Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Side-splitting!, 16 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading short extracts of it on the internet, and it is absolutly brilliant! It has me in tears of laughter. My friend has also bought it. We think its brilliant, such a funny book! Buy it!

A wonderful laugh, 03 Jan 2008
This book is truly wonderful, not just because it's full of humour but because it has the ability to make you laugh at any time of day and whatever your mood. It's an immediate tonic - just read a couple of pages and you'll feel better. A word of advice; don't try reading it on the train, you're bound to regret it.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 13 Nov 2007
The English language is a wonderful instrument for the communication of ideas and instuctions - this book demonstrates the misuses and abuses of English to hilarious effect - not to be read in company unless you can cope with the stares of citizens outraged by your outbursts of laughter!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute.

Brilliant, 02 Nov 2007
Was browsing in a bookshop and came across this book. After about 10 seconds i started getting some strange looks. Most people avoided me...

I was laughing like a mad man - this book is funny!

Only one woman plucked up the courage to ask me what i was laughing at. I showed her the book and she bought one then and there.

If you are looking for a present get this book, but I recommend you buy this book for yourself too.

Just so funny!, 29 Oct 2006
Very funny it has to be said - if you liked Tingo you will love this!

Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Side-splitting!, 16 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading short extracts of it on the internet, and it is absolutly brilliant! It has me in tears of laughter. My friend has also bought it. We think its brilliant, such a funny book! Buy it!

A wonderful laugh, 03 Jan 2008
This book is truly wonderful, not just because it's full of humour but because it has the ability to make you laugh at any time of day and whatever your mood. It's an immediate tonic - just read a couple of pages and you'll feel better. A word of advice; don't try reading it on the train, you're bound to regret it.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 13 Nov 2007
The English language is a wonderful instrument for the communication of ideas and instuctions - this book demonstrates the misuses and abuses of English to hilarious effect - not to be read in company unless you can cope with the stares of citizens outraged by your outbursts of laughter!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute.

Brilliant, 02 Nov 2007
Was browsing in a bookshop and came across this book. After about 10 seconds i started getting some strange looks. Most people avoided me...

I was laughing like a mad man - this book is funny!

Only one woman plucked up the courage to ask me what i was laughing at. I showed her the book and she bought one then and there.

If you are looking for a present get this book, but I recommend you buy this book for yourself too.

Just so funny!, 29 Oct 2006
Very funny it has to be said - if you liked Tingo you will love this!

Talk Italian, 14 Jun 2005
After reading many reviews - I chose this course and I certainly made the right choice. I have loaded the CDs onto my Mpeg 3 player and listen to them every morning on my way to work. As a complete novice to Italian, I now feel really confident about ordering wine and a meal (obviously the most important requirements). Easy to listen to and learn with no need to constantly refer to the book - although I carry the book with me and consult it when necessary. All in all, excellent!

Brilliant!!, 05 May 2005
I have recently bought this book and CD pack following the reommendation of other readers on this website. I have been attending Italian lesson for the past 10 weeks and although I have learnt a great deal from my tutor I have found both the book and CD really helpful. I have found the CD particulary useful and listen to it most days in the car. I have also used it at home together with the book. I feel much more confident in my lessons since using the book and CD. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain a basic understanding in Italian as It would be just as useful on it's own without the lessons.

No need for a college course with this book!, 13 Feb 2005
I recently enrolled on a college course, and on the first night was asked to buy this book/cd which we would work through over the weeks.
To be honest the book is so good that I wished I had just bought the book and not enrolled at college as it is extremely easy to follow, the words sink in, and its good fun (except for the embarrassing jingles!). The book and cd is a course in itself.
I am keen to get to the end of this book, and am already thinking about getting an advanced one, or trying another langage.

An easy and rewarding introductory course., 19 Jul 2004
I bought this small course book and tape a few days before an intensive Italian language course that I attended was due to start, and it was an excellent and easy aid to learning the basics of Italian in preparation for the course. The 100 page booklet is constructed of easy material, with tests at the end of each section that are not difficult and also make the process rewarding so that there is a good chance, I think, that you'll sail through the book just for the fun of it. The actors and actresses on the tapes all have engaging and distinguishable voices, but the one negative thing that I would point out is the jingles that play before sections of the course. This is a bit annoying after a while. It makes the course feel less serious, though it is really just a quick and light introductory course anyway, and to that end, the course is a success. It works as an ideal primer to an evening class in Italian, to make walking into the class much less daunting.

