Household Spanish [Paperback]

William C. Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0764129414 | ISBN-13: 978-0764129414 | Edition: 2

This updated language-learning book presents an informal, user-friendly Spanish course for non-Spanish speakers who need to learn fundamental words and expressions in Spanish in order to communicate with Latino employees in the household or workplace. This new edition keeps up with current social trends, taking into account the increasing frequency in which Anglos and Spanish-speakers converse, not only as employers and employees, but also as co-workers. Rather than emphasize dry rules of grammar, author William Harvey teaches informal, idiomatic conversational Spanish. Passages in the book recreate typical scenes in household or workplace with appropriate dialogue passages. This book can also be purchased as a package that includes three audio compact discs.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

How to Communicate with Spanish-Speaking Employees and Fellow Workers



Here’s a truly user-friendly Spanish course for non-Spanish speakers who converse on an everyday basis with Hispanic employees and fellow workers, both in the household and at other workplaces. This new second edition keeps up with current social trends, taking into account the increasing frequency in which English speakers and Spanish speakers converse not only as employers and employees, but also as co-workers. Household Spanish is not a grammar book. You don’t have to study it. Simply pick it up and use it immediately.



Features include:

Practical words, phrases, and Spanish expressions, all with pronunciations and translations

Specialized vocabulary lists, exercises, and review sections

Culture clues to expand your Hispanic cultural awareness

English-Spanish and Spanish-English dictionary

Quick-reference and index guide

About the Author

William C. Harvey is the author of several books and language tools available from Barron's, including Spanish for Gringos..

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 2 edition (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764129414
• ISBN-13: 978-0764129414
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William C. Harvey has taught Spanish and ESL on the West Coast, in public schools, community colleges, and in private industry, where he has organized language workshops and seminars.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than the title suggests/Great Book for beginners, August 9, 2000

By 

Scott Lynch - See all my reviews

This review is from: Household Spanish: How to Communicate With Your Spanish Employees (Paperback)

This books provides much more help than communicating with Spanish-speaking household help. I purchased it a couple years ago and to my surprise, it's been one of the most valuable Spansih-reference books I've bought to date. It's got just about every household object listed in Spanish, cleaning, and commands.

The best part about this book is that every-single word in Spanish is spelled out phonetically in English; so if you're not familiar with Spanish pronunication, this book has you covered!

I'm nearly fluent in Spanish and my mother is trying to learn the language using Pimsleur's Spanish CDs (which by the way is possibly the BEST way to learn basic conversational Spanish for the basic basic beginner). She came to me and asked if I knew of a book that could teach her to "read" Spanish (i.e., correctly pronounce the words). I immediately thought of this book, adding that it could teach a lot of useful household Spanish as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to expand their Spanish vocabulary, not just learning how to communicate with your Spanish employees.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An instant vocabulary builder of terminology in the home!, March 16, 2003

By 

Marianopolita2005 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Household Spanish: How to Communicate With Your Spanish Employees (Paperback)

This mini dictionary focuses on "household terms in Spanish". Don't expect anything more or less. The book is divided into seven chapters each with thematic vocabulary. Within each section there are mini sections that focus on cultural themes (temas culturales), a review of what has been taught (repasemos), key words (palabras claves), to name a few sections. There is a pronunciation guide in brackets beside every word but I don't think it would be helpful if you are a true beginner in Spanish. I believe that sounds and phonetics need to be taught to ensure correct pronunciation and accentuation. I found the vocabulary to be interesting at times but there are so many ways in Spanish to say a word it just depends where a person is from but I think that Barron's tried to use the most generic word at all times. I really believe the book is good if you want to learn some Spanish vocabulary without having to worry about grammar and sentences etc. If you decide to purchase this book you will instantly increase your vocabulary and most of all know how to say everyday household terms in Spanish. This is a fun resource for learning Spanish vocabulary.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Spanish Book I Can't Live Without, June 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Household Spanish: How to Communicate With Your Spanish Employees (Paperback)

We have a Latin American person living in our home now who only speaks Spanish, and I have taught myself how to "converse" in Spanish in just over a month, thanks to this book and the cassette tapes. I have checked out many Spanish books at the library, but none gets to the heart of conversation like Household Spanish does. The introduction of vocabulary is useful and gradual, and the presentation of verb conjugation comes at just the right speed. To complement this quick-start book, I have purchased a Spanish/English dictionary and a workbook for reinforcement. With this combination, I can say almost anything, but it helps if your Spanish speaker is very patient!