Quick Tips to Learn Spanish Fast Online

What is Your Goal?

You've came here because you want to learn how to speak Spanish online quickly, effectively, and easily. In order to start learning Spanish, it is important to develop an action plan. If your goal is to become a fluent Spanish speaking person, then you will want to practice every single day, however, if you only want to learn Spanish enough to be functional, then you'll be fine practicing several hours a week.

Setting up goals is the greatest way to achieve anything in life, especially when it comes to learning a new language. When you set goals and achieve them, you'll be of the 5% of the people in this world who meet their preset goals.

Maximizing Time In Your Car

When you are driving in the car, make sure you try practicing your Spanish. You can even start listening to the Spanish radio station, just to get your daily exposure to the Spanish language. It would also be wise to find Spanish learning audio-books, and put them on your IPOD. You can then find a IPOD to radio converter (they're sold everywhere), and start learning Spanish every single day you are driving in the car. You will be surprised of the results.

Some tips to follow to learn even faster

Don't be afraid to make any mistakes.

Master your fundamentals

There are many rules that might seem "strange", however, just be sure to follow these.

Mimic native speakers, you will blend in with your speech better if your learn how to say certain phrases.

It would also be highly wise to find software, in which you can learn Spanish on your own computer, at your own pace.

Do you want to learn Spanish Online?

Are you looking for easy lessons to teach you spanish quickly?

Read Free Here: Rocket Fast Spanish Lessons For Beginners

Tips On How To Learn Spanish

Most colleges require at least two years of study in a foreign language. The only majors that are usually excluded from this requirement are business and technical majors. If you're pursuing a bachelor of arts, this will most definitely be a prerequisite. One of the most popular languages to take in college is Spanish. Why? Because it is the closest foreign language to English and is becoming increasingly important to understand due to the large influx of Spanish-speaking individuals in the United States.

But to be honest, most students take Spanish because of the first reason listed above: it will be easier than other languages since its so close to English. However, do not let this popular myth fool you. Spanish can be a very difficult language to grasp, especially in the more advanced levels. It would be wise to invest in a quality study tool to aid in your absorption of material such as vocabulary, conjugation, and pronunciation. Here are some basic guidelines that will enable you to learn spanish most effectively:

1.)Organize and categorize vocabulary words. Learning a plethora of vocabulary words is standard in any foreign language. But a good way to avoid getting confused or increasing your mental retention is to organize the vocabulary words assigned into relatable categories. For example, organize all the vocab words relating to the home (like bathroom, garage, sofa) and then create a category. Whenever you receive more vocab words of the same ilk, place them in this category. This simple technique will really aid in your studies.

2.)"Micro-study" -- Study a little bit each day rather than trying to cram everything in one night. This is an extremely important technique when studying a foreign language. There are so many rules and intricacies associated with foreign language that it's important to study a small amount each and every day as opposed to cramming everything into one major study night before a test. Taking the "micro-study" approach improves both retention of material and understanding.

3.)Find a study partner. Since all foreign languages focus on speaking and interacting with individuals, acquiring a quality study partner is essential if you truly want to succeed with any foreign language, especially Spanish. As most people know, those who are fluent in Spanish speak in a rapid manner and the only way to emulate this style is to speak Spanish regularly with others. The more you speak, feel the words roll off your tongue, and understand the flow of a conversation in the language, the better you will learn spanish. It's that simple.

Check Out the Best College Information Site on the Net

Learning Spanish - I Hate My Accent!

Are you trying to learn how to speak Spanish? Embarrassed of speaking because you have a terrible accent? Do not fret; you are not the only one! There are many people just like you out there. The problem with most Spanish instructors nowadays is that they put too much emphasis on mechanics and grammar and too little emphasis on the most important thing, speaking. The difference in emphasis between the two concepts will usually opaque the beauty of simply being able to speak Spanish. Spanish is, after all, one of the romance languages highlighted by its beauty. With that said it is time to close the books for a little bit and enjoy the beauty of the language. How can you do that? Simply follow the tips below and you will see how easy it is to improve your accent and enjoy the beauty of speaking Spanish.