Excellent introduction for beginners, 25 Apr 2003
I found this audio and text book combination an ideal way to get to grips with learning Italian. It's based on the original BBC series, but this pack has been updated to include euros rather than the old lire currency. Several situations are presented, providing a good range of vocabulary even at this basic level. A short section on grammar explains the fundamental structure of the language, which is more than enough at this level.

Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Side-splitting!, 16 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading short extracts of it on the internet, and it is absolutly brilliant! It has me in tears of laughter. My friend has also bought it. We think its brilliant, such a funny book! Buy it!

A wonderful laugh, 03 Jan 2008
This book is truly wonderful, not just because it's full of humour but because it has the ability to make you laugh at any time of day and whatever your mood. It's an immediate tonic - just read a couple of pages and you'll feel better. A word of advice; don't try reading it on the train, you're bound to regret it.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 13 Nov 2007
The English language is a wonderful instrument for the communication of ideas and instuctions - this book demonstrates the misuses and abuses of English to hilarious effect - not to be read in company unless you can cope with the stares of citizens outraged by your outbursts of laughter!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute.

Brilliant, 02 Nov 2007
Was browsing in a bookshop and came across this book. After about 10 seconds i started getting some strange looks. Most people avoided me...

I was laughing like a mad man - this book is funny!

Only one woman plucked up the courage to ask me what i was laughing at. I showed her the book and she bought one then and there.

If you are looking for a present get this book, but I recommend you buy this book for yourself too.

Just so funny!, 29 Oct 2006
Very funny it has to be said - if you liked Tingo you will love this!

Talk Italian, 14 Jun 2005
After reading many reviews - I chose this course and I certainly made the right choice. I have loaded the CDs onto my Mpeg 3 player and listen to them every morning on my way to work. As a complete novice to Italian, I now feel really confident about ordering wine and a meal (obviously the most important requirements). Easy to listen to and learn with no need to constantly refer to the book - although I carry the book with me and consult it when necessary. All in all, excellent!

Brilliant!!, 05 May 2005
I have recently bought this book and CD pack following the reommendation of other readers on this website. I have been attending Italian lesson for the past 10 weeks and although I have learnt a great deal from my tutor I have found both the book and CD really helpful. I have found the CD particulary useful and listen to it most days in the car. I have also used it at home together with the book. I feel much more confident in my lessons since using the book and CD. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain a basic understanding in Italian as It would be just as useful on it's own without the lessons.

No need for a college course with this book!, 13 Feb 2005
I recently enrolled on a college course, and on the first night was asked to buy this book/cd which we would work through over the weeks.
To be honest the book is so good that I wished I had just bought the book and not enrolled at college as it is extremely easy to follow, the words sink in, and its good fun (except for the embarrassing jingles!). The book and cd is a course in itself.
I am keen to get to the end of this book, and am already thinking about getting an advanced one, or trying another langage.

An easy and rewarding introductory course., 19 Jul 2004
I bought this small course book and tape a few days before an intensive Italian language course that I attended was due to start, and it was an excellent and easy aid to learning the basics of Italian in preparation for the course. The 100 page booklet is constructed of easy material, with tests at the end of each section that are not difficult and also make the process rewarding so that there is a good chance, I think, that you'll sail through the book just for the fun of it. The actors and actresses on the tapes all have engaging and distinguishable voices, but the one negative thing that I would point out is the jingles that play before sections of the course. This is a bit annoying after a while. It makes the course feel less serious, though it is really just a quick and light introductory course anyway, and to that end, the course is a success. It works as an ideal primer to an evening class in Italian, to make walking into the class much less daunting.

Excellent introduction for beginners, 25 Apr 2003
I found this audio and text book combination an ideal way to get to grips with learning Italian. It's based on the original BBC series, but this pack has been updated to include euros rather than the old lire currency. Several situations are presented, providing a good range of vocabulary even at this basic level. A short section on grammar explains the fundamental structure of the language, which is more than enough at this level.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Side-splitting!, 16 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading short extracts of it on the internet, and it is absolutly brilliant! It has me in tears of laughter. My friend has also bought it. We think its brilliant, such a funny book! Buy it!

