Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to the Language, Culture and Slang [Paperback]

Elizabeth Reid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2003

Focusing on the Spanish that is spoken in Mexico and most frequently in the United States, this book teaches the language and provides insights into Mexican culture and its customs. First-timers will learn some basics of onversational Spanish, which those who have studied before will find the book useful for refreshing their command of colloquialisms and common expressions.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This book will teach the reader Spanish and slang and a bit about Latin American culture, especially Mexican customs, which is almost as important if one is to get along in another country. "Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo" gives the vocabulary related to a particular topic so that you can study the words that you need right now. The pronunciation is given after the first time a word is used in each chapter. I have attempted to write the pronunciation without a lot of technical, dictionary symbols. The stressed syllable is in capital letters in the pronunciation. The chapters do not have to be read in any special order. You can choose the subject that most interests you at the moment and plunge in. There is a variety of vocabulary, from very basic to intermediate, so that it will appeal to students of many levels. And it can be read through several times, each time reinforcing the words you already know and picking up new ones. The Spanish in this book is that which is spoken in Mexico and frequently in the United States. This is not pure Castilian Spanish. It is however, the most widely spoken and understood in the U.S. For people living in North America the Spanish that you get a chance to speak and understand, almost daily, is American Spanish.

Learning a little Spanish will make a big difference in how much you enjoy your time in Mexico or anywhere in Latin America. You will make lots of friends among the people even if your efforts are less than perfect. As you learn new words, use them every chance you get so that they will become part of your permanent vocabulary.

Learning Spanish can be a real adventure and a lot of fun. It doesn't have to be a lot of work. I hope you enjoy it.

About the Author

Elizabeth Reid began learning Spanish in Junior High School at the age of twelve. She has lived near the Mexican border most of her life. She "went native" in 1985, moving to Rosarito, Baja California, where she taught English to the locals for eight years.

Her love affair with the Spanish language includes a fascination for the customs of the people and an appreciation of their culture. Dr. Reid has also written "Mexican Slang Plus Graffiti," and "Native Speaker".

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sunbelt Pubns; 3 edition (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932653596
• ISBN-13: 978-0932653598
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #607,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy, Fun, Informative way to learn Latin American Spanish, February 5, 2001

By 

Gerald Batson "Jake Blues" (Rochester Hills, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to the Language, Culture and Slang (Paperback)

I have purchased roughly a dozen books, several audio CD's and a few computer software programs in my burning desire to learn Latin American Spanish. This book by Elizabeth Reid is one of the easiest to read and learn from. I enjoy it so much, I bought two ... one stays on my desk at home and the other stays in my car.

This book is laid out in sections ... some of which are *On the Phone*,*Groceries*,*Courtesy and Greetings*,*The Family*,*Lodging*,*At the Restaurant* and even *At the Auto Mechanic* and *at the Bank* ...

The most outstanding thing about this book is the phonetic pronounciation ... Elizabeth Reid is rignt on the money when compared to some of the audio CD's I have ... and she preceeds the phonetics with the actual words in spanish which gives you a chance to try to pronounce it yourself first.

Here is an example from Speaking on the Telephone ...

Don't get desilusionado (day-see-loo-see-oh-NAH-doh) (dissappointed) if it is not easy. Hablar por telefono (ah-BLAR por tay-LAY-fo-no) (speaking by phone) is difficult to master in another language ... To contestar (kohn-tays-TAR) (answer) el telefono you say *Bueno* (BWAY-no) (literally *good*) in Mexico, not *Hola* (OH-la) (hello).

I recommend it highly. Nos vemos (nos VAY-mos) (I'll be seeing you) Primero Dios (pree-MAY-ro dee-OHS) (God willing)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spanish language, culture and slang, October 6, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to the Language, Culture and Slang (Paperback)

Spanish Lingo For The Savvy Gringo is a superbly organized and presented "do-it-yourself" guide to the Spanish language, culture and slang - not just common expressions, but also curse words, severe insults, and the Spanish equivalents of the most vicious and dirty gutter talk, as well as lighter common verbal outbursts and expressions. It is not in dictionary form, instead arranged so that slang can be looked up by subject or usage. Each Spanish slang word or phrase is presented in detail with its literal meaning, the history of its usage, its ties to a specific Spanish-speaking country, comparative definitions in English, and basically everything the studious Spanish speaker needs to know in order to better understand Spanish slang. Spanish Lingo For The Savvy Gringo is a unique and very highly recommended supplement to the Spanish-language and usage textbooks (especially for travelers and students in Spanish speaking communities and countries) that most assuredly do not teach this information!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent reference for travel in México, January 21, 2007

By 

L. Mozell (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to the Language, Culture and Slang (Paperback)

I bought this book based on a suggestion in another travel book I was reading on México. This author does a great job of explaining the Spanish language, especially the specifics of Méxican Spanish. The pronunciation keys are excellent, and the subjects she chooses to discuss are useful. The author clearly knows her subject well, as I found that much of what she wrote about the language was indeed true on my trip. I thought the organization was a bit odd, but as the author states, the book isn't necessarily meant to be read from cover-to-cover. Only read (and re-read) those sections that would be more meaningful to you.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.