1- My Spanish class is over, it is time to go home, make some popcorn and take a break from Spanish by watching my favorite English shows, right? Wrong. You should not confine your learning to the classroom! Instead of watching the same show every afternoon, why not add some variety and watch a movie in Spanish! This way you are being both entertained as well as learning! Also, your accent will dramatically improve by listening to the dialogue in Spanish. If you need to, feel free to repeat what the people in the movie are saying and rewind until you feel comfortable with your accent.

2- Get some friends! Many people who are trying to learn Spanish probably do it because they have interacted or interact with Spanish speakers during their daily lives. What better opportunity to learn Spanish than with your friends? If you have any friends who are fluent in Spanish, why not start a conversation with them in Spanish? It doesn't have to be something complex like discussing politics. It can be something as simple as asking them how their day is going. With this exposure to hearing and speaking the language your accent is bound to improve in no time.

Remember, learning from a book is not every thing. Sometimes just getting out and starting conversations with friends outside of the classroom can be equally as effective when trying to learn Spanish.

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How to Use Learning Spanish Audio Tools Effectively and Improve Fluency

Learning how to be fluent in Spanish or any other second language is not so difficult if you are using the correct set of tools. Audio based tools are a fantastic addition to the process of language acquisition and learning Spanish audio programs are a main part of this virtual language tool chest. Here are five tips which will help you and your Spanish fluency.

Tip 1. Mimic what you hear

When you are listening to songs, watching TV or movies in Spanish, make sure that you occasionally stop and repeat out loud some of the text. While you are doing this, make sure that you mimic not only the accent but the inflection of the voice that you hear. Practice this skill everyday and you will see a definite improvement in your fluency.

Tip 2. Have conversations with native speakers

The whole point of learning Spanish is to speak and communicate. One of the easiest ways to practice and improve is to speak with native Spanish speakers. You can check out communities of Spanish students at local universities and form a conversation club. If you have a business in a Latino neighborhood, try out your Spanish in the store. You might surprise yourself.

Tip 3. Communicate

Do not be afraid to use your Spanish skills. You must practice them in order to develop. Get rid of all your inhibitions and do not be afraid to make mistakes. These are very important and will help you improve. The main point is that you are understood. Always go for fluency over accuracy.

Tip 4. Get groups of students together

Practice, practice, practice. You must use your new language skills as often as you can. One of the best ways is to form some sort of social group that has the same goals in mind. Find some friends who are learning Spanish and go out for coffee or just get together and practice. Remember that fluency is much more important than being correct. Keep the conversations moving and have fun.

Tip 5. Watch DVD movies

There is a fantastic tool available these days and that is the DVD. Go out and rent some movies. Many DVD movies have subtitle features. Some, if not most are dubbed into Spanish as one of the language options. Try watching your favorite movie in Spanish with subtitles in Spanish. You would be surprised at how effective this can be.

If you would like to improve your Spanish fluency, get instant access to my free 10 part e-course called, The Key to Language Fluency E-Course by going here: Spanish Fluency E-Course

Free English to Spanish Translator

I you're looking for a free English to Spanish translator, then I'm sure you want to write something in Spanish. However, I don't suggest you use any free english to Spanish translators - I believe you should be doing something else. As someone who wants to write in Spanish, I'm sure it won't be your last time trying to do so, and in that sense I think you should simply learn Spanish.

You might think that learning Spanish is too hard or requires to much work. I'll be honest with you - you do need to be motivated and put some effort into learning Spanish. In another sense, after you get to know the most popular Spanish words and you're able to speak a little-bit, you'll find it fun to talk to someone in Spanish or to listen to someone speak Spanish. At this stage, you'll amuse yourself by trying to understand and find the right words to express yourself.

Now, if you simply continue using free English to Spanish translators, you'll keep on sending Spanish texts that are very poorly written. Even if you only know basic Spanish, with some tools you will be able to write much better than by simply using a free English to Spanish translator. These translators don't understand sentence structure nor most grammar, and they often simply translate word by word which doesn't give very good results. That's why by simply investing into learning Spanish, you'll be able to seem proficient, professional and knowledgeable when you write in Spanish.