A wonderful laugh, 03 Jan 2008
This book is truly wonderful, not just because it's full of humour but because it has the ability to make you laugh at any time of day and whatever your mood. It's an immediate tonic - just read a couple of pages and you'll feel better. A word of advice; don't try reading it on the train, you're bound to regret it.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 13 Nov 2007
The English language is a wonderful instrument for the communication of ideas and instuctions - this book demonstrates the misuses and abuses of English to hilarious effect - not to be read in company unless you can cope with the stares of citizens outraged by your outbursts of laughter!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute.

Brilliant, 02 Nov 2007
Was browsing in a bookshop and came across this book. After about 10 seconds i started getting some strange looks. Most people avoided me...

I was laughing like a mad man - this book is funny!

Only one woman plucked up the courage to ask me what i was laughing at. I showed her the book and she bought one then and there.

If you are looking for a present get this book, but I recommend you buy this book for yourself too.

Just so funny!, 29 Oct 2006
Very funny it has to be said - if you liked Tingo you will love this!

Talk Italian, 14 Jun 2005
After reading many reviews - I chose this course and I certainly made the right choice. I have loaded the CDs onto my Mpeg 3 player and listen to them every morning on my way to work. As a complete novice to Italian, I now feel really confident about ordering wine and a meal (obviously the most important requirements). Easy to listen to and learn with no need to constantly refer to the book - although I carry the book with me and consult it when necessary. All in all, excellent!

Brilliant!!, 05 May 2005
I have recently bought this book and CD pack following the reommendation of other readers on this website. I have been attending Italian lesson for the past 10 weeks and although I have learnt a great deal from my tutor I have found both the book and CD really helpful. I have found the CD particulary useful and listen to it most days in the car. I have also used it at home together with the book. I feel much more confident in my lessons since using the book and CD. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain a basic understanding in Italian as It would be just as useful on it's own without the lessons.

No need for a college course with this book!, 13 Feb 2005
I recently enrolled on a college course, and on the first night was asked to buy this book/cd which we would work through over the weeks.
To be honest the book is so good that I wished I had just bought the book and not enrolled at college as it is extremely easy to follow, the words sink in, and its good fun (except for the embarrassing jingles!). The book and cd is a course in itself.
I am keen to get to the end of this book, and am already thinking about getting an advanced one, or trying another langage.

An easy and rewarding introductory course., 19 Jul 2004
I bought this small course book and tape a few days before an intensive Italian language course that I attended was due to start, and it was an excellent and easy aid to learning the basics of Italian in preparation for the course. The 100 page booklet is constructed of easy material, with tests at the end of each section that are not difficult and also make the process rewarding so that there is a good chance, I think, that you'll sail through the book just for the fun of it. The actors and actresses on the tapes all have engaging and distinguishable voices, but the one negative thing that I would point out is the jingles that play before sections of the course. This is a bit annoying after a while. It makes the course feel less serious, though it is really just a quick and light introductory course anyway, and to that end, the course is a success. It works as an ideal primer to an evening class in Italian, to make walking into the class much less daunting.

Excellent introduction for beginners, 25 Apr 2003
I found this audio and text book combination an ideal way to get to grips with learning Italian. It's based on the original BBC series, but this pack has been updated to include euros rather than the old lire currency. Several situations are presented, providing a good range of vocabulary even at this basic level. A short section on grammar explains the fundamental structure of the language, which is more than enough at this level.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Great for learning to talk, 30 Oct 2008
I found the course great as it's situation based and gives you useful phrases that you can use very early in your learning. It's a useful supplement to a formal classroom grammar course (like Alliance Francais) as it teaches listening and talking.

Helpful for beginners, 18 Nov 2006
I found this pack useful for the beginning of a french course. You can't listen to the CDs in the car though, you need to have the book in front of you, which I found frustrating. I wanted to listen on the way to work, so ended up getting free Podcasts to listen to - they were better than the CDs in this pack. Having said that, the book guides you through lots of different sections, such as food and travel, and the CDs have exercises on each section. In the book, there are transcripts of the CD interviews as well as paper based exercises and additional info like background details of France - although there are not many of these. The most useful thing I found about this course was the boxes in each section of the book called 'Info Langue' and 'Mot a Mot' and the verb info. I am now 3 months into leanring French and I need a more detailed book than this but it has defeinately really helped me.

