Behind the Wheel - Spanish 3 [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Behind the Wheel (Author), Mark Frobose (Creator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1427206317 | ISBN-13: 978-1427206312 | Publication Date: January 6, 2009 | Edition: Unabridged

Behind the Wheel Spanish 3 incorporates vocabulary, grammar, and sentence building from earlier levels as it refines and perfects your understanding of the Spanish language, focusing on listening comprehension and conversational interaction to take you to the next level of fluency.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The audio-only lessons build upon one another, using a native speaker to help you learn useful words and actually construct sentences from the get-go."—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"Unlike other audio language programs, this series encourages students to create their own sentences, making it more fun and conversational than other more expensive programs."—The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Focuses on real-world conversation...Great value."—Men’s Health magazine

"These programs help listeners re-familiarize themselves with foods and cultures they may already know, or introduce new ones with its quick learning techniques." - TheNibble.com

What satisfied customers are saying:
"I know how difficult it is to try to learn a new foreign language at a distance and in one’s spare time. Behind the Wheel French was the course I found the most helpful in acquiring a basic understanding of the language. The explanation and sequencing of topics in this first level course made learning French both enjoyable and accessible. From my thirty years of teaching experience, I can attest to Mark Frobose's excellence as a teacher.
    —Dr. Gautam Dasgupta, Professor, Columbia University

“Of all the language series that I have ordered in the past from other companies, Language Dynamics has been by far the best…. the voices are easy to listen to and quite entertaining! You have developed a wonderful product and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a language in an easy to follow method.”

    —Diana Wood, Human Resources, Motorola

“I would recommend any Behind the Wheel course in any language to anyone wishing to learn to speak a new language quickly, easily, and enjoy the process.”
    —Jeni Atkins, Educator, Portland, Oregon

About the Author

MARK FROBOSE is the founder of the Behind the Wheel series. A foreign language instructor for more than thirty years, he has built a career on “taking the foreign out of language.” He is a nationally recognized foreign language speaker, teacher, and author.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Behind the Wheel; Unabridged edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427206317
• ISBN-13: 978-1427206312
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Books on CD > Languages > Language Instruction > Spanish
  • #97 in Books > Books on CD > Nonfiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Behind the Wheel" a Straight Road to Fluency, March 3, 2010

By 

Daniel E. Gardner (Bloomington, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behind the Wheel - Spanish 3 (Audio CD)

My General Impressions:
I give this course a strong four-and-a-half stars and an enthusiastic two-thumbs-up.
To speak the Spanish language properly - and truly fluently - the non-native speaker must understand and be able to employ that language's complex verb constructions; especially the moods and meanings that the Castilian subjunctive tense so precisely and poetically expresses. The Macmillan's audio course entitled "Behind the Wheel Spanish - Level 3" was created with language fluency in mind.

I really liked the way the native speakers model the practice phrases and sentences. The phrases or sentences are said at moderate speed the first time, then at a considerably faster pace the second time. This enables the learner to accurately emulate not only the pronunciation but also the real-time pace at which the language is spoken.

If fluency is the goal, Macmillan's Behind the Wheel Spanish 3 audio method will measurably improve the serious student's understanding of and comfort in using the subjunctive and other moods and tenses as they manifest themselves in the Spanish language. For lots of intensive practice with advanced verb tenses, this course is worth a listen.

My Detailed and Specific Comments:
Starting with the subjunctive tense, the eight CDs include practice with the present and pluperfect tenses, the conditional tense and side-by-side comparisons of the preterit and imperfect past tenses in both their indicative and subjunctive forms. Reflexive forms of verbs are reviewed. There are also periodic reminders about choosing the proper verb `person' when the subject pronoun is not specified. Loads of vocabulary words as well as dozens of common phrases, figures of speech, and expressions are sprinkled throughout the lessons.

This course is not Spanish 101. The listener is expected to be at a high intermediate or advanced level. Mastery of infinitives and verb conjugations in the indicative tenses is necessary to be able to understand the orthographic changes required by the subjunctive or pluperfect ones. This course was designed for those who are well-grounded in verb conjugation basics and wish to take their knowledge - and fluency - to a higher level.

I think that a brief - very brief, maybe eight or ten-page - written explanation of each of the subjunctive and other tenses and their proper uses would be helpful. Sometimes it is helpful to read an explanation at one's own pace, as many times as necessary, and then take a few minutes to reflect on it, to let it sink in, instead of having to think fast in order to keep up with the narrative or to rerun the tract a dozen times, an inconvenience if listening while driving.

I also wish that the print of the twenty-four page transcript booklet would have been considerably larger. I would have gladly paid an extra buck for a booklet with forty-four, instead of only twenty-four, pages.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dynamite...if you are ready and willing..., February 25, 2010

By 

Joseph H. Bouchard "Estudiante de Espanol" (PhilaPA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behind the Wheel - Spanish 3 (Audio CD)

If your Spanish is still limited to taco, si and manana, then you aren't ready for this one. But if you are looking for a little challenge, some work on those tenses and a little vocabulary expansion off the beaten path, I recommend it. Unlike those lame Speak in a Week promises, this takes you through a lot of work to help improve your grasp of Spanish verb tenses. The word "work" should be emphasized, but it will help you learn. Great stuff and great value for the serious student of el espanol.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good for practicing Spanish in your car. One minor fault., February 6, 2009

By 

Anthony Louis (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behind the Wheel - Spanish 3 (Audio CD)

This product presents the material in digestible bits of information and then drills the listener to be sure it is understood. Plenty of review is built in. I find it easy to use while driving to work in the morning. My only minor complaint is that it gives an incorrect rule for forming the imperfect subjunctive form of a Spanish verb. The correct rule is:
To conjugate the imperfect subjunctive, take the third person plural preterite form of any regular, irregular, or stem-changing verb, drop the -RON ending to find the radical, and add the appropriate ending. That said, I recommend these CDs for drilling yourself on basic verb tenses, including the subjunctive.