When I first started learning Spanish, I was scared of how much work there would be and of giving up in the middle of learning it. When I first started learning some vocabulary, I did use free English to Spanish translators, but I only translated one word at a time. If you translate anything more than that, then you will not get effective translations. Free English to Spanish translators are good tools to use, but use them wisely.

Now, you might think that learning Spanish is a very hard process, but if I can do it you can too. When I first started, I decided that a Spanish class wouldn't be a good option for me. I thought that learning myself from home would be better, since I can manage my own sessions and work when I want to. So the next step I did from there was to do my homework: I researched how to learn Spanish on my own, and I did some research on the most popular Spanish courses.

Today, I can speak fluent Spanish thanks to a course I got my hands on, called Rocket Spanish. This course helped me a lot to learn Spanish, and together with some language learning tips online I learned Spanish quite quickly. Rocket Spanish is truly one of the most easiest courses to learn from because it installs directly on your computer and it comes with many audio files. These audio files helped me acquire great pronunciation.

If you would like to learn more about Rocket Spanish and how I learnt Spanish, simply go to My Rocket Spanish review now.

DVDs to Teach Spanish to Young Children

Many parents are using programs for learning Spanish with their preschoolers and young school-age children, whether for homeschooling Spanish or not.  I went looking around Amazon for some, and I ended up finding…



Very useful and simple way of introducing Spanish to your kids. For a more in depth learning system, try Rocket Spanish here.

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Learn Spanish Course - 3 Important Tips to Help You Choose

So you want to take that first step to speaking fluent Spanish and for that I applaud you and the fact your reading an article like this shows your serious about wanting to find a learn Spanish course that will actually help you learn Spanish. So all you need now is some basic tips to help you come to the right decision.

The tips I am going to give you are very obvious to those who have already started a learn Spanish course but maybe not so obvious to those who are just starting to find out about learning Spanish.

TIP 1 30 to 60 Day Money Back Guarantee.

This is a must pick a product that has a no nonsense money back guarantee. You will never have to use it if the product says does what it says but by the very nature they are prepared to give you a money back guarantee tells you everything you need to know about the company offering the product

TIP 2 Make Sure The Product Uses Accelerated Learning Techniques.

Again this is pretty obvious but when you're buying a brand new product you want the best and most modern techniques available. I learnt using Accelerated learning techniques and it does make basic Spanish stick in your head. However there are also very good learning products that also use interactive learning.

TIP 3 Beware Of Free Lessons.

If someone is offering you a free lesson the obvious question is why? In reality there trying to hook you into there product probably because this is the only way they can get customers. The reality is you will never learn Spanish with a free product you will have to sign up to get a full course eventually. So why not stick to tip one from the start and you will always get your money back if it doesn't work out.

I hope you found the tips useful and it helps you decide which learn Spanish course is right for you. The reality is you can be speaking the language within 10 weeks for as little as $40.00 Dollars.

If your really want to know which LEARN SPANISH COURSE is right for you then contact Fiona Gonzales at her blog where you can see her exclusive review of all the best learn Spanish products and courses currently available. alternatively have a look at these EASY SPANISH LESSONS for only $40.00 surely worth a click of a button. FIONA IS HERE TO HELP YOU SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK.