Not very useful for complete beginners, 29 Mar 2006
I was attracted to buy this pack because of the excellent Spanish language pack (SUENOS) published by the BBC. To my disappointment, I find the French Experience pack not very useful for beginners! It doesn't explain much about the sentences and use of phrases. It is also hard to follow the audio tracks. The Spanish pack contains many interesting facts about the Spanish-speaking world but this is not the case in the French Experience pack.

OK but not as main study material, 13 Mar 2006
I have been studying French now for around six months and originally bought this to suplement the 1 hour a week French Class. I don't find it that great as a course in french. Basically it does not go into the language in enough depth, its OK as background and a supplement but you very quickly need verb tables and a broader text book if you are serious about the language. The CDs are useful as they are recorded interviews with French people so provide useful listening opportunities.

Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Side-splitting!, 16 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading short extracts of it on the internet, and it is absolutly brilliant! It has me in tears of laughter. My friend has also bought it. We think its brilliant, such a funny book! Buy it!

A wonderful laugh, 03 Jan 2008
This book is truly wonderful, not just because it's full of humour but because it has the ability to make you laugh at any time of day and whatever your mood. It's an immediate tonic - just read a couple of pages and you'll feel better. A word of advice; don't try reading it on the train, you're bound to regret it.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 13 Nov 2007
The English language is a wonderful instrument for the communication of ideas and instuctions - this book demonstrates the misuses and abuses of English to hilarious effect - not to be read in company unless you can cope with the stares of citizens outraged by your outbursts of laughter!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute.

Brilliant, 02 Nov 2007
Was browsing in a bookshop and came across this book. After about 10 seconds i started getting some strange looks. Most people avoided me...

I was laughing like a mad man - this book is funny!

Only one woman plucked up the courage to ask me what i was laughing at. I showed her the book and she bought one then and there.

If you are looking for a present get this book, but I recommend you buy this book for yourself too.

Just so funny!, 29 Oct 2006
Very funny it has to be said - if you liked Tingo you will love this!

Talk Italian, 14 Jun 2005
After reading many reviews - I chose this course and I certainly made the right choice. I have loaded the CDs onto my Mpeg 3 player and listen to them every morning on my way to work. As a complete novice to Italian, I now feel really confident about ordering wine and a meal (obviously the most important requirements). Easy to listen to and learn with no need to constantly refer to the book - although I carry the book with me and consult it when necessary. All in all, excellent!

Brilliant!!, 05 May 2005
I have recently bought this book and CD pack following the reommendation of other readers on this website. I have been attending Italian lesson for the past 10 weeks and although I have learnt a great deal from my tutor I have found both the book and CD really helpful. I have found the CD particulary useful and listen to it most days in the car. I have also used it at home together with the book. I feel much more confident in my lessons since using the book and CD. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain a basic understanding in Italian as It would be just as useful on it's own without the lessons.

No need for a college course with this book!, 13 Feb 2005
I recently enrolled on a college course, and on the first night was asked to buy this book/cd which we would work through over the weeks.
To be honest the book is so good that I wished I had just bought the book and not enrolled at college as it is extremely easy to follow, the words sink in, and its good fun (except for the embarrassing jingles!). The book and cd is a course in itself.
I am keen to get to the end of this book, and am already thinking about getting an advanced one, or trying another langage.

An easy and rewarding introductory course., 19 Jul 2004
I bought this small course book and tape a few days before an intensive Italian language course that I attended was due to start, and it was an excellent and easy aid to learning the basics of Italian in preparation for the course. The 100 page booklet is constructed of easy material, with tests at the end of each section that are not difficult and also make the process rewarding so that there is a good chance, I think, that you'll sail through the book just for the fun of it. The actors and actresses on the tapes all have engaging and distinguishable voices, but the one negative thing that I would point out is the jingles that play before sections of the course. This is a bit annoying after a while. It makes the course feel less serious, though it is really just a quick and light introductory course anyway, and to that end, the course is a success. It works as an ideal primer to an evening class in Italian, to make walking into the class much less daunting.

Excellent introduction for beginners, 25 Apr 2003
I found this audio and text book combination an ideal way to get to grips with learning Italian. It's based on the original BBC series, but this pack has been updated to include euros rather than the old lire currency. Several situations are presented, providing a good range of vocabulary even at this basic level. A short section on grammar explains the fundamental structure of the language, which is more than enough at this level.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Great for learning to talk, 30 Oct 2008
I found the course great as it's situation based and gives you useful phrases that you can use very early in your learning. It's a useful supplement to a formal classroom grammar course (like Alliance Francais) as it teaches listening and talking.

