Spanish Among Amigos [Kindle Edition]

Nuria Agullo (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

One of the biggest hurdles to mastering a second language is learning how to speak naturally. Here is a humorous, one-of-a-kind program that teaches readers how to carry a conversation without sounding stilted or awkward. Spanish Among Amigosallows language learners to eavesdrop on two native speakers and their befuddled English-speaking friend Tom. As they talk about a host of topics, the reader becomes accustomed to conversing naturally in Spanish.

Each of the book's 21 units of dialogue includes:

• A multiple-choice comprehension check
• A vocabulary quiz
• Hints on grammar and usage

From the Author

If you enjoy listening to live music, you'll know that seeing musicians having fun on stage is contagious. I hope that goes for this book too. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope that rubs off and you have fun reading it too. Most of all, I hope the dialogues in this book leap off the page and come to life for you and, along the way, you pick up tons of useful everyday words and expressions. Enjoy, and then get out there and surprise your amigos, or make some brand new ones!

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 977 KB
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (September 15, 2003)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000OVLJAA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,766 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A cultural gem as well as a language book, December 23, 2003

By 

Jessica Nave - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Among Amigos : Conversational Spanish Beyond the Classroom (Paperback)

The really standout feature of this book for me is how easy and fun it is to read. I consider myself fairly capable and passably fluent in conversational Spanish, but not only did I learn completely new and unexpected phrases and colloquial vocabulary in Spanish that had previously been beyond me, but Pepa and Pili (the main characters in the dialogues) had me chuckling and at times guffawing throughout. The author has a great sense of humor and a flair for refreshingly real-sounding conversation - not the stilted repartee you usually see in language books.
After reading this book you will no longer need to sneak peaks at the subtitles during Almodovar movies. This book is great fun to read and the exercises are quite challenging - a real help in moving your Spanish past the text book into the real world.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to colloquial Spanish of Spain, April 13, 2009

By 

Translator "translation" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Among Amigos : Conversational Spanish Beyond the Classroom (Paperback)

This book is well written and highly entertaining. I think that it is important to note, however, that the language used in the books is very Spain-specific and does not reflect the way Spanish is spoken in Latin America. As the author points out, the very name of one of the two characters, Pepa, is not used in Latin America. The author is also very good about pointing out which of the phrases, idioms and slang expressions in the book are used only in Spain, but if your plan is to speak Latin American Spanish or spend time in Latin America, this may not be the book for you. For example, in Argentina, you will hear "che" and "barbaro!" but not "vale!" as used in Spain. Mexico has its own unique slang, such as "padre!" rather than the Argentine "barbaro!" -- both of which mean "great!". I think that this is a terrific book for advanced learners of the Spanish of Spain, but it may be frustrating to someone focused on Mexican Spanish with no plans to visit Spain.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book makes it really fun to improve your Spanish, December 23, 2003

By 

John Collins (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Among Amigos : Conversational Spanish Beyond the Classroom (Paperback)

Whoever said learning couldn't be fun? This book proves it.Pepa & Pili are the two protagonists through whose casual conversations Ms Agullo teaches us uproarious new slang and grammar, and they are a blast to eavesdrop on. Quite often I was actually laughing out loud. For anyone who is already moderately fluent in Spanish and wants to loosen up with it, this book is a must have. It's an invaluable source of informal everyday Spanish - the stuff that stumps you when you're trying to keep up with conversation in the real world, and that can lead to embarassing blunders if you don't catch on - so well worthwhile right there. As if that weren't enough, each new chapter includes insightful cultural commentary that is written with wry appreciation and witty asides. This book is a little gem, and a MUST for anyone interested in really getting into Spanish language and culture. Just one thing: it wouldn't hurt to have a tape as an optional supplement.