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 Customer Reviews
Highly recommended, 12 Oct 2008
Whether you are school studying for GCSE Spanish, undertaking a Spanish course at night school or maybe planning to live in Spain, this 3CD learning pack is highly recommended. It can be used instead of using a text book, or alongside one. The exercises are interesting and enjoyable.
The course is not convincing or too complicated.
Decent elementary and ungimmicky programme, 12 Sep 2008
Straightforward and ungimmicky, i found the easiest way of using it was to transfer it to my MP3 player so i could use it on my commute.
It is very much a beginners Spanish - it starts slowly from the absolute basics.
Towards the end of the first (of 3) CDs the pace starts to hot up. One might get a little critical of their choice of vocabulary at this point, asking where things are and learning "in front of" "behind" and "opposite" - crummy linguists like me tend to use `point and show' to cope with this element of communication, but one can always quibble about this.
Usefully they give what they call "real conversation" (though it doesn't sound terribly real), where someone lets loose a mouthful of Spanish in reply to one of your questions, then they invite you to look for the words you know to make sense of it. This is a helpful survival strategy.
Recommendable stuff.
A vibrant new way to learn Spanish., 28 Aug 2008
The Collins easy learning is a quick and simple way to pick up the language. Many of these types of language learning programs promise big things and dont deliver.
The learning program is split up into 12 short units which introduces 5 keywords and phrases per unit. To aid the understanding of each unit, there are sections on culture and etiquette. This is most helpful in adopting the spoken language, and this approach is a new idea I've not come across before within these learning packages and I have to say it works really well when trying to adopt the language into a conversation.
It also gives a better understanding of which words to use and why and will improve word selection dramatically. This is by no means an advanced learning package, so don't expect to be speaking fluent Spanish within a few weeks because that's not going to happen. What you can expect is to learn how to use the language properly. It will heighten confidence greatly to take the language to the next level or if your happy to get by at the intermediate level then look no further.
The package is a complete bargain, and contains transcripts of the CD's. I recommend putting the CD's onto an MP3 player. I have done the course twice now and even though I'm no Spanish linguist I can speak Spanish much more confidently now. I certainly wouldn't feel stupid using it abroad any more.
A great product at a great price don't miss out.
my spanish has improved, 21 Aug 2008
i have loaded this onto my ipod and its helping me to improve my Spanish already. the disc's and book make it eaasy to learn the basics (mainly phrases) which you can build on, with more books in the series if you want. This course is not concerned with getting stuck into the verbs and tenses, but more getting you past been able to say more than hello, and a beer please.
Easy help with ordering your fry-up!, 15 Aug 2008
The Collins Easy Learning Spanish does exactly what it says on the tin (well almost!). GCSE students of any grade will not find this package helpful as it really does concentrate on the basics, but if, like the majority of us "Brits Abroad" the depths of our comprehension of any foregin language has gone well beyond the point of embarrassment - this 3cd set will prove most helpful! After a week or so, I'm now confident enough to order my way through dinner, not panic if totally lost and maybe even not get arrested if stopped at the airport by saying the wrong thing!
My only gripe??..........in all honesty this is a "phrase" book set to get you by and the grammar sections are all basic. But for the same pice as a printed phrase book with the added bonus of the correct, legible and clear pronouncement it is easily worth 4 stars and a purchase!
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Customer Reviews
Highly recommended, 12 Oct 2008
Whether you are school studying for GCSE Spanish, undertaking a Spanish course at night school or maybe planning to live in Spain, this 3CD learning pack is highly recommended. It can be used instead of using a text book, or alongside one. The exercises are interesting and enjoyable.
The course is not convincing or too complicated.
Decent elementary and ungimmicky programme, 12 Sep 2008
Straightforward and ungimmicky, i found the easiest way of using it was to transfer it to my MP3 player so i could use it on my commute.
It is very much a beginners Spanish - it starts slowly from the absolute basics.
Towards the end of the first (of 3) CDs the pace starts to hot up. One might get a little critical of their choice of vocabulary at this point, asking where things are and learning "in front of" "behind" and "opposite" - crummy linguists like me tend to use `point and show' to cope with this element of communication, but one can always quibble about this.
Usefully they give what they call "real conversation" (though it doesn't sound terribly real), where someone lets loose a mouthful of Spanish in reply to one of your questions, then they invite you to look for the words you know to make sense of it. This is a helpful survival strategy.
Recommendable stuff.
A vibrant new way to learn Spanish., 28 Aug 2008
The Collins easy learning is a quick and simple way to pick up the language. Many of these types of language learning programs promise big things and dont deliver.
The learning program is split up into 12 short units which introduces 5 keywords and phrases per unit. To aid the understanding of each unit, there are sections on culture and etiquette. This is most helpful in adopting the spoken language, and this approach is a new idea I've not come across before within these learning packages and I have to say it works really well when trying to adopt the language into a conversation.
It also gives a better understanding of which words to use and why and will improve word selection dramatically. This is by no means an advanced learning package, so don't expect to be speaking fluent Spanish within a few weeks because that's not going to happen. What you can expect is to learn how to use the language properly. It will heighten confidence greatly to take the language to the next level or if your happy to get by at the intermediate level then look no further.
The package is a complete bargain, and contains transcripts of the CD's. I recommend putting the CD's onto an MP3 player. I have done the course twice now and even though I'm no Spanish linguist I can speak Spanish much more confidently now. I certainly wouldn't feel stupid using it abroad any more.
A great product at a great price don't miss out.
my spanish has improved, 21 Aug 2008
i have loaded this onto my ipod and its helping me to improve my Spanish already. the disc's and book make it eaasy to learn the basics (mainly phrases) which you can build on, with more books in the series if you want. This course is not concerned with getting stuck into the verbs and tenses, but more getting you past been able to say more than hello, and a beer please. Easy help with ordering your fry-up!, 15 Aug 2008
The Collins Easy Learning Spanish does exactly what it says on the tin (well almost!). GCSE students of any grade will not find this package helpful as it really does concentrate on the basics, but if, like the majority of us "Brits Abroad" the depths of our comprehension of any foregin language has gone well beyond the point of embarrassment - this 3cd set will prove most helpful! After a week or so, I'm now confident enough to order my way through dinner, not panic if totally lost and maybe even not get arrested if stopped at the airport by saying the wrong thing!
My only gripe??..........in all honesty this is a "phrase" book set to get you by and the grammar sections are all basic. But for the same pice as a printed phrase book with the added bonus of the correct, legible and clear pronouncement it is easily worth 4 stars and a purchase! Love the crazy associations, 12 May 2008
OK, so some of the associations are a bit dodgy, but I actually found this to be really funny, which ultimately helped me to remember the words.
With only 200 words you're not going to become fluent, however I found the vocab to be really useful when used in conjunction with Michel Thomas' 8 disc foundation course (which concentrates more on sentence structure and verbs). My husband didn't use Instant Recall (and only did 6 of the 8 Michel Thomas discs) and it was surprising how much I had to translate/communicate during our recent trip to Cuba.
It concentrates more on Latin American pronunciation, which was good for our purpose. I did find that the translation of a couple of the words didn't quite match up, but this was never a problem during our stay.
In short this is worth the money if you get it for a good price.
Instant Recall Spanish Vocab, 23 Dec 2007
This is a great CD set to learn around 200 Spanish words using word and imagery association. The product review on this page explain the methods quite well. I found the explanations very clear and I was able to picture the images very well, therefore storing the vocab in my memory. Like other reviewers here I suggest you listen to this with your eyes closed to really picture the images in your mind. Some of the links are a touch tenuous, and these are the words I fail to remember, I've found (and recommend) that using my own imagery works better for these words and I'm slowly starting to grasp the remaining few words that previously escaped me. Not only is this course good for learning basic vocab, but it is also good for your brain overall, encouraging memory techniques that can be transferred outside of this course. The speakers on the discs are clear and are pleasant to listen to. Some courses i've done previously have put me off straight away with cheesy music and terrible speakers; this course has none of that. Overall this is a great place to start if you want to learn Spanish to get by on holidays and if you want to get a good grounding before starting night classes. I'd also recommend Michael Grunbergs Spanish association book that compliments this course perfectly and which I picked up on amazon for 2.99. This course is well worth a try. Does exactly what it says on the.. eh... tin, 20 Jul 2007
If, like me, you spend a lot of time in the car and don't mind folk thinking you are barking mad because you're talking to yourself, this is a great way to learn some spanish vocab. The only reason why I only give it 4 stars not 5 is because I wish there was more of it.
I already had a fair knowledge of spanish thru the excellent Michel Thomas series (very grammar based), but needed to improve my vocab. This is much more fun and really, really works. You don't bneed to keep pausing the cd either, you just rattle thru it. MORE PLEASE! Excellent beginners tool, 23 Jul 2003
I was a complete beginner and this gave me the confidence to continue. It's quick, it's easy and I wish there was more of it. I can't recommend this enough if it's your very first tool for learning Spanish. A Quick Jab at Vocab!, 12 Mar 2003
... Instant Recall's definitely worth ... the price. While its offering of 200 words is a less than ideal, one can go through the course in about 4 hours realistically (including breaks, checking out the blooklet which includes spellings and pronounciations, and about 2 1/2 hours of listening, imagining and testing time). I found that closing my eyes while listening to the CD, helped in imagining the associations between the Eglish and corresponding Spanish words. While there're no verbs (which is where I think most people would need help) a quick shot of 200 words is bound to help any beginner's confidence. I picked up the words fast, it's not hard considering they're spilt in categories and fed one at a time, in sets of ten. A word is announced in English (by Alex) and then it's Spanish counterpart (by Isabella), after which Alex asks you to picture an association. Alex: The word for soup in spanish is...