Helpful for beginners, 18 Nov 2006
I found this pack useful for the beginning of a french course. You can't listen to the CDs in the car though, you need to have the book in front of you, which I found frustrating. I wanted to listen on the way to work, so ended up getting free Podcasts to listen to - they were better than the CDs in this pack. Having said that, the book guides you through lots of different sections, such as food and travel, and the CDs have exercises on each section. In the book, there are transcripts of the CD interviews as well as paper based exercises and additional info like background details of France - although there are not many of these. The most useful thing I found about this course was the boxes in each section of the book called 'Info Langue' and 'Mot a Mot' and the verb info. I am now 3 months into leanring French and I need a more detailed book than this but it has defeinately really helped me.

Not very useful for complete beginners, 29 Mar 2006
I was attracted to buy this pack because of the excellent Spanish language pack (SUENOS) published by the BBC. To my disappointment, I find the French Experience pack not very useful for beginners! It doesn't explain much about the sentences and use of phrases. It is also hard to follow the audio tracks. The Spanish pack contains many interesting facts about the Spanish-speaking world but this is not the case in the French Experience pack.

OK but not as main study material, 13 Mar 2006
I have been studying French now for around six months and originally bought this to suplement the 1 hour a week French Class. I don't find it that great as a course in french. Basically it does not go into the language in enough depth, its OK as background and a supplement but you very quickly need verb tables and a broader text book if you are serious about the language. The CDs are useful as they are recorded interviews with French people so provide useful listening opportunities.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Subtitled More Misadventures in English Abroad, Still Lost in Translation is an absolutely hilarious compendium of fractured English drawn from a wide variety of sources by Charlie Croker. These wonderful howlers can be found throughout the world, and most of us can quote (with some relish) favourites of our own. But can they match the wonderful signs such as that to be found at a skiing cable station in China? `Refuse the person without ticket or drinking excessively, and the person with hypertension, heart disease, neuropathy and simpleton to get on the lift.' Or a leaflet at a sporting event in pre-democracy Hungary: `Sports in the rotting capitalist countries are the declared enemy of the Socialist Athletes who consider it their duty to worth the superiority of the Socialist races'. But it isn't just communist countries that come up with these cherishable manglings of the language: from menus in various countries, we are tempted with `corrugated iron beef', `sad-faced cod', `pee soup' and `ice cream with rubber chocolate'. Some of the most entertainingly puzzling instructions recorded here really have one scratching one's head, such as the following written on a computer components box in the Far East: `Please no plummet'.

A book as diverting as this, however, should come with a warning: you won't be able to resist quoting page after page to your nearest and dearest -- exactly as has happened in this review. Charlie Croker, who wrote the similarly entertaining The Little Book of Beckham also compiled the first book in this series, Lost in Translation -- which is equally quotable. --Barry Forshaw

Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Side-splitting!, 16 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading short extracts of it on the internet, and it is absolutly brilliant! It has me in tears of laughter. My friend has also bought it. We think its brilliant, such a funny book! Buy it!

A wonderful laugh, 03 Jan 2008
This book is truly wonderful, not just because it's full of humour but because it has the ability to make you laugh at any time of day and whatever your mood. It's an immediate tonic - just read a couple of pages and you'll feel better. A word of advice; don't try reading it on the train, you're bound to regret it.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 13 Nov 2007
The English language is a wonderful instrument for the communication of ideas and instuctions - this book demonstrates the misuses and abuses of English to hilarious effect - not to be read in company unless you can cope with the stares of citizens outraged by your outbursts of laughter!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute.

Brilliant, 02 Nov 2007
Was browsing in a bookshop and came across this book. After about 10 seconds i started getting some strange looks. Most people avoided me...

I was laughing like a mad man - this book is funny!

Only one woman plucked up the courage to ask me what i was laughing at. I showed her the book and she bought one then and there.

If you are looking for a present get this book, but I recommend you buy this book for yourself too.

Just so funny!, 29 Oct 2006
Very funny it has to be said - if you liked Tingo you will love this!

Talk Italian, 14 Jun 2005
After reading many reviews - I chose this course and I certainly made the right choice. I have loaded the CDs onto my Mpeg 3 player and listen to them every morning on my way to work. As a complete novice to Italian, I now feel really confident about ordering wine and a meal (obviously the most important requirements). Easy to listen to and learn with no need to constantly refer to the book - although I carry the book with me and consult it when necessary. All in all, excellent!