How to Learn Spanish Even If You Think You Can’t

A friend of mine diligently studied Spanish for months before a trip to Mexico. But right after flying to Guadalajara, she went out for dinner and discovered that she couldn’t understand a word anyone said, nor could they follow her halting attempts at speaking Spanish.
All too often, when people go through an experience like this, they give up quickly. Possibly you can relate to this. Maybe you had some Spanish in high school and decided you didn’t have a knack for languages, perhaps you had an experience like my friend’s, or maybe you don’t think you could remember all that vocabulary and all those verb endings.
But no matter how poor you think you would be to lean to speak Spanish fluently, the chances are excellent that you can do much better than you think. As an American living in Mexico, I have seen other Americans who don’t even try to learn Spanish, but I also have seen many people speaking Spanish surprisingly well not long after moving here. Sure, they do make errors but they can communicate, and the Mexican people are typically very gracious and patient when we foreigners try to speak their language.
Why Do People Think They Can’t Learn to Speak Spanish?
Often it does go back to bad experiences in high school or college. Academic courses are not really designed to get you speaking Spanish. They start you out with grammar and with learning to read and to write. Speaking is just a part of the curriculum, and with quite a few students in each class, there just isn’t much opportunity for practicing conversation. Also, even if speaking is emphasized, the environment tends to make many students self-conscious and timid. It’s nothing like chatting with the friendly people you might meet on a vacation trip.
But a vacation isn’t guaranteed to teach you Spanish. As my friend found, it can be overwhelming to listen to Spanish all around you. You may be lucky if you understand just a few words here and there. The idea that you can go to another country and just “pick up” the language is not very realistic unless you are under about 12 years old.
Another issue is that we often think we aren’t intelligent enough to do something like learn a new language. Or if we have any gray hairs, we may think we are too old. But research shows that motivation is way more important than age in learning Spanish.
What Works in Learning Spanish?
There are several ways you can develop a speaking ability in Spanish, and even basic skill at speaking Spanish will get you a long way in communicating. You could take an adult education course offered through a college where you live, but it may well have the same problems mentioned above: that it is going to focus on grammar and not provide enough speaking practice. Besides, it may not fit your schedule or budget, and you have to allow for time going to and from class.
Better choices exist now via the internet. There are many Spanish language computer programs. Some are downloadable, while others you would order for prompt delivery, often from well-known internet retailers like Amazon.com. There are also online Spanish classes. There are free websites to help you learn Spanish. If you have the time and money, there are immersion classes in Spanish in probably every Spanish-speaking country in the world. So while it can be quite a task to sort through these options, they do exist. Don’t give up on speaking Spanish… it can be so worthwhile, whatever your reasons for wanting to learn it!
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Bloch London Women's Spanish Bow Ballet Flat

The Spanish bow flat from Bloch is the modern version of your favorite ballet-inspired silhouette. Featuring a super low profile, a unique bow with glints of metallic, and a flexible leather construction, there's no detail about this graceful shoe that you won't love.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Spanish Rose Italian Mask Black Lace Red Rose with Feather Masquerade Mardi Gras Mask Venetian

Getting ready for a ball, Halloween party or any dress-up functions? Or simply need to add zest while you learn to speak Spanish fluently?
You could definitely use a Spanish Rose Italian Mask. It comes with Black Lace, Red Rose and Feather trim. This carnival masks are based on Venetian tradition and are hand crafted with artesian quality.

Perfect for a party or the bedroom.

Price: $49.99
Click here to buy from Amazon

Easy Spanish Phrase Book: Over 770 Basic Phrases for Everyday Use (Dover Easy Phrase) (Spanish and English Edition)

More than 770 basic phrases for everyday use enable you to communicate instantly on a host of topics: health and medical situations; essential services; boat, plane, and train travel; much more.

Price: $2.00

Click here to buy from Amazon

10059 Two Liter Spanish Wine Bota

Whether you are going hiking, camping, to a football game or on a picnic this camouflage bota will keep the wine cool and can be passed around and shared with a group without bothering with glasses.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