Isabella: Sopa!
Alex: Imagine a soup that tastes like soap. You're given some time... enough to work your imagination, and then Alex & Isabella move on to the next word. After a set of ten in a particular category you're tested. I think the technique works pretty well, but then again that might depend on the individual. I recommend using this along with the Michel Thomas Spanish Audio CDs. Neither audio set substitute good one-on-one teaching, but they're definitely good supplements (and should be good for those short of time). Had it dealt with verbs it would definitely get five stars!
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Pasos 1: Complete Pack (Pasos)
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Rosa María MartínMartyn Ellis;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: �19.04
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Customer Reviews
Highly recommended, 12 Oct 2008
Whether you are school studying for GCSE Spanish, undertaking a Spanish course at night school or maybe planning to live in Spain, this 3CD learning pack is highly recommended. It can be used instead of using a text book, or alongside one. The exercises are interesting and enjoyable.
The course is not convincing or too complicated.
Decent elementary and ungimmicky programme, 12 Sep 2008
Straightforward and ungimmicky, i found the easiest way of using it was to transfer it to my MP3 player so i could use it on my commute.
It is very much a beginners Spanish - it starts slowly from the absolute basics.
Towards the end of the first (of 3) CDs the pace starts to hot up. One might get a little critical of their choice of vocabulary at this point, asking where things are and learning "in front of" "behind" and "opposite" - crummy linguists like me tend to use `point and show' to cope with this element of communication, but one can always quibble about this.
Usefully they give what they call "real conversation" (though it doesn't sound terribly real), where someone lets loose a mouthful of Spanish in reply to one of your questions, then they invite you to look for the words you know to make sense of it. This is a helpful survival strategy.
Recommendable stuff.
A vibrant new way to learn Spanish., 28 Aug 2008
The Collins easy learning is a quick and simple way to pick up the language. Many of these types of language learning programs promise big things and dont deliver.
The learning program is split up into 12 short units which introduces 5 keywords and phrases per unit. To aid the understanding of each unit, there are sections on culture and etiquette. This is most helpful in adopting the spoken language, and this approach is a new idea I've not come across before within these learning packages and I have to say it works really well when trying to adopt the language into a conversation.
It also gives a better understanding of which words to use and why and will improve word selection dramatically. This is by no means an advanced learning package, so don't expect to be speaking fluent Spanish within a few weeks because that's not going to happen. What you can expect is to learn how to use the language properly. It will heighten confidence greatly to take the language to the next level or if your happy to get by at the intermediate level then look no further.
The package is a complete bargain, and contains transcripts of the CD's. I recommend putting the CD's onto an MP3 player. I have done the course twice now and even though I'm no Spanish linguist I can speak Spanish much more confidently now. I certainly wouldn't feel stupid using it abroad any more.
A great product at a great price don't miss out.
my spanish has improved, 21 Aug 2008
i have loaded this onto my ipod and its helping me to improve my Spanish already. the disc's and book make it eaasy to learn the basics (mainly phrases) which you can build on, with more books in the series if you want. This course is not concerned with getting stuck into the verbs and tenses, but more getting you past been able to say more than hello, and a beer please. Easy help with ordering your fry-up!, 15 Aug 2008
The Collins Easy Learning Spanish does exactly what it says on the tin (well almost!). GCSE students of any grade will not find this package helpful as it really does concentrate on the basics, but if, like the majority of us "Brits Abroad" the depths of our comprehension of any foregin language has gone well beyond the point of embarrassment - this 3cd set will prove most helpful! After a week or so, I'm now confident enough to order my way through dinner, not panic if totally lost and maybe even not get arrested if stopped at the airport by saying the wrong thing!
My only gripe??..........in all honesty this is a "phrase" book set to get you by and the grammar sections are all basic. But for the same pice as a printed phrase book with the added bonus of the correct, legible and clear pronouncement it is easily worth 4 stars and a purchase! Love the crazy associations, 12 May 2008
OK, so some of the associations are a bit dodgy, but I actually found this to be really funny, which ultimately helped me to remember the words.
With only 200 words you're not going to become fluent, however I found the vocab to be really useful when used in conjunction with Michel Thomas' 8 disc foundation course (which concentrates more on sentence structure and verbs). My husband didn't use Instant Recall (and only did 6 of the 8 Michel Thomas discs) and it was surprising how much I had to translate/communicate during our recent trip to Cuba.
It concentrates more on Latin American pronunciation, which was good for our purpose. I did find that the translation of a couple of the words didn't quite match up, but this was never a problem during our stay.
In short this is worth the money if you get it for a good price.
Instant Recall Spanish Vocab, 23 Dec 2007
This is a great CD set to learn around 200 Spanish words using word and imagery association. The product review on this page explain the methods quite well. I found the explanations very clear and I was able to picture the images very well, therefore storing the vocab in my memory. Like other reviewers here I suggest you listen to this with your eyes closed to really picture the images in your mind. Some of the links are a touch tenuous, and these are the words I fail to remember, I've found (and recommend) that using my own imagery works better for these words and I'm slowly starting to grasp the remaining few words that previously escaped me. Not only is this course good for learning basic vocab, but it is also good for your brain overall, encouraging memory techniques that can be transferred outside of this course. The speakers on the discs are clear and are pleasant to listen to. Some courses i've done previously have put me off straight away with cheesy music and terrible speakers; this course has none of that. Overall this is a great place to start if you want to learn Spanish to get by on holidays and if you want to get a good grounding before starting night classes. I'd also recommend Michael Grunbergs Spanish association book that compliments this course perfectly and which I picked up on amazon for 2.99. This course is well worth a try. Does exactly what it says on the.. eh... tin, 20 Jul 2007
If, like me, you spend a lot of time in the car and don't mind folk thinking you are barking mad because you're talking to yourself, this is a great way to learn some spanish vocab. The only reason why I only give it 4 stars not 5 is because I wish there was more of it.
I already had a fair knowledge of spanish thru the excellent Michel Thomas series (very grammar based), but needed to improve my vocab. This is much more fun and really, really works. You don't bneed to keep pausing the cd either, you just rattle thru it. MORE PLEASE! Excellent beginners tool, 23 Jul 2003
I was a complete beginner and this gave me the confidence to continue. It's quick, it's easy and I wish there was more of it. I can't recommend this enough if it's your very first tool for learning Spanish. A Quick Jab at Vocab!, 12 Mar 2003
... Instant Recall's definitely worth ... the price. While its offering of 200 words is a less than ideal, one can go through the course in about 4 hours realistically (including breaks, checking out the blooklet which includes spellings and pronounciations, and about 2 1/2 hours of listening, imagining and testing time). I found that closing my eyes while listening to the CD, helped in imagining the associations between the Eglish and corresponding Spanish words. While there're no verbs (which is where I think most people would need help) a quick shot of 200 words is bound to help any beginner's confidence. I picked up the words fast, it's not hard considering they're spilt in categories and fed one at a time, in sets of ten. A word is announced in English (by Alex) and then it's Spanish counterpart (by Isabella), after which Alex asks you to picture an association. Alex: The word for soup in spanish is...
Isabella: Sopa!
Alex: Imagine a soup that tastes like soap. You're given some time... enough to work your imagination, and then Alex & Isabella move on to the next word. After a set of ten in a particular category you're tested. I think the technique works pretty well, but then again that might depend on the individual. I recommend using this along with the Michel Thomas Spanish Audio CDs. Neither audio set substitute good one-on-one teaching, but they're definitely good supplements (and should be good for those short of time). Had it dealt with verbs it would definitely get five stars!
Not sure?, 17 Oct 2008
Having purchased this as this is what we are using for college I was looking forward to using the book and CDs.
The book is excellent and the CDs are a big help? But wait like the first reviewer noted the order of lessons is complete hogwash, you have to spend ages trying to find the right audio lesson, not too bad at first but frustrating after a while. I hope they sacked their QA person responsible for not checking this rather simple error.
For that I will have to mark it down, which is a shame as it is apart from that very good.
I will also be emailing the publisher to see if I can get any help there but I wont hold my breath.
Strong language course for beginners, 08 Dec 2007
I was slightly dismayed to see that the only review of this course had been overly negative; after lots of searching for an effective self-teaching course, I thought this was a fantastic find. Yes, the CD's are mislabelled, but that is far outweighed by the textbooks clear layout, supporting and fun exercises, knowlege consolidation pages, and clear grammar and vocab points. Only other complaint is that one might have to replay the listening exercises a few times to understand them in their entirety, but overall, I think this is an excellent course I would reccomend to anyone wanting to learn Spanish.
The CDs have been labelled wrongly and some books have blank pages, 10 Nov 2007
I bought 2 copies of the complete pack of the 3rd edition of Pasos, which is the book I have been using for about 12 years, but the 2 C are wrongly labelled and it is confusing, one of the books has blank and missing pages.
