Customer Reviews

Speaking Spanish Like a Native

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am bilingual in English and Spanish and actually bought this book for my husband who is learning Spanish. Just thought I'd share with you that I was very pleasantly surprised to find this book to be so refreshingly original and entertaining unlike so many other language reference books out there. As a native Spanish speaker, I really got a kick out of it because it truly is full of things that I say all of the time when conversing with my friends and family in Spanish. I think you'll enjoy it!

This is an excellent tool to fine tune the so called proper spanish that you have learned from other sources. A previous reviewer complains that it is not a good place to START learning Spanish? DUH! It does not claim to be. No one source is designed to take you from zero to fluency. Some are for rank beginners, some for intermediates, and some for those who are on the threshold of fluency. In my opinion this one would be a good one for the high intermediate student as i said before to fine tune his/her abilities in ways the language is spoken in a very informal way that is not taught in classrooms. Audio would make it perfect. You might even call this one, "Breaking out of Intermediate Spanish"!

I visit Mexico often and each time I go, I do my best to put my Spanish to the test. In spite of my best efforts, it was impossible to understand all of the rapid-fire Spanish spoken by locals. I am so happy to have found this book because it is full of everything I heard natives say but could not understand at the time.

After reading this book it was as if someone finally turned on the lights! Now when I hear native speakers converse, it seems like they're speaking slower but the reality is that now I just understand much more of what they're saying. Even better, now I have much more confidence to actively participate in their conversations. What has given me the most satisfaction about this book is that when I put what I learned into practice with native speakers, they are more receptive and willing to talk to me!! I have made more people smile in the Spanish language than in English!

I have read too many boring Spanish books that couldn't hold my attention. Speaking Spanish Like a Native is by far one of the most reader-friendly books out there because it was written with a humorous and down-to-earth style. I truly enjoyed this book and I think you will too.

I live in Los Angeles, and I am trying to learn basic Spanish. Unfortunately, when I say the stuff I am learning from textbooks to people I interact with everyday, they can understand what I am saying but I often feel like they think I speak Spanish like a nerd--very proper and mechanical. I'm realizing that people really don't speak Spanish like the way you learn it in a classroom. I discovered this after I bought and read this book. When I use the phrases in this book in everyday conversation, I can tell that people not only understand what I am saying but they also smile at me more as though they can tell that I am making an effort to be more "hip" and more like the native speakers. I can really tell that people treat me differently because I can speak Spanish more naturally with some slang. It makes a BIG difference when you can speak like the natives do.

--You won't learm this stuff from a classroom text book

Learning Spanish is a work in progress for me while I am living in Mexico. This book has been very helpful. I enjoy the smile from my friends when they note my progress in sounding more "down to earth" and less like a stilted foreigner. It has also helped my understand expressions that were once over my head.

A good buy!

Okay, let's face it: the Spanish of Mexico right now is the most influential and relevant variation of the language for folks in the United States (and I was educated by Argentines). Brad Kim and Erika Dominguez' guide here will do a fantastic job of helping you get familiar with many good culturally relevant phrases from Spanish speaking folks with a Mexican heritage...maybe the best you're apt to find. With some practice on pronunciation and on your listenining skills, you'll have a nice bit of linguistic and cultural know-how. You might even feel brave enough to try using some Spanish with your Spanish-speaking contacts and encounters. It may not be the most comprehensive treatise on the Spanish of Mexico, but it is a fun and very funny, easy-to-read book that's very applicable to your learning the language.

I've enjoyed going through the book and seeing what phrases are being used. I grew up in El Paso and I recognize serveral of these phrases but never "really" knowing what was meant by them.
I'm going through the Pimsleur spanish lessons, and though they are good, they are very proper or, as my grandma would say, high spanish. Nothing wrong with that. This book helps when you are speaking with spanish speaking friends. Especially if they are American from a spanish speaking families. They go in and out of spanish all the time, so you can use these and not worry about being fluent, because you can go right back to english.

I teach Spanish classes to all ages, and many of my older students would complain, "but I can't really SPEAK Spanish!"

So after the foundation of good grammar and other concepts, I enjoy giving this book as a gift to my students - they devour it! It tells you how to respond in certain situations, and helps you to think on your feet, perhaps giving you time to formulate more original sentences.

This is wonderful for any student of the language in I'd say a "level 2" proficiency. If you still struggle with pronunciation and the difference between verbs and nouns, definitely start with something else, and look forward to using this book to truly ENJOY speaking your new language!
Sra. Gose
Author of Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1 & Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 2

Learning another language can be boring, especially if your not in school anymore....I took Spanish in High School and did not even think of it helping me later on in life.... Boy I was wrong when taking a trip to Mexico.... Especially, the Night Clubs.....I said to myself I have to learn Spanish.... With This Book, There is A Chapter on One Liners.......(Can't Wait to take another trip!!!! this time i will be prepared!!!)

This was a great idea for a book! Definitely a fun read.