Customer Reviews

Anna Rivera's 1000 Plus Most Powerful Spanish Words (English and Spanish Edition)

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

 

 

For this low, low price you get a really great learning tool.

What I like best about these CDs is that they don't just give a list of words (which could be used as a sleep aid) but instead give you the word, its English meaning, and then use it in a sentence.

The sample sentence is not translated into English, but that's a good thing. I always tell people that talking and listening in English will never help you learn a foreign language. Drop English as soon as possible.

Also kudos to Anna Rivera; she sends out weekly e-mails with EXCELLENT study tips for Spanish. Of course she advertises products, but she never pushes you into buying them. The tips are free and very useful.

I had studied Spanish in my home a lot before moving to Costa Rica recently. One of the problems with home study was that I was not hearing enough Spanish--even though I was using CDs in my study (e.g. Learning Spanish Like Crazy). I could say a lot more than I could hear and understand. I decided that I needed to learn to 'hear' Spanish. I had had this CD (1001 plus Most Powerful Words) for some time but had never used it. The CD has 1001 words (well, I haven't really counted them) and the each word is spoken, an English definition is given, and then it is used in a sentence in Spanish. A free PDF file puts all this in print and adds an written English definition of the sentence.

I set up the following pattern. I transferred the spoken narrative to my computer so I could excercise easier control over playing it (frequent stops and going back a few moments in the narrative). I already knew most of the words, but I couldn't understand the sentences though I knew most of those other words also. I would take one letter of the alphabet and listen to each sentence, trying to repeat orally what I had just heard. Then, on another time through, I would try to write the sentence I just heard. I would work on each letter until I could understand each sentence, repeat each sentence orally, and write each sentence after hearing it. After couple of weeks, I was understanding much more spoken Spanish--not necessarily just those words that I studied, but many other words. I believe that the intensity of listening required to repeat the sentences and trying to write the sentences helped me to learn to listen and hear the sounds. Also, I found that I was more fluent in my speaking and I was learning how to spell the words, along with proper placement of accent marks.

I should add that I also used Immersion Plus Spanish CD along with this so as to hear a variety of different voices.

I am stil working on all this, but in just three weeks, I feel that I am understanding more Spanish each day--for the first time I can understand enough to listen to Spanish programming on TV. I'm 70 years old, and my learning needs are probably very different from many other people, but I can say that this CD has been very helpful to me.

I think the folks giving this set bad reviews are missing the point. These disks are pure repetition. I leave them in my vehicle and just let them play when I'm driving. And I play them over and over and over.

You're not going to pick up everything. But you will start noticing you pick out words and phrases better with each time through. Sometimes, plain old repetition can be a good learning tool.

I purchased this CD and her 800 phrases CD. I downloaded this onto my phone and listen to it when I commute. Each section is in bite-sized sections. When I put a section on continuous replay I eventually improve listening comprehension and vocabulary. After a few days of listening, I go to the list I printed out through her free website and read up on the phrases my ear can't quite catch. I've tossed out boring grammar books and verb conjugation tables. Listening comprehension is much more fun and practical!!!

I love these disks-- for the money there is a lot of information and a lot of practice listening. I have studied Spanish for three years now, and I can express myself but need to expand my vocabulary and listening skills. So... this helps with that. It's not overly professional, just somebody reading words, their definitions, and then a Spanish sentence. The sentence is not translated, which is great listening practice, but for someone who is starting out it's not a good option. I listen to them over and over... that is the only way of remembering what you learn (in this or any audio CD.) They are only thrown out in one format, and just in a list, so it's not the best way of memorizing the words. And, there are some mistakes, a few in the translations and a few words that aren't used in the sample sentences. For $5.99 though it's well worth it!

When I bought this product, I was a beginner. It went by too fast and I really didn't get much out of it. So I put the cd set aside. Now I'm at an intermediate level and find these cds useful because I can speak and understand Spanish, watch Spanish t.v. etc. The sentences are spoken at normal conversation speed and most useful when I'm doing housework since I've tried to put myself in as much of an immersion setting as possible and want to hear Spanish as much as I can. These are commonly used words, which is very helpful.

I use Spanish at work, and will be going to Mexico to study in a school for several weeks soon. In other words, these cds are useful for someone at my level. They are not designed for beginning Spanish students and will only frustrate the beginner. I wish there were more audio products developed for intermediates, particularly as downloads to put on my mp3. This is the only intermediate level audio product that I've found.

I think the disc is good for learning new Spanish words, it would be even better if the words and the translations were printed so you can follow along. I realize that the words and the translations can be downloaded but not easily, there are to many fragments to download. I also like the fact that they are numbers are in Spanish and one can learn the numbers as well.

When I ordered this, I didn't know anything about Anna Rivera's products, just that she was highly regarded. This CD is just someone reading words in Spanish, in alphabetical order, and then translating them to English. Not something you want to listen to in the car when you're sleepy. Unless you're desperate to spend money, don't buy this. There are better CDs out there!

I bought both of Anna Rivera's tapes. I was very disappointed in the fact that the words and phrases are given so quickly by the time you say the word out loud the pronouncer is already mid way through the next word. I would find it much more helpful if there was time to process the words in between.

I didn't like this cd, they were speaking way to fast. Even hitting the pause button every five seconds didn't help. And there's no easy way to get back to where you left off. A better buy for me was a Spanish dictionary with the phonetic spelling next to the word.