<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Spanish Resource I've ever Come Across
Review: I have been teaching University level introductory Spanish for over 10 years. This text is the best that I have ever used. The layout and coloring is great. There are excellent unit divisions. The latest edition has meaningfull cultural readings included within the chapters. Grammar explainations are clear and concise with good exercises. This is not a text for home study as the methodology incorporated is the Communicative Approach; briefy stated, study grammar and vocab at home and come to class and use it. Great classromm text for any Basic Language Program.
Rating: 
Summary: Dos Mundos approach to languages
Review: I have been teaching using this book, which only works for intermediate students: In fact it is the best book I have ever found FOR TEACHERS! The grammar explanations are clear but it has too many concepts in each chapter, it is definitely a book I would NOT use with beginner students, it doesn't provide for enough drills and practices. For beginners, it is very important to have just one type of exercises and a lot of drills until they start internatilizing the language. There is nothing wrong with the book, if the authors would state that it is only for students of a certain level. Also, for all book writers, please do not use American-APuerto Rican or American Cuban accents, we can't use those phony accent tapes in Latin America when we know that native speakers don't speak like that. The vosotros should be dropped and left as a marginal note. The model of the language that is still being used in the United States is the Spanish from Spain. Currently, Spanish from Mexico is the Spanish most widely heard and it has been chosen as the model Spanish for Latin MTV. The theoretical concept of the "Natural approach" is great, if the book is true to the theory behind it, it must provide for true beginners, or make a preliminary book to accompany DOS MUNDOS.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Spanish Resource I've ever Come Across
Review: I think that "Dos Mundos" is an excellent resource for both teachers AND students. I disagree that study of the book needs to be accompanied by teacher instruction and supervision. The beauty of the text, in my opinion, is that it makes self-teaching very easy. The grammar section at the back of each chapter is clearly explained in English, and there is a complete vocabulary list at the end of each chapter.The other beauty of the book is that it creates the closest thing to language immerson that you can get out of a book. There are many articles from Spanish-speakers, written in very natural Spanish. As for the person upset about the Mexican Spanish, I can't say that I agree with you. I was pleasantly surprised because the book actually has samplings of the language from all over the Spanish world. But in order to avoid confusion (which would make sense), they stuck to one main form of Spanish - Spain Spanish. I recommend this book for ANYONE - teacher and students (from beginner level write up to the advanced learner)
Rating:
Summary: very effective text
Review: I took two years of high school Spanish, then went over 6 years with no Spanish lessons or use and I found this book very useful. Since this book uses a different style of teaching Spanish, it is necessary for the instructor who is teaching the class to use and follow the "Natural Approach." When coupled with a good instructor and the workbook/audio tape portion, this text was a very effective learning tool.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent Spanish classroom program
Review: I used this textbook as part of an intensive Spanish language program at my local junior college. Part of the reason I was excited by the program is that I have used the natural language method before, in the French in Action series, and found it excellent. The Dos Mundos program is intended to be used in a classroom setting and I would not recommend it for home study. Unlike the French in Action series, it does not include extensive home video material that can take the place of an instructor. An instructor comfortable with the book and the natural language method is critical to success with this program. I find that the natural language method, presenting all of the material in the new language and explaining in the language, prevents early language errors caused by translation and gives immediate satisfaction of being able to speak more than rote phrases. Dos Mundos is the only complete natural language program currently available for Spanish.
Rating: 
Summary: Unhappy
Review: I was looking for a student workbook for practice in spanish. I ordered this book because it was listed as "like new",it took me almost three weeks to get it and when I did I found the worksheets for the first five chapters were cut out. I am now approaching my first term exam for those same chapters and have no book to review.
Rating: 
Summary: A confusing book
Review: This book is horribly organized; the text presents a labryinth of information in an format that is likely to instigate errors and common mistakes in Spanish. The publishers out to recall this book immediately.
Rating:
Summary: Prepare to beat your head against the wall
Review: This book is terrible. Not only is the layout very confusing but the resources within it are definitely substandard. For a beginning Spanish text it's extremely hard to get into whatsoever. To understand half of the books "instructions" you'll need a seperate Spanish<-->English dictionary just to figure out whats going on. This book seems to be based on the assumption that you can guess everything from the confusing little pictures sprinled throughout the pages. The dictionary in the back is *not* up to the task and the sections on grammar are short, confusing, and nonintuitive. And whatever this "natural approach, which this text requires in the classroom is, it's terrible. Grammar is almost totally ignored to the detriment of the student. In addition, a CD-ROM is NOT provided with the book as standard, you must buy it seperately which pushes the price up considerably. The accompanying workbook and audio tapes are also non-intuitive and confusing. If you must use this book for a class then you'll need plenty of supplemental materials NOT connected to this book.
Rating: 
Summary: World Language
Review: to the reviewer who says that every Spanish textbook should emphasize Mexican Spanish, there are many other countries other than Mexico that speak Spanish. It is pure linguistic chauvinism to state that vosotros shouldn't be taught. I also think 'vos' as used in Central American and the River Plate region should also be introduced in beginning Spanish classes. Limiting the accents that are offered and by refining the text as though Mexico were the only country potential Spanish speaker will visit is short-sighted and small-minded at best. The text is not meant to be used on an autodidactic basis.
<< 1 >>
| 