I contacted the publishers and they exchanged the book, but the CD have not been exchanged or sold at a special price, all they can say is that they apologise.
It is quite confusing for the students and for me to use the right CD because the contents of CD 1 are on CD 3and viceversa.
I am not going to buy anything published by Hodder...and I will never advice my students to use the Pasos book again.
I am truly dissapointed and amazed at the poor response from the publishers.
Yolanda
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Customer Reviews
Highly recommended, 12 Oct 2008
Whether you are school studying for GCSE Spanish, undertaking a Spanish course at night school or maybe planning to live in Spain, this 3CD learning pack is highly recommended. It can be used instead of using a text book, or alongside one. The exercises are interesting and enjoyable.
The course is not convincing or too complicated.
Decent elementary and ungimmicky programme, 12 Sep 2008
Straightforward and ungimmicky, i found the easiest way of using it was to transfer it to my MP3 player so i could use it on my commute.
It is very much a beginners Spanish - it starts slowly from the absolute basics.
Towards the end of the first (of 3) CDs the pace starts to hot up. One might get a little critical of their choice of vocabulary at this point, asking where things are and learning "in front of" "behind" and "opposite" - crummy linguists like me tend to use `point and show' to cope with this element of communication, but one can always quibble about this.
Usefully they give what they call "real conversation" (though it doesn't sound terribly real), where someone lets loose a mouthful of Spanish in reply to one of your questions, then they invite you to look for the words you know to make sense of it. This is a helpful survival strategy.
Recommendable stuff.
A vibrant new way to learn Spanish., 28 Aug 2008
The Collins easy learning is a quick and simple way to pick up the language. Many of these types of language learning programs promise big things and dont deliver.
The learning program is split up into 12 short units which introduces 5 keywords and phrases per unit. To aid the understanding of each unit, there are sections on culture and etiquette. This is most helpful in adopting the spoken language, and this approach is a new idea I've not come across before within these learning packages and I have to say it works really well when trying to adopt the language into a conversation.
It also gives a better understanding of which words to use and why and will improve word selection dramatically. This is by no means an advanced learning package, so don't expect to be speaking fluent Spanish within a few weeks because that's not going to happen. What you can expect is to learn how to use the language properly. It will heighten confidence greatly to take the language to the next level or if your happy to get by at the intermediate level then look no further.
The package is a complete bargain, and contains transcripts of the CD's. I recommend putting the CD's onto an MP3 player. I have done the course twice now and even though I'm no Spanish linguist I can speak Spanish much more confidently now. I certainly wouldn't feel stupid using it abroad any more.
A great product at a great price don't miss out.
my spanish has improved, 21 Aug 2008
i have loaded this onto my ipod and its helping me to improve my Spanish already. the disc's and book make it eaasy to learn the basics (mainly phrases) which you can build on, with more books in the series if you want. This course is not concerned with getting stuck into the verbs and tenses, but more getting you past been able to say more than hello, and a beer please. Easy help with ordering your fry-up!, 15 Aug 2008
The Collins Easy Learning Spanish does exactly what it says on the tin (well almost!). GCSE students of any grade will not find this package helpful as it really does concentrate on the basics, but if, like the majority of us "Brits Abroad" the depths of our comprehension of any foregin language has gone well beyond the point of embarrassment - this 3cd set will prove most helpful! After a week or so, I'm now confident enough to order my way through dinner, not panic if totally lost and maybe even not get arrested if stopped at the airport by saying the wrong thing!
My only gripe??..........in all honesty this is a "phrase" book set to get you by and the grammar sections are all basic. But for the same pice as a printed phrase book with the added bonus of the correct, legible and clear pronouncement it is easily worth 4 stars and a purchase! Love the crazy associations, 12 May 2008
OK, so some of the associations are a bit dodgy, but I actually found this to be really funny, which ultimately helped me to remember the words.
With only 200 words you're not going to become fluent, however I found the vocab to be really useful when used in conjunction with Michel Thomas' 8 disc foundation course (which concentrates more on sentence structure and verbs). My husband didn't use Instant Recall (and only did 6 of the 8 Michel Thomas discs) and it was surprising how much I had to translate/communicate during our recent trip to Cuba.
It concentrates more on Latin American pronunciation, which was good for our purpose. I did find that the translation of a couple of the words didn't quite match up, but this was never a problem during our stay.
In short this is worth the money if you get it for a good price.
Instant Recall Spanish Vocab, 23 Dec 2007
This is a great CD set to learn around 200 Spanish words using word and imagery association. The product review on this page explain the methods quite well. I found the explanations very clear and I was able to picture the images very well, therefore storing the vocab in my memory. Like other reviewers here I suggest you listen to this with your eyes closed to really picture the images in your mind. Some of the links are a touch tenuous, and these are the words I fail to remember, I've found (and recommend) that using my own imagery works better for these words and I'm slowly starting to grasp the remaining few words that previously escaped me. Not only is this course good for learning basic vocab, but it is also good for your brain overall, encouraging memory techniques that can be transferred outside of this course. The speakers on the discs are clear and are pleasant to listen to. Some courses i've done previously have put me off straight away with cheesy music and terrible speakers; this course has none of that. Overall this is a great place to start if you want to learn Spanish to get by on holidays and if you want to get a good grounding before starting night classes. I'd also recommend Michael Grunbergs Spanish association book that compliments this course perfectly and which I picked up on amazon for 2.99. This course is well worth a try. Does exactly what it says on the.. eh... tin, 20 Jul 2007
If, like me, you spend a lot of time in the car and don't mind folk thinking you are barking mad because you're talking to yourself, this is a great way to learn some spanish vocab. The only reason why I only give it 4 stars not 5 is because I wish there was more of it.
I already had a fair knowledge of spanish thru the excellent Michel Thomas series (very grammar based), but needed to improve my vocab. This is much more fun and really, really works. You don't bneed to keep pausing the cd either, you just rattle thru it. MORE PLEASE! Excellent beginners tool, 23 Jul 2003
I was a complete beginner and this gave me the confidence to continue. It's quick, it's easy and I wish there was more of it. I can't recommend this enough if it's your very first tool for learning Spanish. A Quick Jab at Vocab!, 12 Mar 2003
... Instant Recall's definitely worth ... the price. While its offering of 200 words is a less than ideal, one can go through the course in about 4 hours realistically (including breaks, checking out the blooklet which includes spellings and pronounciations, and about 2 1/2 hours of listening, imagining and testing time). I found that closing my eyes while listening to the CD, helped in imagining the associations between the Eglish and corresponding Spanish words. While there're no verbs (which is where I think most people would need help) a quick shot of 200 words is bound to help any beginner's confidence. I picked up the words fast, it's not hard considering they're spilt in categories and fed one at a time, in sets of ten. A word is announced in English (by Alex) and then it's Spanish counterpart (by Isabella), after which Alex asks you to picture an association. Alex: The word for soup in spanish is...
Isabella: Sopa!
Alex: Imagine a soup that tastes like soap. You're given some time... enough to work your imagination, and then Alex & Isabella move on to the next word. After a set of ten in a particular category you're tested. I think the technique works pretty well, but then again that might depend on the individual. I recommend using this along with the Michel Thomas Spanish Audio CDs. Neither audio set substitute good one-on-one teaching, but they're definitely good supplements (and should be good for those short of time). Had it dealt with verbs it would definitely get five stars!
Not sure?, 17 Oct 2008
Having purchased this as this is what we are using for college I was looking forward to using the book and CDs.
The book is excellent and the CDs are a big help? But wait like the first reviewer noted the order of lessons is complete hogwash, you have to spend ages trying to find the right audio lesson, not too bad at first but frustrating after a while. I hope they sacked their QA person responsible for not checking this rather simple error.
For that I will have to mark it down, which is a shame as it is apart from that very good.
I will also be emailing the publisher to see if I can get any help there but I wont hold my breath.
Strong language course for beginners, 08 Dec 2007
I was slightly dismayed to see that the only review of this course had been overly negative; after lots of searching for an effective self-teaching course, I thought this was a fantastic find. Yes, the CD's are mislabelled, but that is far outweighed by the textbooks clear layout, supporting and fun exercises, knowlege consolidation pages, and clear grammar and vocab points. Only other complaint is that one might have to replay the listening exercises a few times to understand them in their entirety, but overall, I think this is an excellent course I would reccomend to anyone wanting to learn Spanish.
The CDs have been labelled wrongly and some books have blank pages, 10 Nov 2007
I bought 2 copies of the complete pack of the 3rd edition of Pasos, which is the book I have been using for about 12 years, but the 2 C are wrongly labelled and it is confusing, one of the books has blank and missing pages.
I contacted the publishers and they exchanged the book, but the CD have not been exchanged or sold at a special price, all they can say is that they apologise.
It is quite confusing for the students and for me to use the right CD because the contents of CD 1 are on CD 3and viceversa.
I am not going to buy anything published by Hodder...and I will never advice my students to use the Pasos book again.
I am truly dissapointed and amazed at the poor response from the publishers.
