[x]
Could not find that book.
My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish
Many language books are boring x2014;this one is not. Written by a native English speaker who learned Spanish the hard way x2014;by trying to talk to Spanish-speaking people x2014;it offers English speakers with a basic knowledge of Spanish hundreds of tips for using the language more fluently and colloquially, with fewer obvious "gringo" errors. Writing with hum...more
Paperback, 229 pages
Published
January 1st 1994
by University of Texas Press
(first published November 30th 1993)
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
167)
This is best book for learning spanish and not sounding like a total gringo tool. Ever.
This is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to beef up their Spanish speaking abilities. The author picks apart the problems most Anglophones run into when they're navigating the complexities of Spanish grammar: false friends, idiomatic usages of verbs, ways of expressing emotion and describing people.
The book is super-intuitive and clearly divided into sections, perfect for referencing a particular problem spot in your Spanish knowledge. Honestly, if you're in need of an inter...more
The book is super-intuitive and clearly divided into sections, perfect for referencing a particular problem spot in your Spanish knowledge. Honestly, if you're in need of an inter...more
Simply terrific. Like the title says, this book is full of highly practical advice for moving beyond your formal Spanish education and actually talking like a real Spanish speaker. Written by an American who learned Spanish as an adult, this book is perfect for anyone who has reached an intermediate to advanced level and can basically already "say" what they want to say. The great thing is that this book will help you say it better without the awkward literalism that usually hampers...more
An excellent, must-read book for all English speakers who are learning Spanish.
The writing is concise, informative, and fun. Every chapter--from manners and greetings, to explanations of the 'power verbs', to swear words (and why you shouldn't use them), to a brief history of the Spanish language--is useful and packed with information. There's so much to absorb, it's a book I plan to continue to refer to as my Spanish progresses.
The writing is concise, informative, and fun. Every chapter--from manners and greetings, to explanations of the 'power verbs', to swear words (and why you shouldn't use them), to a brief history of the Spanish language--is useful and packed with information. There's so much to absorb, it's a book I plan to continue to refer to as my Spanish progresses.
It really is as advertised, though I've yet to make a "breakthrough" myself. The book is readable and is chock full of lots of what appear to be great tips. Recommended.
I keep going back to this book, as it covers a lot of material. It is one of the best written books I have ever read, espeically about language. I would recommend it to anyone in the intermediate level of Spanish.
A highly enjoyable book to help you improve your Spanish and sound less like a Gringo! I plan to re-read this every six months while I'm in Mexico...
The author is a non-native Spanish speaker who is also not an academic. This perspective allows the author to point out things that befuddle English speakers about the language.
He has a lot of good advice on what to ignore and what to focus on. The most valuable item in the book is his list of spanish verbs and what they really mean (Spanish is a much more specific language than english so one word for one word translations don't usually work).
The book is worth the hour ...more
He has a lot of good advice on what to ignore and what to focus on. The most valuable item in the book is his list of spanish verbs and what they really mean (Spanish is a much more specific language than english so one word for one word translations don't usually work).
The book is worth the hour ...more
"Beginner's Spanish" is not Spanish 1 or 2, according to the author, but really any level you can reach at school. The author, who has lived in Latin America and is constantly trying to reach the level of a native speaker, is an excellent Spanish teacher because he not only knows Spanish but he also understand how English-speakers think. This book is an excellent reference guide for all the aspects of Spanish that might challenge an English-speaker.
Began studying a chapter at lunch each day, after completing Pimsleur audio lessons. This is a good book for building onto your basic foundation of Spanish knowledge.
This book is top of its class - not for the beginner, or maybe even intermediate student, but excellent for someone who has mastered, for example, the Spanish tenses. Some of the material is specific to Mexico, but the great majority of it is applicable across the Spansih speaking Americas and Spain.
A This book is fantastic for any non-native-Spanish-speaker who wants to learn what they can do to sound less foreign, to sound more like a native Spanish speaker. It gives you all sorts of tips, teaches you slang, helps clear up some common misconceptions, and even teaches you how to insult someone!
Great book for anticipating all the stupid mistakes you'll make the first time you go off the beaten path with your Spanish skills. You may not remember it all, but you'll chuckle when you get back about all the dumb things you said :-)
If only I could retain it all. An entertaining, educational, and very practical book, I'm sure I'll pick it up again and again.
view 1 comment
The author is very straightforward and funny. He gives lots of useful advice on how to really survive in Spanish-speaking countries. There's even a chapter on curse words! (I never knew that word meant pubic hair!)
i've gone through at least 4 copies of this book, because i end up giving it away. es el libro perfecto for anyone who feels frustrated with where they are at in learning el español.
Technically, I haven´t read this book cover to cover yet. It´s more of a reference. But it´s a great book for people who want to learn Spanish or who already know a lot of Spanish.
super helpful, and surprisingly easy read for a language textbook
Sarah
marked it as to-read
Larissa
is currently reading it
Poppy Tait
is currently reading it
Royall
marked it as to-read
Erin
is currently reading it
Amy
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
