Customer Reviews

Spanish Now!: Level 1

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just so you know, this nice looking big workbook has no answers, and the teachers edition with the answers that is listed here at Amazon.com says "publisher out of stock."

After purchasing this book, writing in the first couple of lessons, and then realizing it didn't have the answers in the back means I'm stuck with it and I don't even know if I'm doing them right!

Amazon should have said it required the teachers guide for the answers, and I'm surprized that none of the other reviews mentioned this. Perhaps they were using it in a class with a teacher that had the guide?

I'm going back to looking for a free online class.

As a homeschooler who is learning Spanish along with my kids, I definitely need not just a book of exercises, but all the answers, too. If you want the answers to the exercises presented in this book, you have two options--buy "Spanish Now: Level 1" plus the harder-to-find "Teachers Manual", or just buy "Spanish the Easy Way" by the same authors. "Spanish the Easy Way" is the same book as "Spanish Now: Level 1" and includes all of the answers in the back! Thanks to a reviewer of "Spanish the Easy Way" for sharing this information.

I have spent hundreds of dollars on other ways to learn Spanish and to my surprise this is the one that keeps me motivated. The stories that begin each chapter, though designed for younger people, can appeal to a wry sense of humor at any age. The authors use many cognates (Spanish words that are similar to English) so meanings are reasonably easy to grasp and vocabulary is quickly acquired. Each chapter clearly and thoroughly explains an element of grammar. The many fill-in-the-blank exercises start out with simple models to follow and gradually build skill. When I do all the exercises I can feel confident that I have mastered the concept. Unlike other programs, I am not left with an uneasy, slightly dazed sensation when the chapter is complete. Therefore,so far, I feel able to proceed without a teacher. If the Spanish Now 1 cassettes are as helpful as the book, I will only regret that I didn't buy them earlier. So it is with a bit of chagrin that I let those expensive programs sit on the shelf as I use a much less expensive program written initially for younger students. Yet, progressing quickly while building a firm foundation just might make all the money I spent on the other programs worth this one.

My College Beginning Conversational Spanish Class used this as the textbook. As another reviewer mentioned, the About.com site uses it also. Overall, the book is laid out nicely with clear explanations and content. There are a couple typos on verb spellings, which the instructor corrected for us. A beginner using it on their own, of course, wouldn't have that advantage. I found the Teacher's Manual with answers on another major on line bookstore in the College Textbook section. I also see Amazon has it now also, albeit with limited availability. Either get the answer book or take a class with an instructor. It's good but using it own your own would be hard.

Luckily I've taken 4 years of high school Spanish and I needed a way to get back into things. This book seems great and right at my ability. I can understand most of it, and the directions are pretty clear. However, for a beginner, with no previous knowledge of the Spanish language, I can't recommend this. Too many words, phrases are used within the first 20 pages that if you didn't know, you'd already be lost. Nothing is worse then trying to learn a new language and feeling frustrated. I'd say this is a great 'review' book for those who've had experience or for those like myself that might have 4 years of high school Spanish but are basically back at Level I. This book works for me only because I have not lost all the knowledge I had. Otherwise, I'd be completely lost already. Some of the instructions are in Spanish for words that have never been used.

I have used this text for ages 12 through college aged students to fulfill State Requirements for Spanish One through Spanish "one and a half" - it really goes beyond just Spanish One.

The best thing is that each lesson is begun with a story and picture. Many of them are short skits or plays, and so engage the student in a way that other Spanish textbooks do not. The grammar lessons and exercises are well put-together, though may require a teacher to help truly explain the more detailed points. If you're worried about pronunciation, there is a CD or tape set, I believe, but I have never used it.

There are vocabulary exercises in the back as well as Culture Units. A VERY thorough book, WELL worth the money in a textbook and workbook combination. I love books that are designed to be written in!

For the younger child, this is too advanced and moves too quickly - there are about 30-50 words per lesson to memorize.

Sra. Gose
Author of Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1 & Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 2

I have recently chosen this text for my 7th and 8th grade students of Spanish because of its concise treatment of grammar and many opportunities for written expression. However, my main reason for chosing this text was for its humorous approach to learning the language and many oral exercises included. It is my belief that to learn a foreign language, a student must constantly be exposed to oral stimuli, which this book does well. I did not give it a five-star rating simply because it can be a bit disorganized and hard to follow. However, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

I bought this to teach a brief course in Spanish over the summer, and am so far pleased with it. It is fairly straightforward and keeps students from getting too bogged down in grammar (at least for now anyway!).

As an aside for those of you looking for the teacher's manual you can find it here: http://store.yahoo.com/barronseduc/0764101986.html

I am a professional tutor of college-level Spanish and use this book with almost all my private beginning students (i.e., those not enrolled in a first-semester college course). They appreciate the book's low price, humor, useful vocabulary, clear grammar explanations, logical organization, extensive cultural information, and the textbook/workbook format: being able to write the answers to the exercises on the lines in the book. Working with this book and a good tutor, the diligent student can get a terrific combination of basic grammar plus considerable practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening, all while having a lot of fun. The book is marred by some typos, but I don't know any foreign-language textbook that isn't -- and I speak four languages. I simply correct the typos for my students as we go along. In sum, it's a very good book for the price.

I am not a disciplined person and find it difficult to buckle down and study. With this book, I found myself studying and completing the lessons on my own on a regular basis. The lessons are entertaining and fun too!