The Rosetta Stone Audio Companion CDs Are Mostly Useless

Seeing as how Rosetta Stone (relatively) recently released Levels 4 and 5 Set with Audio Companion, I decided to purchase the complete program (levels 1-5, see my complete review) both as a means of refreshing my Spanish skills and as a way to check out the latest and greatest from perhaps the best Spanish learning tool on the planet.
I was particularly interested in trying the Audio Companion CD’s advertised as coming with the program.  It’s been a while since I’ve used Rosetta Stone, and my previous experiences didn’t include any audio CD’s (I guess they didn’t exist back then).  I was looking forward to honing my pronunciation (a major strength of the computer program) and practicing useful conversations.  Sadly, I got neither.
The audio companion CD’s are nothing more than a listen-and-repeat version of the phrases covered in the corresponding computer lesson a la the Living Language Ultimate Spanish series.  Needless to say, this isn’t the most effective way to learn the language.  I mean sure, it’s better than nothing, but I expect more from a program as expensive as Rosetta Stone.  The complete Rosetta Stone program is upwards of $600 while Ultimate Spanish products are right at $100 for the complete program.  If I wanted listen and repeat, I would have bought Ultimate Spanish (actually, I did…not worth the money unless you can get it used for under $25, in my opinion).
That said, Rosetta Stone is still well worth buying.  It’s the best, most complete product I know of.  In conjunction with a good Spanish grammar aid (like the Practice Makes Perfect series), it can get you as close to fluency as you can get without traveling to a Spanish-speaking country and hiring a private tutor, for a fraction of the cost.  I just don’t appreciate the obvious money-grab of advertising the audio companions as a major pro of purchasing the program.  After all, if that method of learning Spanish actually worked, there would be no market for Rosetta Stone to begin with.
Buy Rosetta Stone from Amazon.com and see what all the talk is about.  It’s expensive, but I think it’s well worth the price if you are to learn to speak Spanish fluently.
A cheaper version of a Spaning learning program is here
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Learning Spanish Verbs: Two Books That Can Come In Handy

I admit it, I love books… used to be a librarian, as I have mentioned before. I do not think you can learn Spanish just from books, but they do have their place for sure. And when you are learning Spanish verbs, a good reference book can come in very handy.
Several years ago, I got myself a copy of Practice Makes Perfect Spanish Verb Tenses, by Dorothy Devney Richmond.
It’s an oversized workbook, with lots of excellent exercises to do. Handily, the answers are in the back. I got through a good chunk of the book and might yet go back to it sometime. My copy is a little beaten up because it went to many parts of Mexico in our RV with us, and I studied it during that that.
I thought it was the only verb book I would ever need, and indeed it could be for most people. I do recommend it to anyone beyond the most basic level of learning Spanish.
But some people tend to get addicted to things, and in my case it’s books. (We won’t discuss chocolate just now.) Once we had settled into life by Lake Chapala, not far from Guadalajara, I realized I wanted to put some of the main verbs up on my refrigerator, in all their tenses and persons.

The book I chose for that task has 555 fully conjugated verbs, so I will never be done with it! The Big Red Book of Spanish Verbs with CD-ROM, Second Edition is a treasure trove of conjugations.
Mercifully, there is a list  that has the 50 most common verbs, so you can get some good ideas for where to start.
Several verbs did in fact end up on my refrigerator and from there they did (mostly) get transferred into my brain. I like that each page has a variety of examples of usage for each verb. This makes the book fall into the category of light reading at times, even though the book itself is quite large. I enjoy flipping through and reading bits, without much effort to memorize. For example, you can notice that the verbs calcular and organizar – along with many others — have the meanings you would expect from your knowledge of English.
The CD it comes with has hundreds of interactive exercises, sample conversations (which you can listen to with a computer or on an mp3 player), and more.
For a complete system to learn to speak Spanish fluently, have a look at this great program.
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5 Ideas to Instantly Boost Your Linguistic Knowledge While Having Tons of Fun

Here is an article from another woman who writes on learning languages. I was drawn to it because of the emphasis on fun. This begins a monthly series of guest articles by other writers on learning languages.– Rosana

By Martina Srblin

Having fun is the ultimate cherry on the pie – it makes everything, including language learning, an entirely different experience. You get the impression the materials are simpler, there’s less effort involved, the productivity skyrockets, and time flies by at an otherworldly speed. So why not enjoy the magic process of gaining linguistic knowledge, starting today?

Here are 5 ideas to introduce fun to your language learning:

1. Set an intention to spend a day thinking in your target language.

If you’re learning more than one foreign language, dedicate at least a day a month to think in each of them! It’s like gifting yourself with a home-made total immersion program that will sharpen your awareness and re-enforce your linguistic self-confidence. It’s an excellent exercise to enrich your vocabulary. And, you’ll most probably realize you’re perfectly able to express many more thoughts in your target language than you gave yourself credit for.

