Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Overall this is an good product. It has helped me. But, more should have been included.

First, a general comment. Anyone who thinks that by studying these conversations they will become "fluent" in understanding spoken Spanish: good luck, Charley. (More bluntly: get real.) They have been a help to me, but they can be only one small aspect of a much broader program that includes a much more extensive range of listening material, significant vocabulary acquisition including idioms, informalities, etc., and, (gasp!) actually conversing with native speakers. (The many available on-line language exchanges provide this opportunity.)

Back to the product ...

There are ten conversations. Each has both a normal and slow speed.

The actors are sufficiently animated. The scripts OK. Of course, there's the usual stilted "I want to travel to Spanish speaking countries so I can improve my Spanish", etc., in the conversations, revealing a certain poverty of imagination on the part of the writers.

One excellent feature of the conversations is the extensive, but unforced, use of the subjunctive. That is, as it would be used in perfectly normal conversation. For example, one character says: "Mándame un mensaje de texto apenas estén llegando".

The shortcoming of the product, in addition to the minor one of the occasional stilted scripting, is that for the price there's not enough. There should be more and, more importantly, longer conversations.

One of the difficulties I've had in understanding spoken Spanish in conversation, or listening to mp's or videos, is becoming quickly listening fatigued re understanding as the conversation/mp3 procedes. That is, after only a couple of minutes I often find my ability to understand significantly diminished. This is an important issue and one that should be addressed by these programs. For the most part it's not done here. At normal speed eight of the conversations are below 3 minutes, one at 3:09 and the last clocks in at 4:31. Of course, this criticism applies equally to most of the other Spanish conversational aids I've used.

To help with this, btw, one can find on-line free mp's of Latin American short stories by renown authors. Not quite the same as conversation, but it yields the additional benefit of forcing you to do a translation and learn a lot more vocabulary. For example, stories by Garcia Márquez and Juan Rulfo are available, as are also the first three chapters (one mp3, total 12 minutes) of Ernesto Sábato's existential novel, El Túnel.

Note: if you buy this directly from amazon you are sent the actual CD and a booklet with the conversation transcripts and other written material (grammar, vocabulary, idioms) relevant to the conversations. However, I wanted the printed material in computer format so I contacted the company and they very promptly emailed me the files.

This is a great supplement to add to any Spanish collection. I think it's really good for learning how Spanish is naturally spoken because if it's one thing I've learned you have to incorporate a certain amount of slang and expressions if you want to blend in with the locals or at least understand what they're talking about. The tempo is slowed down a bit for the slower tracks which is good for hearing the pronunciation better but if you have a good working knowledge of Spanish then you should be fine with listening to the normal speed.

I am very glad that i bought this. I have searched through tons of Spanish products and have bought a handful, and this is definitely my favorite. It increased my ability to understand native speakers. It uses many phrases phrases that are very useful. It helped me to understand things in not just the direct translation, but what it truly means. the cd comes with a small book, easy to take anywhere, (and i put the cd on my ipod) and gives what one person says in Spanish and then the translation right underneath, so you can listen and see what is being said at the same time. Just keep listening to them, once you think you have mastered it, keep listening to it. it truly has increased my understanding and speaking ability a lot. And if you pay attention to the grammar, then it will help you better understand how everything is structured, it doesn't actually have grammar lessons or anything, but if u know how it mostly works and then pay attention to to it in the conversations, it helps. Very good product. I would definitely suggest it

The conversation level on this CD is a little advanced for my skills but it's critically important to have a resource that allows one to repeatedly hear a normal conversation. I wish there were similar resources at a slightly lower level so I could build up to this but I'm going to stick with it. It's my only opportunity to hear fluent Spanish on a regular basis. I like this CD.

Loved it! I found this to be extremely helpful for improving conversational proficiency. The conversations are well thought out and the speakers are interesting to listen to. A lot of vocabulary and idioms are covered which is great. I'm about halfway through it, and I've learned a lot so far. In a nutshell, the speakers are interesting, it covers a lot of vocab and it's great for building up conversation proficiency.

I have purchased so many products claiming to do 'conversation' for medium to advanced level, and this one is absolutely the best - conversations are lively, well done, excellent vocabulary, perfect to listen to over and over so that it sinks in your head. As someone who has learned multiple languages, I applaud this publication. Perfect for serious language learners, not your 'tourist' help!

I think there should be an official definition for "intermediate" and "advanced" because although I have been studying at the official DELE intermediate level this product is nowhere near that standard. Also, for what you get - short CD and a booklet, the price is outrageous. And, some of the Spanish to English translations in the booklet are really bad - we would never say things like "It's been months that we haven't seen each other". Hopefully the Spanish is better.