Lights, Camera, Spanish (Book + DVD): Learn Conversational Spanish by Watching a Romantic Adventure [Hardcover]

Bill VanPatten (Author), Michael Lesser (Author), Gregory Keating (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Learn Spanish while watching a movie!

Lights, Camera, Spanish! is a revolutionary, look-listen-and-learn approach to language skills, specially created for you, the movie lover, who wants a crash course in Spanish. The DVD includes a full-length feature film packed with passion, romance, danger . . . and dialogue that’s easy to learn and fun to watch. The workbook features dialog reviews, a Spanish-English mini-dictionary, and written and oral exercises to help you strengthen Spanish skills--while providing a front-row seat to the best Spanish class ever.

From the Back Cover

Want to learn Spanish? Start popping the popcorn!

Imagine yourself in a world where a young man finds love thousands of miles away . . . when a family's dream hangs in the shadow of a corporate takeover . . . and you learn Spanish just by popping in this DVD. Rated E for everyone, Lights, Camera, Spanish! is a revolutionary, look-listen-and-learn approach specially created for you, the movie lover who wants a crash course in Spanish.

Get swept up in the romance, danger, and intrigue when an American businessman goes to Chile to take over a family winery and instead falls in love. As he learns his life lessons, you start your own Spanish adventure with:

• The 90-minute film Sol y viento that was designed especially for language learners with both English and Spanish subtitle options so you can follow along
• A workbook with key vocabulary and dialog from the film
• Exercises that keep you engaged in the story and reinforce your new skills

Save yourself an aisle seat for the best Spanish class ever!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (October 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071479023
• ISBN-13: 978-0071479028
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #857,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT DVD, not sure about the book, August 30, 2008

By	Philip A. Rylett "TrueBrit" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Lights, Camera, Spanish (Book + DVD): Learn Conversational Spanish by Watching a Romantic Adventure (Hardcover)

While not up to Hollywood standards, this DVD has a cast of engaging characters following a classic and predictable storyline. Production values are good, the sound is excellent and the settings are very pleasing. But this DVD was primarily designed as a teaching tool and here it excels, the dialog feels natural even though it is carrying you along a very deliberate learning path. I do not know how it will stand up to repeated watchings - which is necessary, but I think as long as you approach it as a teaching tool rather than some piece of cinematic art, I don't see a problem. It is difficult to assess the intended level - high beginner to intermediate perhaps. The level increases throughout the movie which would make following the plot a little difficult for a beginner. Still there are subtitles in English and Spanish.
The book concentrates on your understanding of the movie rather than the language directly. Given the predictability of the plot, I am not sure this is the best approach. I would rather have seen a better explanation of the ways real life spanish speakers express themselves (when different from English)
Bottom line: I can absolutely recommend this product for any level spanish speaker.
ps You may recognize the author/producer's name - Bill VanPatten. He also did the excellent Destino's video series (still available free online)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie and more..., February 4, 2007

By	Ray Capotosta (Cuyahoga Falls, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lights, Camera, Spanish (Book + DVD): Learn Conversational Spanish by Watching a Romantic Adventure (Hardcover)

Es una película muy bonita. I would recommend this movie to anyone with a little Spanish education and is a solid beginner or better; although, you can figure out what is going on, without knowing Spanish, by using the subtitles. This would be great for a high school teacher. The materials in the book follow the movie very closely and there is no worry about inappropriate material. The book goes beyond the movie by asking questions about the characters' personalities and how that may influence what might happen and also gives practice in reading and writing in Spanish.

Not only is the story wonderful but you will have an appreciation for the beauty of Santiago Chile and the culture. For example, in the scenes in the park, no one is wearing sweat pants or running shorts like we do in the U.S. The scences are beautiful and the story flow is very smooth; the quality is as good as any cinema movie. The authors should be proud.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last, a Spanish-course for Movie-Lovers, September 24, 2009

By	James Williams "JamesSpanish.com" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lights, Camera, Spanish (Book + DVD): Learn Conversational Spanish by Watching a Romantic Adventure (Hardcover)

This is James from James Spanish (the learning Spanish blog) with my review of Lights, Camera, Spanish

This is a really unique way to learn Spanish. This also happens to be my favorite learning Spanish resource. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I have recommended it in most of my Spanish-learner product reviews here at Amazon. Why? Because it is such an entertaining way to learn the language that you will forget that you are actually learning.
This is a 90 minute film called "Sol Y Viento" or "Sun and Wind" and it is about a Spanish-speaking American businessman who goes to Chile on business but finds himself falling in love. But this more than a love story. It is also the story of a corporate takeover of a winery. Although it is a love story, I think anyone no matter what age they are, will find that this film is not only fun and entertaining but an effective way to learn Spanish.

And since the film also comes with subtitles even a beginner can pop this DVD into the DVD player and start learning Spanish right away. And if you are an intermediate to an advanced level student, like myself, then I am sure that you will enjoy the challenge of watching this DVD without subtitles.

But be careful. The film is so enjoyable that you may forget that the film also comes with a 116 page workbook or " companion guide" complete with exercises to test your understanding of the film and to reinforce the Spanish that you picked up from the film. I only wish that there were more products that teach this same method of learning Spanish by using an entertaining film along with a workbook complete with exercises.

In closing my review of this product, I'd like to share with you a couple of other Amazon products that I have found most helpful in my pursuit to learn Spanish. If you are truly serious about achieving fluency, I'd recommend getting both of them in addition to on Lights, Camera, Spanish. If you can afford it. And if you cannot afford, then just be sure to get Lights, Camera, Spanish.

1. Verbarrator Version 1.1 (Windows Version) This software replaces the traditional verb conjugation books and makes learning how to conjugate Spanish verbs an interactive and fun activity. This should be a required resource for anyone who wants to improve their ability to conjugate Spanish verbs. Especially anyone who is challenged by the drudgery of learning how to conjugate Spanish verbs and who is looking for a new way to make learning how to conjugate Spanish verbs an easy and fun activity.

2. Diccionario esencial de la lengua espanola de la Real Academia Espanola (Spanish Edition) If you are really serious about speaking the language fluently, then at some point you will need to replace your Spanish-English dictionary and get a pure Spanish dictionary with both the vocabulary words and the definitions entirely in Spanish. I use this one only because it was highly-recommended by a friend from Spain who teaches Spanish.