Conversational Spanish: A practical immersion course for intermediate Spanish conversation. (Audio CD + Listening & Grammar Guide) [Audio CD]

Brianys Ferrer Visbal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 2006

Listen to Spanish speakers from different regions of Latin America as they engage in a variety of conversations, illustrating how the language is truly spoken by native speakers. Conversational Spanish is a practical immersion course designed to develop and increase one's listening comprehension and knowledge of the Spanish language the way it is naturally used in conversation.

Ideal for those who have already covered the basics and are ready for an intermediate level, Conversational Spanish focuses on real world Spanish, so you learn the language the way it is truly used in conversation. Each lesson is based on a real world dialogue (in Spanish) between native speakers and progresses in difficulty. This process enables you to rapidly reach a higher level of language ability, confidence and comprehension.

Each lesson is complete with transcripts (in both Spanish and English), grammar notes and vocabulary. Each conversation is first played at a normal (native) speed and then repeated at a slower speed, giving you complete control of your listening and learning experience and allowing you to develop and increase your listening comprehension naturally.

Please note: In order to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, this course is not a beginner-level, listen-and-repeat type of course. This is an immersion course for intermediate students who wish to improve their listening comprehension and gain knowledge of the Spanish language the way it is naturally used in conversation. The conversations are completely in Spanish (no spoken English). The listening guide contains complete transcripts in both Spanish and English as well as grammar notes and vocabulary for each lesson.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brianys Ferrer Visbal (November 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1424325544
• ISBN-13: 978-1424325542
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I've been looking for, June 12, 2007

By 

Leon F. Brummel (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conversational Spanish: A practical immersion course for intermediate Spanish conversation. (Audio CD + Listening & Grammar Guide) (Audio CD)

I'm really happy I bought this course. I was looking for something that would improve my conversational ability and it's exactly what I needed.

I really like how the conversations are applied so that it is very useful in everyday speech. You are learning conversation that people can use daily. These are exactly the types of conversations that anyone would want to have, and can expect to have, with other Spanish speakers anywhere, anytime and in any situation.

I really like how the subjunctive mood is used frequently (just like in real conversation) so this really helps. I love the fact that the native speakers are from different regions, which helps greatly in understanding people with different accents. I feel that this is a definite benefit.

I also like how the grammar and vocabulary are presented at the end of each conversation and that everything is explained in detail. Many times words and phrases can have different meanings when combined with other words and phrases. Understanding these is very important.

Each conversation has a fast and slow track, which has helped tremendously. Native speakers do not speak slow, and this has definitely enabled me to understand Spanish spoken at faster speeds. The more I listen the better I get.

All in all, it gave me the extra "boost" I was looking for, and this is definitely something I can keep using for a long time. I consider it to be a fantastic Spanish course for intermediate and advanced students, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking to improve their Spanish.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!!!, June 6, 2007

By 

D Pierce (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conversational Spanish: A practical immersion course for intermediate Spanish conversation. (Audio CD + Listening & Grammar Guide) (Audio CD)

Great product! I really learned a lot from this. If you want to learn Spanish the way it's used in conversation then I highly recommend getting this. I've been studying Spanish for several years and I think it's a great way to keep in tune with the language. It makes learning Spanish more fun than just learning from a classroom or textbook. This is especially good for people who wish to further their understanding of conversation at a more advanced level. There are too many courses out there that promise you the world but don't deliver. Overall I was very impressed and I'm very happy with my purchase.

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites!, August 5, 2007

By 

Michelle S - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conversational Spanish: A practical immersion course for intermediate Spanish conversation. (Audio CD + Listening & Grammar Guide) (Audio CD)

If you are ready to take your Spanish a step further then Conversational Spanish is what you need. It's meant for students who are ready for real conversation. This is the closest thing I've come across that actually prepares you for how Spanish people really talk.

The entire program consists of conversations on various topics that I believe are essential. This is not "tourist Spanish" or anything like it. It's meant to be something real on various discussions that people have everyday. I believe that analyzing discussions between people really helps to learn so much faster because you are learning Spanish that is a necessity. You have to adapt to how Spanish is normally spoken by the people who speak it, which is exactly what you'll learn.

It also helps to improve your listening comprehension. Trust me, after listening to each of the conversations a couple of times your comprehension of the language will have increased dramatically. I recommend going through each of the conversations at least 5 or 10 times and you will notice a dramatic improvement in your understanding and an increase in your vocabulary. The audio is first played at normal speed and then played again about 20% slower. Each conversation has accompanying text so you can reference the text while you listen. I actually recommend reading the text first to prepare yourself and then listen to the associated conversation without referencing the text. Each conversation has an associated vocabulary list followed by grammar notes, so you have a nice and easy way to reference everything while you learn. The grammar notes are especially useful as they help to break down the conversation and explain everything in detail.