2. Master the vocabulary that’s relevant to you.

There’s no point to learn technical expressions from a field you’re not even familiar with in your native tongue before mastering the vocabulary that’s relevant and important to your life, business and any specific reason you’re learning a foreign language in the first place. Focus on the most pressing linguistic needs, and you’ll be able to start using your knowledge right away. Your motivation will reach new heights and you’ll be newly energized to take on new linguistic challenges.

3. Play the »copy-paste-memorize« game.

If you’re bored by the usual language learning methods, use some imagination and try something new. Gather some online and offline materials on topics that you enjoy reading about, and copy sentences, idioms, word phrases, words that catch your eye. Organize the new vocabulary in a creative way – it will be easier to memorize it – and add your own examples of its usage as well. With the help of dictionaries, figure out all the different ways to employ those expressions. It doesn’t have to take long. If you’re time-challenged, you can set a timer so you don’t get carried away.

4. Get in a competition.

Feeling lonely in your language learning efforts? With too little accountability to really care about your immediate results? Think about pairing up with a friend in a similar situation, and start a »competition« that will stimulate you both to achieve more in less time. Since it’s up to you two to set up the rules, you can make the game as fun as it can get. Invent linguistic tests of the learnt vocabulary, grammar and improvised/free speech, make up a special card game to challenge your memory and see how quick you are on your feet, do whatever it takes to move your linguistic knowledge to a new level.

5. Wake up and observe.

In case you’ve only used the books and worksheets you got at your language course or the home-study kits you acquired, it’s time to start noticing signs, product descriptions, news headlines, and other »real life« teaching materials all around you. This will shake up your usual language learning routine a bit, and bring in some fresh breeze you’re longing for. And with the resources to be found online at no cost whatsoever, there’s no way you’ll ever run out of brand new content to learn from.

Martina Srblin is the Language Learning Magician who will help you discover the language learning system that best fits your needs, skills and schedule, so you can stop wasting time, money and energy on language learning methods that – for you personally – are inefficient. For free resources and to sign up for a FREE report on “7 Key Steps to Smart Language Learning” and a FREE subscription to the Language Learning Magic Ezine, please visit Martina’s website http://www.martinasrblin.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martina_Srblin
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Learn To Trill Spanish ‘rr’

Spanish is generally an easy language to pronounce with one exception:  the infamous trilled double-r sound.  The rr trill has confounded students of Spanish for generations.  It must have taken me several weeks of practicing to get it right, and I probably still mess it up more often than not.  The good news is that you can generally get away with either faking it or not trilling at all; however, if you really want to sound like a native and spend a lot of time in the Spanish-speaking world, you really should learn to trill properly.

The RR is formed by flapping the tongue against the front roof of your mouth.  The mechanics of it are really quite simple, it just requires a lot of practice to get right.

Imagine your tongue flapping flapping like a flag in a strong windNow try purring like a cat with your tongue flapping like that flag

Once you can kinda-sorta form the proper sound with your tongue, there’s nothing left to do but practice.  Following is a Spanish tongue twister with practically every word containing a trilled rr sound.  If you can manage to recite this phrase correctly, you’ve no doubt mastered the trill.  Good luck and remember, it will take hours of practice to master.

Erre con Erre Cigarro
Erre con Erre Barril
Rápido corre el carro
Repleto de ferro en el ferrocarril

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Lights, Camera, Spanish!