Yolanda
Fantastic way to learn, 08 Apr 2008
I bought this last week and it's brilliant - I've just ordered the second volume. It totally suits my way of learning and is very easy to use. it does work rapidly and is much more pleasnt to listen to than those dreadful CD's with mock conversations in them. i'm really enjoying using it. HIghly effective - would recommend! :)
Practical Way to learn., 16 Mar 2007
I've just bought this course and love it! Ever since I read of Earworms in the times I have been thinking about trying it out. Now I am thinking of trying the Russian tape when it comes out. The technique is really great. At last someone has understood how to engage the learner by repeating everyday phrases to music. Both the voice and the music are pleasant. At the end of each track the Spanish lady encourages her English counterpart to try a few words in spanish and the listener is automatically moved to do the same. Very clever. I feel that I retain much more than with Pimsleur and Michel Thomas , both of which I have also tried. This is the kind of missing link-it bolsters the other two. My partner and I travel a lot and this is a very practical way to prepare for trips.
ideal for beginners, 08 Mar 2007
if you want to learn some basic Spanish quickly and easily, buy this CD. It works. I picked up words quickly and even after 6 months of not listening to the cd, I can still recall the words and was able to understand the words being used when i was in Spain. It works. Nuff said. I hope that Amazon get volume 2 in soon.
only for begginers, 22 Feb 2007
A pleasant way of learning some basic Spanish phrases. Only really suitable for beginners, and aimed firmly at European Spanish. Don't pay any attention to the English mans pronunciation of the Spanish words, it is quite often wrong and a bit off putting.
Rapid(ish) Balderdash would be a better title., 29 Nov 2006
It's an interesting concept... Spanish words and phrases (or any foreign language for that matter) set to music as a learning aid, but for this CD sadly that is only interesting theory and not interesting reality. So, I'm quite dubious about the reviews I've read that say this CD manages to achieve its goal successfully.
I put the CD on when I went to bed and I liked the music on the first track, but it was so peacefully melodic to me, I fell asleep by the start of the 2nd track. This was the same result I experienced each of the next few attempted listenings and personally, as someone who traditionally has difficulty drifting off, I found this delightful. It was like a mini Godsend, but it wasn't helping me learn any Spanish!
Eventually, I got round to listening to the CD during the day but wished I hadn't, it was dull and boring. If, as me, you're expecting simple songs to use melody to help anchor memory (which is a reasonable assumption considering the blurb), FORGET IT!! There is no skilful dual-language word play here, and no songs either. I'll explain...
There are 10 tracks on this CD ranging from 5m33s to 8m53s long, and a final 1m04 goodbye session. The 10 tracks contain between 18 to 22 words and/or phrases which sounds a lot, but considering the simple statement: "I would like/ a coffee/ with milk/ please" occupies 4 lines out of 18 (the next 3 being: "a tea/ a tea with milk/ and sugar") you begin to realise how limited this CD is.
Moreover, the Spanish is not really `set to music' rather it's naff elevator music in the background with a dozen and a half Spanish words spoken over the top. In fact, I suspect this is really just a clever marketing ploy; the makers of the naff music probably couldn't find a market for it, so they decided to get a couple mates, one man and one woman, to talk some foreign words over the top of it and then hail it as a new breakthrough in learning!
Another thing I didn't like was the spoken Spanish words having long gaps of music in between, ok, so 8 seconds might not really be all that long to some, but it's long enough if you're waiting for the next word, which then turns out to be a repetition of the last, which in itself was a repetition of the one before that, each of which has the same gap in between!
One reviewer recommends this for anyone wanting to start from and scratch, and fundamentally that's the only way you'll learn anything from this disc, it's so basic if you've done any Spanish before, you'll already have covered more than 98% of this CD. The only learning I did was right at the tale-end of the disc but by then I was so hacked off with what had gone before I'd more or less ceased to be receptive.
I knew I wasn't going to keep this CD but I didn't have the nerve to sell it on, so I gave it to my mum! (she's also learning Spanish). Sorry mum.
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Customer Reviews
Highly recommended, 12 Oct 2008
Whether you are school studying for GCSE Spanish, undertaking a Spanish course at night school or maybe planning to live in Spain, this 3CD learning pack is highly recommended. It can be used instead of using a text book, or alongside one. The exercises are interesting and enjoyable.
The course is not convincing or too complicated.
Decent elementary and ungimmicky programme, 12 Sep 2008
Straightforward and ungimmicky, i found the easiest way of using it was to transfer it to my MP3 player so i could use it on my commute.
It is very much a beginners Spanish - it starts slowly from the absolute basics.
Towards the end of the first (of 3) CDs the pace starts to hot up. One might get a little critical of their choice of vocabulary at this point, asking where things are and learning "in front of" "behind" and "opposite" - crummy linguists like me tend to use `point and show' to cope with this element of communication, but one can always quibble about this.
Usefully they give what they call "real conversation" (though it doesn't sound terribly real), where someone lets loose a mouthful of Spanish in reply to one of your questions, then they invite you to look for the words you know to make sense of it. This is a helpful survival strategy.
Recommendable stuff.
A vibrant new way to learn Spanish., 28 Aug 2008
The Collins easy learning is a quick and simple way to pick up the language. Many of these types of language learning programs promise big things and dont deliver.
The learning program is split up into 12 short units which introduces 5 keywords and phrases per unit. To aid the understanding of each unit, there are sections on culture and etiquette. This is most helpful in adopting the spoken language, and this approach is a new idea I've not come across before within these learning packages and I have to say it works really well when trying to adopt the language into a conversation.
It also gives a better understanding of which words to use and why and will improve word selection dramatically. This is by no means an advanced learning package, so don't expect to be speaking fluent Spanish within a few weeks because that's not going to happen. What you can expect is to learn how to use the language properly. It will heighten confidence greatly to take the language to the next level or if your happy to get by at the intermediate level then look no further.
The package is a complete bargain, and contains transcripts of the CD's. I recommend putting the CD's onto an MP3 player. I have done the course twice now and even though I'm no Spanish linguist I can speak Spanish much more confidently now. I certainly wouldn't feel stupid using it abroad any more.
A great product at a great price don't miss out.
my spanish has improved, 21 Aug 2008
i have loaded this onto my ipod and its helping me to improve my Spanish already. the disc's and book make it eaasy to learn the basics (mainly phrases) which you can build on, with more books in the series if you want. This course is not concerned with getting stuck into the verbs and tenses, but more getting you past been able to say more than hello, and a beer please. Easy help with ordering your fry-up!, 15 Aug 2008
The Collins Easy Learning Spanish does exactly what it says on the tin (well almost!). GCSE students of any grade will not find this package helpful as it really does concentrate on the basics, but if, like the majority of us "Brits Abroad" the depths of our comprehension of any foregin language has gone well beyond the point of embarrassment - this 3cd set will prove most helpful! After a week or so, I'm now confident enough to order my way through dinner, not panic if totally lost and maybe even not get arrested if stopped at the airport by saying the wrong thing!
My only gripe??..........in all honesty this is a "phrase" book set to get you by and the grammar sections are all basic. But for the same pice as a printed phrase book with the added bonus of the correct, legible and clear pronouncement it is easily worth 4 stars and a purchase! Love the crazy associations, 12 May 2008
OK, so some of the associations are a bit dodgy, but I actually found this to be really funny, which ultimately helped me to remember the words.
With only 200 words you're not going to become fluent, however I found the vocab to be really useful when used in conjunction with Michel Thomas' 8 disc foundation course (which concentrates more on sentence structure and verbs). My husband didn't use Instant Recall (and only did 6 of the 8 Michel Thomas discs) and it was surprising how much I had to translate/communicate during our recent trip to Cuba.
It concentrates more on Latin American pronunciation, which was good for our purpose. I did find that the translation of a couple of the words didn't quite match up, but this was never a problem during our stay.
In short this is worth the money if you get it for a good price.
Instant Recall Spanish Vocab, 23 Dec 2007
This is a great CD set to learn around 200 Spanish words using word and imagery association. The product review on this page explain the methods quite well. I found the explanations very clear and I was able to picture the images very well, therefore storing the vocab in my memory. Like other reviewers here I suggest you listen to this with your eyes closed to really picture the images in your mind. Some of the links are a touch tenuous, and these are the words I fail to remember, I've found (and recommend) that using my own imagery works better for these words and I'm slowly starting to grasp the remaining few words that previously escaped me. Not only is this course good for learning basic vocab, but it is also good for your brain overall, encouraging memory techniques that can be transferred outside of this course. The speakers on the discs are clear and are pleasant to listen to. Some courses i've done previously have put me off straight away with cheesy music and terrible speakers; this course has none of that. Overall this is a great place to start if you want to learn Spanish to get by on holidays and if you want to get a good grounding before starting night classes. I'd also recommend Michael Grunbergs Spanish association book that compliments this course perfectly and which I picked up on amazon for 2.99. This course is well worth a try. Does exactly what it says on the.. eh... tin, 20 Jul 2007
If, like me, you spend a lot of time in the car and don't mind folk thinking you are barking mad because you're talking to yourself, this is a great way to learn some spanish vocab. The only reason why I only give it 4 stars not 5 is because I wish there was more of it.
