Customer Reviews

Collins English/Spanish Talking Dictionary

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderfully easy-to-use English-Spanish dictionary and vocabulary tool that is stable (from a computer standpoint), and has good -- but not overly verbose definitions. As a physician who cares for many Hispanic patients and a teacher of medical Spanish, I find it invaluable for rapid reference after just a week. HOWEVER, the English pronunciations are VERY British and are TERRIBLY confusing to the Latin American students to whom I have demonstrated the program. After I contacted the company, they informed me that they have NO PLANS TO INCLUDE AMERICAN ENGLISH. Likewise, the Spanish is European. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT TO U.S. STUDENTS who want it to improve their pronunciation for use in situations where Latin American Spanish is spoken -- like the entire Western Hemisphere! It is analogous to foreigners who learn British English and then come to the U.S. When their accent is combined with their attempts at British pronunciation, they are very difficult to understand for most gringos. The vocabulary games seem rather basic, but I haven't explored them sufficiently to comment since I employ the program as a quick reference while writing in Spanish. In a nutshell, an EXCELLENT DICTIONARY for quick reference while writing, reading, or learning. TERRIBLE for learning American English pronunciation (e.g. a student studying for TOFEL) or Latin American Spanish pronunciation. (The following is based on limited observations.) The vocabulary games are rudimentary, and I hope that they will be more sophisticated in future releases (as far as more vocabulary catagories) to allow students to concentrate on specific areas easily.

I'm not familiar with other computer based Spanish-English dictionaries with audio pronuncaiation, or even if there are any. This one is OK if all you want to do is look up words on the computer instead of in a printed dictionary and get some clue about how they're pronounced. But, the controls are mystifying, the help function doesn't, the pronunciation is Castilian for the Spanish and British for the English, and the games don't have all the features the intro movie so breezily shows - like, the option to select the crossword puzzle vocabulary from a restricted list of words. I happened to buy this used and cheap and am content - I got what I paid for, I suppose - but don't have high expectations of either its features or its ease of use.

I'm on my way to Costa Rica and all the pronunciation in this dictionary are in European Spanish... often quite different from the Latin American pronuciations. The English pronunications are ofteb quite different also. Some good feautres, but crude. Keep trying! Evertually you'll get it. I wish you would come out with something for the people in the States. Thanks

Pros- cheap and easy on computer resources. Starts fast and is easier/quicker than a paper dictionary. Has pronounciation of words.
Cons- the games and reviews are stinky. (Don't get this to learn the language get it as a simple dictionary) Pronounciations are European.

For an advanced student the pronounciations are not going to matter whether they are in Castillian Spanish or Latin Spanish as most have been taught the differences and can get it. For those complex vowel combinations and longer words it can be beneficial to all. Don't buy it for the pronounciation part unless you want Spain Spanish and British English. I find it to be a great resource.