Brilliant!!, 05 May 2005
I have recently bought this book and CD pack following the reommendation of other readers on this website. I have been attending Italian lesson for the past 10 weeks and although I have learnt a great deal from my tutor I have found both the book and CD really helpful. I have found the CD particulary useful and listen to it most days in the car. I have also used it at home together with the book. I feel much more confident in my lessons since using the book and CD. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain a basic understanding in Italian as It would be just as useful on it's own without the lessons.

No need for a college course with this book!, 13 Feb 2005
I recently enrolled on a college course, and on the first night was asked to buy this book/cd which we would work through over the weeks.
To be honest the book is so good that I wished I had just bought the book and not enrolled at college as it is extremely easy to follow, the words sink in, and its good fun (except for the embarrassing jingles!). The book and cd is a course in itself.
I am keen to get to the end of this book, and am already thinking about getting an advanced one, or trying another langage.

An easy and rewarding introductory course., 19 Jul 2004
I bought this small course book and tape a few days before an intensive Italian language course that I attended was due to start, and it was an excellent and easy aid to learning the basics of Italian in preparation for the course. The 100 page booklet is constructed of easy material, with tests at the end of each section that are not difficult and also make the process rewarding so that there is a good chance, I think, that you'll sail through the book just for the fun of it. The actors and actresses on the tapes all have engaging and distinguishable voices, but the one negative thing that I would point out is the jingles that play before sections of the course. This is a bit annoying after a while. It makes the course feel less serious, though it is really just a quick and light introductory course anyway, and to that end, the course is a success. It works as an ideal primer to an evening class in Italian, to make walking into the class much less daunting.

Excellent introduction for beginners, 25 Apr 2003
I found this audio and text book combination an ideal way to get to grips with learning Italian. It's based on the original BBC series, but this pack has been updated to include euros rather than the old lire currency. Several situations are presented, providing a good range of vocabulary even at this basic level. A short section on grammar explains the fundamental structure of the language, which is more than enough at this level.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Great for learning to talk, 30 Oct 2008
I found the course great as it's situation based and gives you useful phrases that you can use very early in your learning. It's a useful supplement to a formal classroom grammar course (like Alliance Francais) as it teaches listening and talking.

Helpful for beginners, 18 Nov 2006
I found this pack useful for the beginning of a french course. You can't listen to the CDs in the car though, you need to have the book in front of you, which I found frustrating. I wanted to listen on the way to work, so ended up getting free Podcasts to listen to - they were better than the CDs in this pack. Having said that, the book guides you through lots of different sections, such as food and travel, and the CDs have exercises on each section. In the book, there are transcripts of the CD interviews as well as paper based exercises and additional info like background details of France - although there are not many of these. The most useful thing I found about this course was the boxes in each section of the book called 'Info Langue' and 'Mot a Mot' and the verb info. I am now 3 months into leanring French and I need a more detailed book than this but it has defeinately really helped me.

Not very useful for complete beginners, 29 Mar 2006
I was attracted to buy this pack because of the excellent Spanish language pack (SUENOS) published by the BBC. To my disappointment, I find the French Experience pack not very useful for beginners! It doesn't explain much about the sentences and use of phrases. It is also hard to follow the audio tracks. The Spanish pack contains many interesting facts about the Spanish-speaking world but this is not the case in the French Experience pack.

OK but not as main study material, 13 Mar 2006
I have been studying French now for around six months and originally bought this to suplement the 1 hour a week French Class. I don't find it that great as a course in french. Basically it does not go into the language in enough depth, its OK as background and a supplement but you very quickly need verb tables and a broader text book if you are serious about the language. The CDs are useful as they are recorded interviews with French people so provide useful listening opportunities.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Linguistic approach, 23 Sep 2001
This textbook is based on the insights from current research in lexical studies, text linguistics and pragmatics to maintain a constant link between language, translation and the social and cultural environment. Easy to follow, despite the firm grounding in linguist theory, is starts at a simple level and grows in complexity, widening the focus. The author relates the theoretical concepts to authentic examples of translated texts in a variety of languages, which are all simple to understand. Each chapter concludes with practical exercises; a combination that provides a sound all round knowledge.