I already had a fair knowledge of spanish thru the excellent Michel Thomas series (very grammar based), but needed to improve my vocab. This is much more fun and really, really works. You don't bneed to keep pausing the cd either, you just rattle thru it. MORE PLEASE! Excellent beginners tool, 23 Jul 2003
I was a complete beginner and this gave me the confidence to continue. It's quick, it's easy and I wish there was more of it. I can't recommend this enough if it's your very first tool for learning Spanish. A Quick Jab at Vocab!, 12 Mar 2003
... Instant Recall's definitely worth ... the price. While its offering of 200 words is a less than ideal, one can go through the course in about 4 hours realistically (including breaks, checking out the blooklet which includes spellings and pronounciations, and about 2 1/2 hours of listening, imagining and testing time). I found that closing my eyes while listening to the CD, helped in imagining the associations between the Eglish and corresponding Spanish words. While there're no verbs (which is where I think most people would need help) a quick shot of 200 words is bound to help any beginner's confidence. I picked up the words fast, it's not hard considering they're spilt in categories and fed one at a time, in sets of ten. A word is announced in English (by Alex) and then it's Spanish counterpart (by Isabella), after which Alex asks you to picture an association. Alex: The word for soup in spanish is...
Isabella: Sopa!
Alex: Imagine a soup that tastes like soap. You're given some time... enough to work your imagination, and then Alex & Isabella move on to the next word. After a set of ten in a particular category you're tested. I think the technique works pretty well, but then again that might depend on the individual. I recommend using this along with the Michel Thomas Spanish Audio CDs. Neither audio set substitute good one-on-one teaching, but they're definitely good supplements (and should be good for those short of time). Had it dealt with verbs it would definitely get five stars!
Not sure?, 17 Oct 2008
Having purchased this as this is what we are using for college I was looking forward to using the book and CDs.
The book is excellent and the CDs are a big help? But wait like the first reviewer noted the order of lessons is complete hogwash, you have to spend ages trying to find the right audio lesson, not too bad at first but frustrating after a while. I hope they sacked their QA person responsible for not checking this rather simple error.
For that I will have to mark it down, which is a shame as it is apart from that very good.
I will also be emailing the publisher to see if I can get any help there but I wont hold my breath.
Strong language course for beginners, 08 Dec 2007
I was slightly dismayed to see that the only review of this course had been overly negative; after lots of searching for an effective self-teaching course, I thought this was a fantastic find. Yes, the CD's are mislabelled, but that is far outweighed by the textbooks clear layout, supporting and fun exercises, knowlege consolidation pages, and clear grammar and vocab points. Only other complaint is that one might have to replay the listening exercises a few times to understand them in their entirety, but overall, I think this is an excellent course I would reccomend to anyone wanting to learn Spanish.
The CDs have been labelled wrongly and some books have blank pages, 10 Nov 2007
I bought 2 copies of the complete pack of the 3rd edition of Pasos, which is the book I have been using for about 12 years, but the 2 C are wrongly labelled and it is confusing, one of the books has blank and missing pages.
I contacted the publishers and they exchanged the book, but the CD have not been exchanged or sold at a special price, all they can say is that they apologise.
It is quite confusing for the students and for me to use the right CD because the contents of CD 1 are on CD 3and viceversa.
I am not going to buy anything published by Hodder...and I will never advice my students to use the Pasos book again.
I am truly dissapointed and amazed at the poor response from the publishers.
Yolanda
Fantastic way to learn, 08 Apr 2008
I bought this last week and it's brilliant - I've just ordered the second volume. It totally suits my way of learning and is very easy to use. it does work rapidly and is much more pleasnt to listen to than those dreadful CD's with mock conversations in them. i'm really enjoying using it. HIghly effective - would recommend! :)
Practical Way to learn., 16 Mar 2007
I've just bought this course and love it! Ever since I read of Earworms in the times I have been thinking about trying it out. Now I am thinking of trying the Russian tape when it comes out. The technique is really great. At last someone has understood how to engage the learner by repeating everyday phrases to music. Both the voice and the music are pleasant. At the end of each track the Spanish lady encourages her English counterpart to try a few words in spanish and the listener is automatically moved to do the same. Very clever. I feel that I retain much more than with Pimsleur and Michel Thomas , both of which I have also tried. This is the kind of missing link-it bolsters the other two. My partner and I travel a lot and this is a very practical way to prepare for trips.
ideal for beginners, 08 Mar 2007
if you want to learn some basic Spanish quickly and easily, buy this CD. It works. I picked up words quickly and even after 6 months of not listening to the cd, I can still recall the words and was able to understand the words being used when i was in Spain. It works. Nuff said. I hope that Amazon get volume 2 in soon.
only for begginers, 22 Feb 2007
A pleasant way of learning some basic Spanish phrases. Only really suitable for beginners, and aimed firmly at European Spanish. Don't pay any attention to the English mans pronunciation of the Spanish words, it is quite often wrong and a bit off putting.
Rapid(ish) Balderdash would be a better title., 29 Nov 2006
It's an interesting concept... Spanish words and phrases (or any foreign language for that matter) set to music as a learning aid, but for this CD sadly that is only interesting theory and not interesting reality. So, I'm quite dubious about the reviews I've read that say this CD manages to achieve its goal successfully.
I put the CD on when I went to bed and I liked the music on the first track, but it was so peacefully melodic to me, I fell asleep by the start of the 2nd track. This was the same result I experienced each of the next few attempted listenings and personally, as someone who traditionally has difficulty drifting off, I found this delightful. It was like a mini Godsend, but it wasn't helping me learn any Spanish!
Eventually, I got round to listening to the CD during the day but wished I hadn't, it was dull and boring. If, as me, you're expecting simple songs to use melody to help anchor memory (which is a reasonable assumption considering the blurb), FORGET IT!! There is no skilful dual-language word play here, and no songs either. I'll explain...
There are 10 tracks on this CD ranging from 5m33s to 8m53s long, and a final 1m04 goodbye session. The 10 tracks contain between 18 to 22 words and/or phrases which sounds a lot, but considering the simple statement: "I would like/ a coffee/ with milk/ please" occupies 4 lines out of 18 (the next 3 being: "a tea/ a tea with milk/ and sugar") you begin to realise how limited this CD is.
Moreover, the Spanish is not really `set to music' rather it's naff elevator music in the background with a dozen and a half Spanish words spoken over the top. In fact, I suspect this is really just a clever marketing ploy; the makers of the naff music probably couldn't find a market for it, so they decided to get a couple mates, one man and one woman, to talk some foreign words over the top of it and then hail it as a new breakthrough in learning!
Another thing I didn't like was the spoken Spanish words having long gaps of music in between, ok, so 8 seconds might not really be all that long to some, but it's long enough if you're waiting for the next word, which then turns out to be a repetition of the last, which in itself was a repetition of the one before that, each of which has the same gap in between!
One reviewer recommends this for anyone wanting to start from and scratch, and fundamentally that's the only way you'll learn anything from this disc, it's so basic if you've done any Spanish before, you'll already have covered more than 98% of this CD. The only learning I did was right at the tale-end of the disc but by then I was so hacked off with what had gone before I'd more or less ceased to be receptive.
I knew I wasn't going to keep this CD but I didn't have the nerve to sell it on, so I gave it to my mum! (she's also learning Spanish). Sorry mum.
Brilliant!! Once you have worked out how to use it...., 07 Jan 2007
I love this package!!! It is the nearest you'll get to an evening class in Spanish.
It does take a bit of time to work out how the course will best suit you but that is the beauty of it - you do what works for you. A previous reviewer missed the point about the accompanying CD - that is an extra to the course and is just a dialogue which you can follow in the book. It isn't intended as a 'learn as you go along'.
The best thing about this package for me is that you can practise speaking and listening back to yourself speaking spanish. In most courses you can practise phrases but only in your head. It's completely different saying them out loud - when everything you think you know goes completely out of your head. This package allows you to display subtitles so you can read out the phrases at first to learn them and then turn them off and try on your own. You learn scenarios first and practise them and then get an opportunity to do a dialogue on your own - and believe me, its not easy, but it is the nearest you will get to actually being in a spanish market or a train station, without actually being there.
You can progress through varying degrees of difficulty - but the book doesn't seem to tell you which bits are the easy ones and which are the hard ones so you don' t always know where to start. But it doesn't matter really, you can flip back and forth into easy and difficult scenarios and tackle whatever you want to. so if you want to listen to a more difficult dialogue but not speak it, thats OK. There are also varying degrees of help. You can display the dialogue in spanish and english, or in just one or the other language or not at all.... so you can get help if you need it and then turn it off if you want to go cold turkey and try it on your own.
I am really pleased with this system of learning. I can go at my own pace and learn what I want to when I want to. In fact I am so pleased with it that I have also bought the French version.
It isn't difficult to set up the recording and playback - an ordinary webcam will do.
