Spanish Demystified: A Self -Teaching Guide

by Jenny Petrow

Start speaking Spanish faster than you can say, ¿cómo se dice? Want to learn to speak Spanish but need to consult a dictionary just to find el baño ? No problema ! With Spanish Demystified you'll develop language skills so quickly you'll be saying hasta la vista to your phrasebook in no time. Beginning with everyday Spanish expressions and a review of basic Spanish pronunciation, this book covers key grammar fundamentals such as common verb tenses, nouns, pronouns, and gender. Step by step, you'll build your Spanish vocabulary with essential words, idioms, and phrases and quickly master this versatile language. Test yourself at the end of every chapter for reinforcement that you're fast on your way to speaking, writing, and understanding Spanish. This fast and easy guide features: Simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for a more advanced student, Spanish Demystified is your shortcut to mastering this popular language.

Genres: Spanish Literature, Language, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Reference

464 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2003

Reviews

[Ferenc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a grammar book and not a colloquial textbook, the fact that chapters and subjsections are named after grammatical functions (using reflexive verbs, using the preterit, etc) and not colloquial functions (meeting people, getting around town, etc) is an obvious clue what this book is really about.

So this book is really about grammar, which I personally think is ideal to start with, because understanding how a language is structured and why it works in the way it does is the most difficult part of learning a language. The book covers a lot of grammar, it is a thick book that wastes no space, and I would argue that it covers both basic and intermediate level grammar. After this book you will be able to start with basic readings and be ready for advanced grammar books.

There are plenty of exercises, all aimed at self-study.

What I think is unique about this book is that she shows the full diversity of the spanish language across cultures. I truly felt that I was learning a global language when I used this book. It is not eurocentric in any way, which many textbooks unfortunately are. Petrow is very respectful of the Latin American expressions of the language.
The vast majority of Spanish speakers live in Latin America, and I think any representative book on Spanish should acknowledge this.

She wrote a sequel to this book called 'Spanish Conversation Demystified' to compensate for the lack of everyday colloquial expressions in this grammar book. 'Spanish Conversation Demystified' covers things like meeting people, using transportation, and talking about jobs and so on. So they complement eachother nicely: one focuses on grammar, the other on every-day conversational use.

[Arash · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few typos here and there, But overall a very solid and self-contained book. I picked it up from some internet suggestions and it took me and a couple of friends about 11 months to finish it (we study very slowly!). But for someone with no prior experience in Spanish I found it extremely helpful. The writer did an amazing job going from the very basic to more advanced topics so the last part (dealing with the subjunctive) won't be as daunting when you get to it.
I'd recommend taking your time with this book and going through all the exercises. In the beginning it might feel a bit slow but you'll need to spend as much time building the foundations so you'll be comfortable later on when it gets to harder topics. For me, looking at conjugation tables (from spanishdict.com) also helped a lot since this book jumps between different tenses and I like to practice them all at once.

[Shà · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative fun & gets to the point

[Floyd Larck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reference book for beekeeping. Author is very knowledgeable about beekeeping and we use this one for our main reference book.