Berlitz Basic Spanish

Rating:
Summary: Yes, it is very basic, but it gets you thinking in Spanish
Review: First of all, this is currently the only Spanish audio program Berlitz offers in complete Spanish. Both Spanish Today and Think and Talk Spanish are in English and Spanish (incidentally they are also both the same, the only difference is Think and Talk has 4 additional units).

Now you won't learn a lot of vocabulary with this, but like I said, it's three hours of nothing but Spanish. This is important when trying to learn a new language; going back and forth between the two languages actually slows down the process.

You can listen to the story line, repeat all the phrases, and respond to questions. It's very versatile.

My only caveats are one, it's not available in CD format and two, I wish there could be a more advanced version using this same method rather than using the bilingual approach.

All in all, if you are new to the language, or trying to start thinking in Spanish, I recommend Basic Spanish.

Rating:
Summary: Yes, it is very basic, but it gets you thinking in Spanish
Review: First of all, this is currently the only Spanish audio program Berlitz offers in complete Spanish. Both Spanish Today and Think and Talk Spanish are in English and Spanish (incidentally they are also both the same, the only difference is Think and Talk has 4 additional units).

Now you won't learn a lot of vocabulary with this, but like I said, it's three hours of nothing but Spanish. This is important when trying to learn a new language; going back and forth between the two languages actually slows down the process.

You can listen to the story line, repeat all the phrases, and respond to questions. It's very versatile.

My only caveats are one, it's not available in CD format and two, I wish there could be a more advanced version using this same method rather than using the bilingual approach.

All in all, if you are new to the language, or trying to start thinking in Spanish, I recommend Basic Spanish.

Rating:
Summary: Well Designed & Easy to Use
Review: I have used the very fine Pimsleur course for another language (Hebrew) but, in looking for a course that costs a fraction of the Pimsleur price, I struck gold with the Berlitz Basic Spanish. There are 24 lessons, each about 7 minutes long. The lessons are divided into scenes on three audio tapes. The lessons are taught entirely in Spanish. It is amazing how well this works by putting the conversation in context and by using a guidebook. By going through each lesson several times and doing the exercises in the book, you learn Spanish in an easy and enjoyable manner, Having used Pimsleur, I believe that dollar for dollar, the Berlitz method compares well. You can't go wrong with either {Pimsleur or Berlitz) but, for less than 30 bucks, your money is very well spent with the Berlitz basic Spanish. The big difference between these two fine methods (Berlitz & Pimsleur) is the following: (1) Pimsleur has a series of 32 longer lessons in which the language is taught using both English and the language you are learning on the tape. The Pimsleur lessons are about a half hour long. (2) The series of Berlitz lessons are about 7 or so minutes long and no English is spoken. The accompanying book provides English translation in marginal notes for new words that are introduced into the vocabulary. Both programs are effective but Berlitz is a great bargain.