Yes you can learn Spanish..., 19 Feb 2006
The following comes from the back cover: Always wanted to learn a new language but never had the time? Get into Spanish with this exciting new interactive course for beginners from BBC Languages and Cambridge University Language Centre. Designed for people on the go, the flexible approach of Get into Spanish puts you firmly in control of how, when and where you learn - and you'll have fun too! The course recreates typical holiday situations in animated locations around a virtual town. Its focus on real language means you'll be communicating in Spanish right from the start. A complete self-study course on CD-ROM, supported by a book, audio CD and website, Get into Spanish is an innovative and enjoyable new way for adult beginners to learn the language. CD-ROM Take part in fully animated interactive dialogues and pick up the skills and confidence to communicate. Choose a way of learning that suits you: familiarise yourself with new language in the Learn It First activities, or jump straight in to Have A Go at speaking. Record your voice and compare yourself with native speakers. Access instant learning support via the comprehensive built-in Phrase Book, Basics section and concise pop-up grammar notes. Book Use this handy ten-unit book whenever you'd like to revise and refresh the language you have met on the CD-ROM. Dip into it at home, on the move or on holiday! Audio CD Build on the language you've learned by listening to the adventures of Simon Martin, a young British web designer, as he touches down in Alicante in search of new horizons. Web site Access games, activities and opportunities to learn about Hispanic culture around the world with your password to our dedicated website. Get handy tips on learning a new language, as well as advice on the most effective methods of self-study. Above all, enjoy learning a new language with Get Into Spanish. (Source: Back cover) MY COMMENTS... This is a computer based course and is not really for learning on the go! If I were a complete beginner, I would not throw myself in at the deepend, which is one of the recommended ways of using the disc. I would start with the learn it first activities with the sub-titles for both Spanish and English turned on! and concentrate initially on listening, reading and understanding the conversations. I would do the activities when I felt more comfortable with the language (of course not everyone is the same as me...)This course does require you to read the instructions and learning notes, and I would recommend reading the introductory notes on first use. When doing the activities, you can often make things easier by clicking the check my answers button! (If you get several answers wrong, try correcting them one at a time!). At the very beginning you might like to use the basics section, which covers phrases like 'Hello'. Not all the phrases are spoken in this section, but the majority are. Again, read the notes provided and all will make sense. This is a course you need to experiment a bit with, to find out how it works best for you, and to find out how to turn various features on and off! I have not tested the microphone and speaking section as I am not a great lover of the facility in general. I don't think the technology as generally available is really up to it yet! I prefer just to read along with the narrator after listening to the dialogues a few times... As far as the book is concerned, it contains a selection of phrases and then discusses the associated grammer. The words do not have their phonetic equivalents printed, but if you've listened to the dialogues enough, that won't be a problem. The audio CD is really to be used when you have covered most of the material on the CD-ROM, as extra listening practice. (My note: this is for Windows PCs only - it says Windows 98, ME and XP on the box, although I have run it on a Windows 2000 machine without any problems (haven't tried 98 or ME) - I had no problems installing the disc, except I did have an initial failure on an XP machine, when I tried to instal it before Windows had finished loading all the start up items - which was a little silly of me! Restarted the machine and waited for Windows to completely finish laoding and there was no problem! Disc one is for installation, disc 2 for running. It does come up with a message on start up that I recommends that I change my display settings, but I have just ignored it, and had no problems. This programme works like many games, in that it takes over the whole screen, so if you want to read your e-mail you may have to close the programme, and come back. It does have some tracking facilities, to show where you have been, and what you have done. This tracking can be set up for up to 5 users at a time, so is ideal if there is more than one of you!) Learning a language takes time, don't expect to remember everything immediately. The more you listen and read along with a language, the more will sink in. It gets easier with practice and familiarity. If you want everything given to you slowly in a strict linear fashion, don't buy this product. However if you want flexibility, like to experiment and don't mind reading occasionally this would be a very useful tool on your journey...
Spanish for Beginners, 13 Aug 2005
I brought this because I wanted to learn Spanish, and as this pack had a CD, CR_ROM and a book I though it would be the easiest way to learn. Unfortunately it's not suited for a complete beginner. The CD starts had lots of Spanish conversation (and no translations). It doesn't start with "hello my name is" or "good morning" - but with a guy losing his luggage in the airport! The CD-ROM also seems to assume some knowledge of Spanish as the topics covered include checking in at a hotel, ordering a meal in a restaurant. These are things that you will need to know, but still I'd like to learn how to say hello to people first!! The Book does cover the basics, but without hearing how they are pronounced I wasn't very confident learning from it. Overall I'd say this is a perfect course if you have a basic knowledge of Spanish already - but not for total beginners
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Customer Reviews
Highly recommended, 12 Oct 2008
Whether you are school studying for GCSE Spanish, undertaking a Spanish course at night school or maybe planning to live in Spain, this 3CD learning pack is highly recommended. It can be used instead of using a text book, or alongside one. The exercises are interesting and enjoyable.
The course is not convincing or too complicated.
Decent elementary and ungimmicky programme, 12 Sep 2008
Straightforward and ungimmicky, i found the easiest way of using it was to transfer it to my MP3 player so i could use it on my commute.
It is very much a beginners Spanish - it starts slowly from the absolute basics.
Towards the end of the first (of 3) CDs the pace starts to hot up. One might get a little critical of their choice of vocabulary at this point, asking where things are and learning "in front of" "behind" and "opposite" - crummy linguists like me tend to use `point and show' to cope with this element of communication, but one can always quibble about this.
Usefully they give what they call "real conversation" (though it doesn't sound terribly real), where someone lets loose a mouthful of Spanish in reply to one of your questions, then they invite you to look for the words you know to make sense of it. This is a helpful survival strategy.
Recommendable stuff.
A vibrant new way to learn Spanish., 28 Aug 2008
The Collins easy learning is a quick and simple way to pick up the language. Many of these types of language learning programs promise big things and dont deliver.
The learning program is split up into 12 short units which introduces 5 keywords and phrases per unit. To aid the understanding of each unit, there are sections on culture and etiquette. This is most helpful in adopting the spoken language, and this approach is a new idea I've not come across before within these learning packages and I have to say it works really well when trying to adopt the language into a conversation.
It also gives a better understanding of which words to use and why and will improve word selection dramatically. This is by no means an advanced learning package, so don't expect to be speaking fluent Spanish within a few weeks because that's not going to happen. What you can expect is to learn how to use the language properly. It will heighten confidence greatly to take the language to the next level or if your happy to get by at the intermediate level then look no further.
The package is a complete bargain, and contains transcripts of the CD's. I recommend putting the CD's onto an MP3 player. I have done the course twice now and even though I'm no Spanish linguist I can speak Spanish much more confidently now. I certainly wouldn't feel stupid using it abroad any more.
A great product at a great price don't miss out.
my spanish has improved, 21 Aug 2008
i have loaded this onto my ipod and its helping me to improve my Spanish already. the disc's and book make it eaasy to learn the basics (mainly phrases) which you can build on, with more books in the series if you want. This course is not concerned with getting stuck into the verbs and tenses, but more getting you past been able to say more than hello, and a beer please. Easy help with ordering your fry-up!, 15 Aug 2008
The Collins Easy Learning Spanish does exactly what it says on the tin (well almost!). GCSE students of any grade will not find this package helpful as it really does concentrate on the basics, but if, like the majority of us "Brits Abroad" the depths of our comprehension of any foregin language has gone well beyond the point of embarrassment - this 3cd set will prove most helpful! After a week or so, I'm now confident enough to order my way through dinner, not panic if totally lost and maybe even not get arrested if stopped at the airport by saying the wrong thing!
My only gripe??..........in all honesty this is a "phrase" book set to get you by and the grammar sections are all basic. But for the same pice as a printed phrase book with the added bonus of the correct, legible and clear pronouncement it is easily worth 4 stars and a purchase! Love the crazy associations, 12 May 2008
OK, so some of the associations are a bit dodgy, but I actually found this to be really funny, which ultimately helped me to remember the words.
With only 200 words you're not going to become fluent, however I found the vocab to be really useful when used in conjunction with Michel Thomas' 8 disc foundation course (which concentrates more on sentence structure and verbs). My husband didn't use Instant Recall (and only did 6 of the 8 Michel Thomas discs) and it was surprising how much I had to translate/communicate during our recent trip to Cuba.
It concentrates more on Latin American pronunciation, which was good for our purpose. I did find that the translation of a couple of the words didn't quite match up, but this was never a problem during our stay.
In short this is worth the money if you get it for a good price.
Instant Recall Spanish Vocab, 23 Dec 2007
This is a great CD set to learn around 200 Spanish words using word and imagery association. The product review on this page explain the methods quite well. I found the explanations very clear and I was able to picture the images very well, therefore storing the vocab in my memory. Like other reviewers here I suggest you listen to this with your eyes closed to really picture the images in your mind. Some of the links are a touch tenuous, and these are the words I fail to remember, I've found (and recommend) that using my own imagery works better for these words and I'm slowly starting to grasp the remaining few words that previously escaped me. Not only is this course good for learning basic vocab, but it is also good for your brain overall, encouraging memory techniques that can be transferred outside of this course. The speakers on the discs are clear and are pleasant to listen to. Some courses i've done previously have put me off straight away with cheesy music and terrible speakers; this course has none of that. Overall this is a great place to start if you want to learn Spanish to get by on holidays and if you want to get a good grounding before starting night classes. I'd also recommend Michael Grunbergs Spanish association book that compliments this course perfectly and which I picked up on amazon for 2.99. This course is well worth a try. Does exactly what it says on the.. eh... tin, 20 Jul 2007
If, like me, you spend a lot of time in the car and don't mind folk thinking you are barking mad because you're talking to yourself, this is a great way to learn some spanish vocab. The only reason why I only give it 4 stars not 5 is because I wish there was more of it.