Want to have more fun while learn to speak Spanish fluently? A lot of Americans and Canadians in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico, where I lived for several years, would buy DVDs of Spanish movies at the local street markets.
My husband and I did this a few times, but sometimes the programs were too violent for me (not hard), quite steamy (not usually a problem!), or the Spanish was so rapid fire that we missed some of the essential twists and turns of the plot (frustrating).
Enter Lights, Camera, Spanish (Book + DVD): Learn Conversational Spanish by Watching a Romantic Adventure! It’s a movie made for learning Spanish, shot in Santiago, Chile.
Here is the blurb from the producers:

Get swept up in the romance, danger, and intrigue when an American businessman goes to Chile to take over a family winery and instead falls in love. As he learns his life lessons, you start your own Spanish adventure with:
The 90-minute film Sol y viento that was designed especially for language learners with both English and Spanish subtitle options so you can follow alongA workbook with key vocabulary and dialog from the filmExercises that keep you engaged in the story and reinforce your new skills
Save yourself an aisle seat for the best Spanish class ever! It's a sure way to learn how to speak Spanish fluently

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Review Of Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses By Dorothy Richmond

I will come right out and say it:  Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses by Dorothy Richmond is, bar none, the absolute best Spanish workbook in existence.  By itself it’s no substitute for the likes of Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur, of course, but you could certainly learn pretty much everything you need to know about Spanish verbs with this workbook and this workbook alone.  Still not convinced you should buy this workbook?  It costs less than $10 new!
Spanish Verb Tenses has almost all the attributes of a superior learning tool.  It…


Follows A Logical Progression – The workbook starts with the easy stuff, the present indicative, and progressively works its way through more difficult subject matter such as the preterite vs imperfect, perfect and progressive tenses, and finally the subjunctive mood.


Contains Clear, Concise Grammar Explanations – Each section of each chapter is prefaced by a brief explanation of the grammar point about to be drilled.  While short, the explanations build on each other and are clear enough that even absolute beginners will be able to follow along provided they start at the beginning.


Contains Tons And Tons Of Drills – There’s no getting past it:  learning Spanish requires massive amounts of drilling to pound proper usage into your brain, and there’s no shortage of that here.  Amazingly enough, the drills are varied and interesting enough that you never really get bored.  Each section will take you an average of 20 or 30 minutes each, which is long enough to really learn the material you’re focusing on but not long enough to become terribly monotonous.


Requires You To Generate Complete Thoughts – Most grammar workbooks out there simply have you fill in the blank with the correct conjugation of a given verb.  Thus, after a few problems your mind goes on conjugation-autopilot as you mechanically complete the rest of the exercises.  The problem with that approach is you never quite integrate vocabulary, grammar, and conversational skills that way.  I mean the correct verb is given to you, along with its meaning.  You’ll never learn that way.  Spanish Verb Tenses, on the other hand, forces you to generate complete sentences on your own in response to some prompt, often without telling you which verb to use.  This keeps you constantly on your toes trying to figure out what form the correct response should take as well as the appropriate vocabulary to use.  Trust me, you will learn natural sentence structure much better this way and retain a lot more vocabulary to boot.


Every Chapter Ends With A Writing Assignment – Every chapter contains at least one (sometimes two or three) short writing assignments where you are either given an English paragraph and asked to translate it (in the beginning) or given a topic and asked to generate a completely original Spanish paragraph on the subject all on your own (towards the end of the book).


Covers Every Verb Tense And Grammar Aspect In The Language – I can’t think of anything this workbook misses, off the top of my head.  It covers every tense and aspect of Spanish verbs you need to know, including the infamous subjunctive mood, when to use the preterite vs imperfect, and common special constructions involving specific verbs (ir a- et al).

Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses is very much a master of the domain it purports to teach.  It claims to teach you everything you need to know about Spanish verbs and it accomplishes that goal very, very well; however, it doesn’t delve into aspects of Spanish grammar not related to verbs, such as pronouns, prepositions, noun gender, etc (for that, I highly recommend its companion workbook Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns And Prepositions).
Additionally, its impossible to get any real conversational practice from an $8 workbook.  Spanish Verb Tenses will teach you to form Spanish sentences, no doubt, but there’s a big difference between being able to write Spanish and being able to speak Spanish.  Thus, you’ll either need to purchase a good audio program for conversational practice or hit up your local Mexican restaurant.  But overall, this is a very small nitpick.  It’s only $8 after all.
Buy Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses and its companion Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns And Prepositions from Amazon today.

Buy a wholesome Spanish learning program here
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