Ultimate Spanish: Basic-Intermediate on CD (LL(R) Ultimate Basic-Intermed) [Paperback]

Irwin Stern (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 060960757X | ISBN-13: 978-0609607572 | Publication Date: October 3, 2000 | Edition: Book & CD

Learn Spanish at home or on the go with the most complete, up-to-date program available!

Developed by the experts at Living Language, this deluxe course has everything you need to speak, understand, read, and write Spanish. Ultimate Spanish combines conversation with grammar and culture in an easy-to-follow, enjoyable, and effective format.

COMPREHENSIVE LESSON MANUAL with REFERENCE SECTIONS

40 lessons:
lively, authentic dialogues
vocabulary, grammar, and usage
cultural highlights
revised and updated with additional exercises, the latest in computers, the Internet, euros, and more
        
Reference sections:
complete grammar summary with verb conjugations
business and social letter writing
Spanish-English / English-Spanish glossary

EIGHT COMPACT DISCS

First learn at home:
immerse yourself in Spanish -- listen and repeat with the all-Spanish recordings
follow along with the manual, which includes English translations
learn conversation, grammar, and culture

Then practice on the go:
review and expand upon what you've learned
an English-speaking instructor guides you through each lesson
no reading required with these Spanish/English recordings
learn in the car, at the gym, anywhere

INCLUDES:

Eight Compact discs
416-page textbook

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The dialogues are wonderful and among the best I've seen in a language course."      
ALEXANDRA LEAF, New York University

"I would not hesitate to use it as a primary text in any elementary or intermediate college-level class."
PROFESSOR VINCENZO GATTO, Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y.

"The materials are of a high quality and are fun for the learner."
CYNTHIA RAMSEY, Ph.D., Basic Language Program, University of Southern California

"A really great package for those who don't have the money to spend two years in a foreign country!"
JUERGEN KEMPFF, Ph.D., Curriculum Director, University of California, Irvine

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Living Language; Book & CD edition (October 3, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 060960757X
• ISBN-13: 978-0609607572
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.2 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,541,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for review...not for first-time learner, April 2, 2001

By 

Jeremy B. Carter (Asheville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ultimate Spanish: Basic-Intermediate on CD (LL(R) Ultimate Basic-Intermed) (Paperback)

I had two years of Spanish in college and four years later bought the "Ultimate Spanish: Basic-Intermediate" program to brush up on my skills. This has proven a good refresher course, but those new to the Spanish language should not purchase this for use as a "self-teach" program and expect to develop strong skills.

Many of the explanations in this book are quite brief, and the written drills are very limited. Anyone using this as a refresher course would do well to also purchase "Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Verb Tenses" and "Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions," both by Dorothy Richmond, for more extensive written exercises.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars wait for next edition, August 25, 2000

By 

michael agelasto (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ultimate Spanish : Basic-Intermediate (Living Language) (Audio CD)

I used this self-study course for 4 hours per day for 3 months, in conjunction with VIS-Ed vocabulary cards. It prepared me well for a trip to South America. The course offers pronunciation for both Spain and Latin America. The cultural notes are basic and useful. The dialogs are mostly relevant for a traveler.

The major drawback is the Learn-on-the-go CDs. There is no transcription provided; I was unable to follow these CDs. If there had been a transcription which I could have reviewed at home, the CDs would have been much more useful. Since this is the first edition, there are numerous typos and errors in the text, which could have been corrected with more careful proofreading. I would advise you to wait for the next edition.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Refresher Course, July 27, 2000

By 

R. W. Pochciol "rwp464" (PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ultimate Spanish : Basic-Intermediate (Living Language) (Audio CD)

GREAT REFRESHER COURSE for former Spanish students.

I studied Spanish for 9 years and was practically fluent. 14 years later I find myself struggling to remember basic vocabulary, verb conjugations and familiar phrases. With my experience in the language, I've been able to successfully complete the first 5 lessons in only a few sessions, with excellent retention. My email friends from Spain and Peru have already noticed an improvement in my Spanish.

The CD's: "Learn at Home" are helpful if you need help with pronunciation. I enjoy learning from the "Learn on the Go" CD set because I am forced to recall the information without the aid of a textbook. I feel the pace of the conversation is good, and the CD format makes selecting a lesson easy.

Why only 4 stars? Another reviewer made flashcards....I made an Excel spreadsheet. It would have been great to have all the vocabulary and phrases on a ready-to-use CD or disk. Here's how: One column for the English words/phrases, one column for the Spanish translation, and a third column for the exam. Simply hide the Spanish column and type your answers into the exam column. Unhide the Spanish column to check you answers. Mark wrong answers with red text.

Format:The lessons are divided into functional topics like time, greetings, weather, health, food, phone calls...making it easy to learn and reference information. I find this format much more enjoyable than the traditional classroom & textbook method.