I already had a fair knowledge of spanish thru the excellent Michel Thomas series (very grammar based), but needed to improve my vocab. This is much more fun and really, really works. You don't bneed to keep pausing the cd either, you just rattle thru it. MORE PLEASE! Excellent beginners tool, 23 Jul 2003
I was a complete beginner and this gave me the confidence to continue. It's quick, it's easy and I wish there was more of it. I can't recommend this enough if it's your very first tool for learning Spanish. A Quick Jab at Vocab!, 12 Mar 2003
... Instant Recall's definitely worth ... the price. While its offering of 200 words is a less than ideal, one can go through the course in about 4 hours realistically (including breaks, checking out the blooklet which includes spellings and pronounciations, and about 2 1/2 hours of listening, imagining and testing time). I found that closing my eyes while listening to the CD, helped in imagining the associations between the Eglish and corresponding Spanish words. While there're no verbs (which is where I think most people would need help) a quick shot of 200 words is bound to help any beginner's confidence. I picked up the words fast, it's not hard considering they're spilt in categories and fed one at a time, in sets of ten. A word is announced in English (by Alex) and then it's Spanish counterpart (by Isabella), after which Alex asks you to picture an association. Alex: The word for soup in spanish is...
Isabella: Sopa!
Alex: Imagine a soup that tastes like soap. You're given some time... enough to work your imagination, and then Alex & Isabella move on to the next word. After a set of ten in a particular category you're tested. I think the technique works pretty well, but then again that might depend on the individual. I recommend using this along with the Michel Thomas Spanish Audio CDs. Neither audio set substitute good one-on-one teaching, but they're definitely good supplements (and should be good for those short of time). Had it dealt with verbs it would definitely get five stars!
Not sure?, 17 Oct 2008
Having purchased this as this is what we are using for college I was looking forward to using the book and CDs.
The book is excellent and the CDs are a big help? But wait like the first reviewer noted the order of lessons is complete hogwash, you have to spend ages trying to find the right audio lesson, not too bad at first but frustrating after a while. I hope they sacked their QA person responsible for not checking this rather simple error.
For that I will have to mark it down, which is a shame as it is apart from that very good.
I will also be emailing the publisher to see if I can get any help there but I wont hold my breath.
Strong language course for beginners, 08 Dec 2007
I was slightly dismayed to see that the only review of this course had been overly negative; after lots of searching for an effective self-teaching course, I thought this was a fantastic find. Yes, the CD's are mislabelled, but that is far outweighed by the textbooks clear layout, supporting and fun exercises, knowlege consolidation pages, and clear grammar and vocab points. Only other complaint is that one might have to replay the listening exercises a few times to understand them in their entirety, but overall, I think this is an excellent course I would reccomend to anyone wanting to learn Spanish.
The CDs have been labelled wrongly and some books have blank pages, 10 Nov 2007
I bought 2 copies of the complete pack of the 3rd edition of Pasos, which is the book I have been using for about 12 years, but the 2 C are wrongly labelled and it is confusing, one of the books has blank and missing pages.
I contacted the publishers and they exchanged the book, but the CD have not been exchanged or sold at a special price, all they can say is that they apologise.
It is quite confusing for the students and for me to use the right CD because the contents of CD 1 are on CD 3and viceversa.
I am not going to buy anything published by Hodder...and I will never advice my students to use the Pasos book again.
I am truly dissapointed and amazed at the poor response from the publishers.
Yolanda
Fantastic way to learn, 08 Apr 2008
I bought this last week and it's brilliant - I've just ordered the second volume. It totally suits my way of learning and is very easy to use. it does work rapidly and is much more pleasnt to listen to than those dreadful CD's with mock conversations in them. i'm really enjoying using it. HIghly effective - would recommend! :)
Practical Way to learn., 16 Mar 2007
I've just bought this course and love it! Ever since I read of Earworms in the times I have been thinking about trying it out. Now I am thinking of trying the Russian tape when it comes out. The technique is really great. At last someone has understood how to engage the learner by repeating everyday phrases to music. Both the voice and the music are pleasant. At the end of each track the Spanish lady encourages her English counterpart to try a few words in spanish and the listener is automatically moved to do the same. Very clever. I feel that I retain much more than with Pimsleur and Michel Thomas , both of which I have also tried. This is the kind of missing link-it bolsters the other two. My partner and I travel a lot and this is a very practical way to prepare for trips.
ideal for beginners, 08 Mar 2007
if you want to learn some basic Spanish quickly and easily, buy this CD. It works. I picked up words quickly and even after 6 months of not listening to the cd, I can still recall the words and was able to understand the words being used when i was in Spain. It works. Nuff said. I hope that Amazon get volume 2 in soon.
only for begginers, 22 Feb 2007
A pleasant way of learning some basic Spanish phrases. Only really suitable for beginners, and aimed firmly at European Spanish. Don't pay any attention to the English mans pronunciation of the Spanish words, it is quite often wrong and a bit off putting.
Rapid(ish) Balderdash would be a better title., 29 Nov 2006
It's an interesting concept... Spanish words and phrases (or any foreign language for that matter) set to music as a learning aid, but for this CD sadly that is only interesting theory and not interesting reality. So, I'm quite dubious about the reviews I've read that say this CD manages to achieve its goal successfully.
I put the CD on when I went to bed and I liked the music on the first track, but it was so peacefully melodic to me, I fell asleep by the start of the 2nd track. This was the same result I experienced each of the next few attempted listenings and personally, as someone who traditionally has difficulty drifting off, I found this delightful. It was like a mini Godsend, but it wasn't helping me learn any Spanish!
Eventually, I got round to listening to the CD during the day but wished I hadn't, it was dull and boring. If, as me, you're expecting simple songs to use melody to help anchor memory (which is a reasonable assumption considering the blurb), FORGET IT!! There is no skilful dual-language word play here, and no songs either. I'll explain...
There are 10 tracks on this CD ranging from 5m33s to 8m53s long, and a final 1m04 goodbye session. The 10 tracks contain between 18 to 22 words and/or phrases which sounds a lot, but considering the simple statement: "I would like/ a coffee/ with milk/ please" occupies 4 lines out of 18 (the next 3 being: "a tea/ a tea with milk/ and sugar") you begin to realise how limited this CD is.
Moreover, the Spanish is not really `set to music' rather it's naff elevator music in the background with a dozen and a half Spanish words spoken over the top. In fact, I suspect this is really just a clever marketing ploy; the makers of the naff music probably couldn't find a market for it, so they decided to get a couple mates, one man and one woman, to talk some foreign words over the top of it and then hail it as a new breakthrough in learning!
Another thing I didn't like was the spoken Spanish words having long gaps of music in between, ok, so 8 seconds might not really be all that long to some, but it's long enough if you're waiting for the next word, which then turns out to be a repetition of the last, which in itself was a repetition of the one before that, each of which has the same gap in between!
One reviewer recommends this for anyone wanting to start from and scratch, and fundamentally that's the only way you'll learn anything from this disc, it's so basic if you've done any Spanish before, you'll already have covered more than 98% of this CD. The only learning I did was right at the tale-end of the disc but by then I was so hacked off with what had gone before I'd more or less ceased to be receptive.
I knew I wasn't going to keep this CD but I didn't have the nerve to sell it on, so I gave it to my mum! (she's also learning Spanish). Sorry mum.
Brilliant!! Once you have worked out how to use it...., 07 Jan 2007
I love this package!!! It is the nearest you'll get to an evening class in Spanish.
It does take a bit of time to work out how the course will best suit you but that is the beauty of it - you do what works for you. A previous reviewer missed the point about the accompanying CD - that is an extra to the course and is just a dialogue which you can follow in the book. It isn't intended as a 'learn as you go along'.
The best thing about this package for me is that you can practise speaking and listening back to yourself speaking spanish. In most courses you can practise phrases but only in your head. It's completely different saying them out loud - when everything you think you know goes completely out of your head. This package allows you to display subtitles so you can read out the phrases at first to learn them and then turn them off and try on your own. You learn scenarios first and practise them and then get an opportunity to do a dialogue on your own - and believe me, its not easy, but it is the nearest you will get to actually being in a spanish market or a train station, without actually being there.
You can progress through varying degrees of difficulty - but the book doesn't seem to tell you which bits are the easy ones and which are the hard ones so you don' t always know where to start. But it doesn't matter really, you can flip back and forth into easy and difficult scenarios and tackle whatever you want to. so if you want to listen to a more difficult dialogue but not speak it, thats OK. There are also varying degrees of help. You can display the dialogue in spanish and english, or in just one or the other language or not at all.... so you can get help if you need it and then turn it off if you want to go cold turkey and try it on your own.
I am really pleased with this system of learning. I can go at my own pace and learn what I want to when I want to. In fact I am so pleased with it that I have also bought the French version.
It isn't difficult to set up the recording and playback - an ordinary webcam will do.
