Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement (Living Language Book) [Paperback]

Ana Novas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0609801376 | ISBN-13: 978-0609801376 | Edition: 1st

A Quick, Easy-to-Use Program for:
Police Officers, Law Enforcement Administrators, and Support Personnel

Ready to use on the job, Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement is a vital tool for anyone working with the Spanish-speaking community. With the easy pronunciation guide you'll be able to speak Spanish immediately. Clearly organized by situation, the book covers more than 2,500 essential words and phrases.

                Phrasebook format makes it easy to find the right words and phrases.
                Phonetic transcriptions help you pronounce Spanish correctly.
                Culture notes address sensitive issues.
                Brief grammar and vocabulary notes help you communicate better.
                Two-way glossary and grammar summary are great for reference.

Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement includes many common situations, such as basic traffic stops, DUI procedures, gang-related violence, domestic abuse, interviewing witnesses, reading Miranda rights, booking a suspect, and supervising prisoner activities.

Also Available: Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement book/cassette package, which includes this manual, along with two cassettes and a quick reference guide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Should be required reading for all police officers and new recruits."
James Len, Sergeant of Police, Haledon, New Jersey

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Living Language; 1st edition (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609801376
• ISBN-13: 978-0609801376
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,647,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tool if you already have some Spanish skills, July 27, 2003

By 

La jura (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement (Living Language Book) (Paperback)

I work in law enforcement and have a degree in Spanish, but I found I lacked the vocabulary to discuss in Spanish a lot of the subjects that came up in the course of my work. Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement has done an excellent job of getting my vocabulary and syntax up to speed. Be advised, however, that these books (one main text and a smaller reference book) and tape (which repeats much of what's in the books) are NOT designed to teach you Spanish if you don't already know it. It does contain some information on grammar, but it's really more of a refresher for those who have had some Spanish instruction in the past and may have forgotten a few things. If you have no Spanish skills at all, I recommend you start somewhere else otherwise you'll find you're just memorizing a bunch of sounds that have little meaning to you. Think of this as a compilation of useful words and phrases to help you in your daily work. In that regard, however, it's excellent. The information is grouped into a number of real-world topics such as traffic stops, DUI's, gang-related crimes, domestic violence, sexual assault, towing a vehicle and many more. Whoever helped put together these words and phrases obviously has law enforcement experience as they are very well choosen. Other books I've purchased seemed to be written by people who did not work in this field and were merely guessing what they though cops would need to know. If you learned everything in this book, you'd be well equipped to deal with the vast majority of situations you'll encounter at work. I haven't found any one book that covers everything, but this is the best resource I can recommend for law enforcement personnel who have at least a little Spanish training.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement (The Living Language S, March 24, 2003

By 

Jabe R. Jacquart (Salina, KS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Spanish for Law Enforcement (Living Language Book) (Paperback)

I bought this title because I work in law enforcement in an area where a number of the people I contact have limited English skills and my Spanish skills are also limited. This text has been a great help in explaining things to people, conducting DUI Tests and in other areas. The main key is to familiarize yourself with Spanish pronunciation and then reading from the book when needed is not a hindrance. While some areas need to be expanded on in the book, and it does not in any way replace the occasional need for better language skills, it is a very useful book and is small enough to be carried in your gear bag so it will be close at hand.