Poor quality sound, 27 Oct 2008
I purchased the CD pack last month. The sound quality of CD1 was poor with alot of crackling throughout the whole CD. I have purchased 100s of CDs and DVDs from Amazon and this is the first time that I have felt the need to return an item. Amazon were excellent with a replacement arriving within 36 hours. Unfortunately the sound recording on the replacement was no better so clearly the product itself is faulty rather than the individual CD included within my pack. CD2, CD3 and CD4 were all fine.

Suenos Spanish 1 language pack, 08 Feb 2005
Found this pack really useful. It has helped me to get started on spanish and I have found the book gives interesting information about life in Spain/South American. Answers are all in the back so think this is a good pack if you want to start learning Spanish without a class.

A good basic understanding!!!, 05 Feb 2004
I've also got the Linguaphone All Talk Spanish, and as another reviewer said, it's ok if you like being patronised! Suenos on the other hand starts from the basics. It teaches you like you're taught at school with greetings, name exchanges, where you live, and gradually progresses through more complicated scenarios, but all in all is fairly good. Unfortunately, learning from these courses doesn't help with pronunciation problems!

Suenos World Spanish: Course Book., 03 Feb 2004
An excellent course for anyone wanting to learn the basics of the Spanish language . Very easy to follow & concentrates on subjects that are useful to a visitor to Spain , rather than the usual format of language courses

Pity About The Sound Track...., 31 Mar 2003
I would agree with the other reviews here, in that the book is well ordered, and material is presented in an attractive manner.

However, I personally feel that the material is let down by the poor quality of the accompanying CD's and tapes. They attempt to use 'real' people; I realise that there is an argument for this, but most beginners will find that the language is being spoken too quickly to take in, and what is worse, is hard to hear due to poor sound quality and background noise (such as children playing).

I have found tapes accompanying other books far easier to follow from a beginner point of view.

Side-splitting!, 16 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading short extracts of it on the internet, and it is absolutly brilliant! It has me in tears of laughter. My friend has also bought it. We think its brilliant, such a funny book! Buy it!

A wonderful laugh, 03 Jan 2008
This book is truly wonderful, not just because it's full of humour but because it has the ability to make you laugh at any time of day and whatever your mood. It's an immediate tonic - just read a couple of pages and you'll feel better. A word of advice; don't try reading it on the train, you're bound to regret it.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES, 13 Nov 2007
The English language is a wonderful instrument for the communication of ideas and instuctions - this book demonstrates the misuses and abuses of English to hilarious effect - not to be read in company unless you can cope with the stares of citizens outraged by your outbursts of laughter!

Mick Drake author of the comic novel All`s Well at Wellwithoute.

Brilliant, 02 Nov 2007
Was browsing in a bookshop and came across this book. After about 10 seconds i started getting some strange looks. Most people avoided me...

I was laughing like a mad man - this book is funny!

Only one woman plucked up the courage to ask me what i was laughing at. I showed her the book and she bought one then and there.

If you are looking for a present get this book, but I recommend you buy this book for yourself too.

Just so funny!, 29 Oct 2006
Very funny it has to be said - if you liked Tingo you will love this!

Talk Italian, 14 Jun 2005
After reading many reviews - I chose this course and I certainly made the right choice. I have loaded the CDs onto my Mpeg 3 player and listen to them every morning on my way to work. As a complete novice to Italian, I now feel really confident about ordering wine and a meal (obviously the most important requirements). Easy to listen to and learn with no need to constantly refer to the book - although I carry the book with me and consult it when necessary. All in all, excellent!

Brilliant!!, 05 May 2005
I have recently bought this book and CD pack following the reommendation of other readers on this website. I have been attending Italian lesson for the past 10 weeks and although I have learnt a great deal from my tutor I have found both the book and CD really helpful. I have found the CD particulary useful and listen to it most days in the car. I have also used it at home together with the book. I feel much more confident in my lessons since using the book and CD. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain a basic understanding in Italian as It would be just as useful on it's own without the lessons.

No need for a college course with this book!, 13 Feb 2005
I recently enrolled on a college course, and on the first night was asked to buy this book/cd which we would work through over the weeks.
To be honest the book is so good that I wished I had just bought the book and not enrolled at college as it is extremely easy to follow, the words sink in, and its good fun (except for the embarrassing jingles!). The book and cd is a course in itself.
I am keen to get to the end of this book, and am already thinking about getting an advanced one, or trying another langage.