Yes you can learn Spanish..., 19 Feb 2006
The following comes from the back cover: Always wanted to learn a new language but never had the time? Get into Spanish with this exciting new interactive course for beginners from BBC Languages and Cambridge University Language Centre. Designed for people on the go, the flexible approach of Get into Spanish puts you firmly in control of how, when and where you learn - and you'll have fun too! The course recreates typical holiday situations in animated locations around a virtual town. Its focus on real language means you'll be communicating in Spanish right from the start. A complete self-study course on CD-ROM, supported by a book, audio CD and website, Get into Spanish is an innovative and enjoyable new way for adult beginners to learn the language. CD-ROM Take part in fully animated interactive dialogues and pick up the skills and confidence to communicate. Choose a way of learning that suits you: familiarise yourself with new language in the Learn It First activities, or jump straight in to Have A Go at speaking. Record your voice and compare yourself with native speakers. Access instant learning support via the comprehensive built-in Phrase Book, Basics section and concise pop-up grammar notes. Book Use this handy ten-unit book whenever you'd like to revise and refresh the language you have met on the CD-ROM. Dip into it at home, on the move or on holiday! Audio CD Build on the language you've learned by listening to the adventures of Simon Martin, a young British web designer, as he touches down in Alicante in search of new horizons. Web site Access games, activities and opportunities to learn about Hispanic culture around the world with your password to our dedicated website. Get handy tips on learning a new language, as well as advice on the most effective methods of self-study. Above all, enjoy learning a new language with Get Into Spanish. (Source: Back cover) MY COMMENTS... This is a computer based course and is not really for learning on the go! If I were a complete beginner, I would not throw myself in at the deepend, which is one of the recommended ways of using the disc. I would start with the learn it first activities with the sub-titles for both Spanish and English turned on! and concentrate initially on listening, reading and understanding the conversations. I would do the activities when I felt more comfortable with the language (of course not everyone is the same as me...)This course does require you to read the instructions and learning notes, and I would recommend reading the introductory notes on first use. When doing the activities, you can often make things easier by clicking the check my answers button! (If you get several answers wrong, try correcting them one at a time!). At the very beginning you might like to use the basics section, which covers phrases like 'Hello'. Not all the phrases are spoken in this section, but the majority are. Again, read the notes provided and all will make sense. This is a course you need to experiment a bit with, to find out how it works best for you, and to find out how to turn various features on and off! I have not tested the microphone and speaking section as I am not a great lover of the facility in general. I don't think the technology as generally available is really up to it yet! I prefer just to read along with the narrator after listening to the dialogues a few times... As far as the book is concerned, it contains a selection of phrases and then discusses the associated grammer. The words do not have their phonetic equivalents printed, but if you've listened to the dialogues enough, that won't be a problem. The audio CD is really to be used when you have covered most of the material on the CD-ROM, as extra listening practice. (My note: this is for Windows PCs only - it says Windows 98, ME and XP on the box, although I have run it on a Windows 2000 machine without any problems (haven't tried 98 or ME) - I had no problems installing the disc, except I did have an initial failure on an XP machine, when I tried to instal it before Windows had finished loading all the start up items - which was a little silly of me! Restarted the machine and waited for Windows to completely finish laoding and there was no problem! Disc one is for installation, disc 2 for running. It does come up with a message on start up that I recommends that I change my display settings, but I have just ignored it, and had no problems. This programme works like many games, in that it takes over the whole screen, so if you want to read your e-mail you may have to close the programme, and come back. It does have some tracking facilities, to show where you have been, and what you have done. This tracking can be set up for up to 5 users at a time, so is ideal if there is more than one of you!) Learning a language takes time, don't expect to remember everything immediately. The more you listen and read along with a language, the more will sink in. It gets easier with practice and familiarity. If you want everything given to you slowly in a strict linear fashion, don't buy this product. However if you want flexibility, like to experiment and don't mind reading occasionally this would be a very useful tool on your journey...
Spanish for Beginners, 13 Aug 2005
I brought this because I wanted to learn Spanish, and as this pack had a CD, CR_ROM and a book I though it would be the easiest way to learn. Unfortunately it's not suited for a complete beginner. The CD starts had lots of Spanish conversation (and no translations). It doesn't start with "hello my name is" or "good morning" - but with a guy losing his luggage in the airport! The CD-ROM also seems to assume some knowledge of Spanish as the topics covered include checking in at a hotel, ordering a meal in a restaurant. These are things that you will need to know, but still I'd like to learn how to say hello to people first!! The Book does cover the basics, but without hearing how they are pronounced I wasn't very confident learning from it. Overall I'd say this is a perfect course if you have a basic knowledge of Spanish already - but not for total beginners
Wonderful product, in my opinion way ahead of the many other language courses that I have tried., 27 Aug 2007
This is an excellent follow-on course to the Michel Thomas Spanish Foundation Course (also highly recommended). I bought it a little less than a year after buying and becoming fairly proficient with the content of the Foundation Course. For me, proficiency in the Foundation Course took a lot longer than the 6 weeks or so that the publishers suggested. Perhaps that is because I am very bad at learning a new language - but I don't think so. I think I am about average and that the publishers claims are unrealistic.
My warning to all beginners like me, is - don't be depressed by slow progress - learning a new language is tough, but we'll get there in the end, and let's enjoy ourselves while doing it. And the Michel Thomas Language Builder is a very enjoyable way of making real progress.
The format is a little different to the Foundation course or the Advanced course. There are no students; we are one-on-one with Michel and things move along very briskly, resulting in a lot of very useful and conversationally relevant content being included. You need to listen to this course initially with your finger on the pause button, but in time you will be able to answer all the prompts without pressing the pause button once. That took me about three months, listening for at least one hour per day, 6 days a week. So don't expect instant results. That just does not happen to us normal people.
After the language builder my advice is to go for the quite superb Advanced Course. Not so advanced as to demand any special skills from us, but really important towards allowing us to "think your way through the language" , as the great man, Michel, put it.
Michel Thomas has given us a wonderful and innovative learning method, in my opinion way ahead of the many other language courses that I have tried.
Excellent follow on from the 8 hour course, 23 May 2006
This is the perfect follow up to the introductory course. Without the students present, the pace is faster than the 8-hour course.This means you do have to be ready with the pause button, as there are not the predictable pauses. However, there is a lot of new language, and I think it is taking me longer to digest it than the 8-hour course. I wholly disagree with a previous reviewer who says it goes over the same old ground. There is some revision, but always something else added to it, to build up your language. In short, it does what it says on the tin!
Omit this one!, 10 May 2006
I enjoyed and learnt a lot from the Michel Thomas 8-hour course that preceded this one, and from the Advanced course that followed it, and I'd recommend them both with enthusiasm. (Don't copy Thomas's accent, though, especially the way he stretches out stressed vowels! Every native speaker of Spanish that I've heard makes them short and sharp.)
But avoid this 'Language Builder'. It mostly goes over the same ground as the 8-hour course, adding only a few words and phrases. And it's much more clumsily presented. With no students to slow Thomas down, the speed with which he answers his own questions, often before you realise they are questions, makes it almost impossible to do as he asks and use the pause button to give your own responses first.
Good but fast pace at first, 27 Jul 2005
This language builder is excellent for those who have completed the 8 hour course or who are already rusty intermediate speakers of Spanish. I found the pace a bit frightening to begin with and also it is a bit annoying that Michel doesn't leave much time between what he is asking and his reply. You have to be quick off the mark with the pause button! Otherwise, I have found this course to be very usefully in consolidating my knowledge of Spanish and practicing more structures. Some reviewers complain abou the course being dry, I don't think this is the case. You shouldn't try and do it all at once. Just do 10 to 15 minute bursts over a couple of days and you will pick it up. Infact if you look at what he is doing here it is very clever. He is repeating vocabulary that you know and then introducing just one or two new words at a time so that you don't feel bombarded with new stuff- I felt a constant sense of accomplishment as I went through the course. We have waited a year since the release of the first course for this next installment, which one feels could have been done at a more leisurely pace than the two hours it has been allocated. Is there any more to come? and if so let's hope we don't have to wait another year! (Since writing this review an Advanced Course has been published, which will be the last course as Michel died in January 2005) Also for those who already have the complete course, the style of this 'language builder' is different, there are no students to listen to, it is just Michel Thomas and you 'one to one', which I personally prefer. As Michel spent his formative years in Germany he does have a strong German accent. By all means use this course to gain the knowledge but then listen to authentic Spanish and practice to gain a good accent. Overall a recommendation to buy if you have the grounding. If not, buy the complete course first and then buy this when you have finished, otherwise it might seem a little intimidating. A real improvement on the first course is that it comes with a little brochure with all the phrases in so you can see how each is written down- I found this very useful.
Michel Thomas Spanish Language Builder, 12 Feb 2004
I was put off after reading a couple of other reviews and then after taking the plunge felt that it did seem to be just a recording of Michel reading through a list of words. But I must say that I was wrong! This is equally as good as the first 8 hour course but runs at a much quicker pace and you need to be ready with the pause button. A lot of the ground covered is from the other course but this is good for consolidating what you have already learned. I paid £16 for this course and learnt more in the time spent with this than £80 for a 15 week, 2hour per week collecge course!
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Suenos World Spanish 1 CDs 1-4 (Sueños)
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VariousLuz KettleMaria Elena PlacenciaMike Gonzalez;
2004-06-28;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: �16.53
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Customer Reviews
Highly recommended, 12 Oct 2008
Whether you are school studying for GCSE Spanish, undertaking a Spanish course at night school or maybe planning to live in Spain, this 3CD learning pack is highly recommended. It can be used instead of using a text book, or alongside one. The exe | | |