the Spanish I'm learning (apart from speaking along with the CDs), so most of my skill, so far, is in listening and reading rather than speaking. However, I can tell that when I find myself in a situation requiring the use of the language, it will be an easy next step. I've nearly completed this first set and will soon order the second. Adios!
Rating:
Summary: Convenient
Review: Hello. Nearly all of these lessons are a convenient size for those around-town trips - not too long, not too short - and are a great way to use some of those otherwise-lost minutes driving to and from work. Any less-than-ideal elements to these CDs? Yes. I have no opportunity to speak the Spanish I'm learning (apart from speaking along with the CDs), so most of my skill, so far, is in listening and reading rather than speaking. However, I can tell that when I find myself in a situation requiring the use of the language, it will be an easy next step. I've nearly completed this first set and will soon order the second. Adios!
Rating:
Summary: Kind of boring...
Review: I don't know what I expected from this CD... it's cool and it is a good learning tool. It's just so bland. All phrases are said in English, then twice in Spanish. And that's it. Very monotonous. I mean, it serves its purpose, though. I just wish it were more entertaining. Listening to the guy's voice can annoy you after a while (ever heard Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?)... then you'll turn it off... and how can you learn THAT way?
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for beginners
Review: I found the lesson structure very effective. They begin simply and build on previous lessons. I had no prior experience with Spanish, but after completing the Level 1 tapes I would feel comfortable trying to communicate basic needs and questions. I agree with some of the other reviewers that a separate book would be helpful to learn written Spanish. However, the included booklet was all I needed to successfully learn the vocabulary on these tapes. (By the way, I've tried other language methods that do not provide ANY written materials which was very ineffective for me personally. I need to see a word to fully comprehend it and how to say it.) I ordered the cassettes (since the CD version was backordered), and I did experience some slight volume variances. The volume changes were slight and rare, so overall they didn't impact my ability to learn the materials. I've just ordered Level 2 on CD, so hopefully that won't be an issue. My one complaint--about the cassettes specifically--is the difficulty of finding the start of a lesson while rewinding. That's an issue with the medium, not the manufacture of the tapes. Hopefully the CDs will make finding the lesson starts easier.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for beginners
Review: I found the lesson structure very effective. They begin simply and build on previous lessons. I had no prior experience with Spanish, but after completing the Level 1 tapes I would feel comfortable trying to communicate basic needs and questions. I agree with some of the other reviewers that a separate book would be helpful to learn written Spanish. However, the included booklet was all I needed to successfully learn the vocabulary on these tapes. (By the way, I've tried other language methods that do not provide ANY written materials which was very ineffective for me personally. I need to see a word to fully comprehend it and how to say it.) I ordered the cassettes (since the CD version was backordered), and I did experience some slight volume variances. The volume changes were slight and rare, so overall they didn't impact my ability to learn the materials. I've just ordered Level 2 on CD, so hopefully that won't be an issue. My one complaint--about the cassettes specifically--is the difficulty of finding the start of a lesson while rewinding. That's an issue with the medium, not the manufacture of the tapes. Hopefully the CDs will make finding the lesson starts easier.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty useful vocabulary builder
Review: I have been using this set of 3 discs for about 5 weeks and have now ordered levels 2 & 3. The first disc is real basic stuff that gets you started, the second disc has lists of various types of vocabulary, like common nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and prepostions, and it is really worth going over these time and time again so as to master both the vocabulary and the pronunciation of these basic word lists. At least once you have go the basic vocabulary down, you have something to build on, so it gets easier. Disc three is more phrase oriented, though it should be born in mind that each lesson is designed to illustrate some kind of grammatical rule. For some reason my disc set came with the wrong book (French instead of Spanish) so I have relied totally on the audio, though I do have a basic Spanish book that I refer to occasionally if I can't properly identify the spelling of a word from what I hear. The only beef I do have is that while some of the phrases are obviously very useful, like "donde esta el banco mas cercano?" (where is the nearest bank?), others are not. You can just imagine landing in a Spanish speaking country and the first thing out of your mouth is asking for the nearest ATM or bathroom, but not all of the pattern sentences in the exercises are as useful. It IS hard work learning Spanish this way, but if you do a lot of driving or can take a CD player with you wherever you are, then it is also incredibly economical with what would probably otherwise be dead time used productively. Being able to communicate in Spanish is an incredibly valuable skill in the workplace these days, and even if you don't use it for that, there are so many Spanish-speaking tourism destinations in the Western hemisphere that learning Spanish while you drive around can only widen your scope. I have already found that after 5 weeks of using this plus the Instant Immersion Spanish discs in my car I can understand lengthy chunks of spoken Spanish, read newspapers and understand 85%, and understand Spanish language posts on the Internet tolerably well. My speech still needs a lot of work, but that is to be expected. So, yes, I do recommend this set of discs, but I would use them in conjunction with something else for variety. You will still spend a lot less and learn a lot more than you would going to classes or on a course. Spanish will be my fifth language, if you count English as one, so I do know of what I speak.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty useful vocabulary builder
Review: I have been using this set of 3 discs for about 5 weeks and have now ordered levels 2 & 3. The first disc is real basic stuff that gets you started, the second disc has lists of various types of vocabulary, like common nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and prepostions, and it is really worth going over these time and time again so as to master both the vocabulary and the pronunciation of these basic word lists. At least once you have go the basic vocabulary down, you have something to build on, so it gets easier. Disc three is more phrase oriented, though it should be born in mind that each lesson is designed to illustrate some kind of grammatical rule. For some reason my disc set came with the wrong book (French instead of Spanish) so I have relied totally on the audio, though I do have a basic Spanish book that I refer to occasionally if I can't properly identify the spelling of a word from what I hear. The only beef I do have is that while some of the phrases are obviously very useful, like "donde esta el banco mas cercano?" (where is the nearest bank?), others are not. You can just imagine landing in a Spanish speaking country and the first thing out of your mouth is asking for the nearest ATM or bathroom, but not all of the pattern sentences in the exercises are as useful. It IS hard work learning Spanish this way, but if you do a lot of driving or can take a CD player with you wherever you are, then it is also incredibly economical with what would probably otherwise be dead time used productively. Being able to communicate in Spanish is an incredibly valuable skill in the workplace these days, and even if you don't use it for that, there are so many Spanish-speaking tourism destinations in the Western hemisphere that learning Spanish while you drive around can only widen your scope. I have already found that after 5 weeks of using this plus the Instant Immersion Spanish discs in my car I can understand lengthy chunks of spoken Spanish, read newspapers and understand 85%, and understand Spanish language posts on the Internet tolerably well. My speech still needs a lot of work, but that is to be expected. So, yes, I do recommend this set of discs, but I would use them in conjunction with something else for variety. You will still spend a lot less and learn a lot more than you would going to classes or on a course. Spanish will be my fifth language, if you count English as one, so I do know of what I speak.
Rating:
Summary: This is it!
Review: I have never taken Spanish before - ( I speak Italian which was a major pain and a big mix up! ) I ordered this CD 5 weeks ago and just ordered the 2nd series. It is wonderful... It is clear and concise...no volume problems as you've read about the tapes. I can't believe how much I know. Do it! Get it!
Rating:
Summary: This is it!
Review: I have never taken Spanish before - ( I speak Italian which was a major pain and a big mix up! ) I ordered this CD 5 weeks ago and just ordered the 2nd series. It is wonderful... It is clear and concise...no volume problems as you've read about the tapes. I can't believe how much I know. Do it! Get it!
Rating:
Summary: Overall Good
Review: I thought that these cd's helped quite a bit. There were a few things that could have been a little better but they were good and I recomend them to others.
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