An easy and rewarding introductory course., 19 Jul 2004
I bought this small course book and tape a few days before an intensive Italian language course that I attended was due to start, and it was an excellent and easy aid to learning the basics of Italian in preparation for the course. The 100 page booklet is constructed of easy material, with tests at the end of each section that are not difficult and also make the process rewarding so that there is a good chance, I think, that you'll sail through the book just for the fun of it. The actors and actresses on the tapes all have engaging and distinguishable voices, but the one negative thing that I would point out is the jingles that play before sections of the course. This is a bit annoying after a while. It makes the course feel less serious, though it is really just a quick and light introductory course anyway, and to that end, the course is a success. It works as an ideal primer to an evening class in Italian, to make walking into the class much less daunting.

Excellent introduction for beginners, 25 Apr 2003
I found this audio and text book combination an ideal way to get to grips with learning Italian. It's based on the original BBC series, but this pack has been updated to include euros rather than the old lire currency. Several situations are presented, providing a good range of vocabulary even at this basic level. A short section on grammar explains the fundamental structure of the language, which is more than enough at this level.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Great for learning to talk, 30 Oct 2008
I found the course great as it's situation based and gives you useful phrases that you can use very early in your learning. It's a useful supplement to a formal classroom grammar course (like Alliance Francais) as it teaches listening and talking.

Helpful for beginners, 18 Nov 2006
I found this pack useful for the beginning of a french course. You can't listen to the CDs in the car though, you need to have the book in front of you, which I found frustrating. I wanted to listen on the way to work, so ended up getting free Podcasts to listen to - they were better than the CDs in this pack. Having said that, the book guides you through lots of different sections, such as food and travel, and the CDs have exercises on each section. In the book, there are transcripts of the CD interviews as well as paper based exercises and additional info like background details of France - although there are not many of these. The most useful thing I found about this course was the boxes in each section of the book called 'Info Langue' and 'Mot a Mot' and the verb info. I am now 3 months into leanring French and I need a more detailed book than this but it has defeinately really helped me.

Not very useful for complete beginners, 29 Mar 2006
I was attracted to buy this pack because of the excellent Spanish language pack (SUENOS) published by the BBC. To my disappointment, I find the French Experience pack not very useful for beginners! It doesn't explain much about the sentences and use of phrases. It is also hard to follow the audio tracks. The Spanish pack contains many interesting facts about the Spanish-speaking world but this is not the case in the French Experience pack.

OK but not as main study material, 13 Mar 2006
I have been studying French now for around six months and originally bought this to suplement the 1 hour a week French Class. I don't find it that great as a course in french. Basically it does not go into the language in enough depth, its OK as background and a supplement but you very quickly need verb tables and a broader text book if you are serious about the language. The CDs are useful as they are recorded interviews with French people so provide useful listening opportunities.

A good beginners guide, 20 Jan 2002
Being a beginner in Italian I have bought other books which are difficult to get in to. However this book is excellent and the cassettes which accompany them are fantastic. They give you the chance to repeat what is said in dialogues and are very good.

A Perfect Tape to Acompany Buongiorno Italia Book, 19 Oct 2001
I would strongly recommend that you purchase this tape if you are learning Italian. I have been studying at night school and it seems that most tutors work from this book. With the tape you can listen and practice at home following the conversations from the book.

An excellent beginners guide for learing Italian, 19 May 2001
The book is divided into twenty chapters which gradually build your knowledge up from nil to a reasonable level of competence. Each chapter covers a 'situation' (such as in a cafe, booking a room etc) and includes conversation pieces (to go with the cassettes and TV programmes), vocab, references to simple grammar and exercises. The structure is such that it is fine as a self study aid on its own or in conjenction with other material.

Brilliant for home study, 03 Apr 2001
I found this book a great help for studying at home. I go to evening classes once a week where we use 'Italianissimo' the BBC course. I find this a much better book to get along with. Being an adult in fulltime work its hard to find time to study.This is easy and practical, it gives me confidence.I find that it teaches me in such a way that I can retain the information.Ideal for conversational Italian and getting by on hloiday.

An excellent easy to use guide for beginners to intermediate, 06 Jun 2000
I have successfully taught using this book for several years. It covers useful topics in a clear and interesting way. It has a wealth of exercises to practice your new-found knowledge. Grammar is introduced gently but thoroughly. It is a traditional style book and lacks the coloured pictures which newer books have but it is easy to follow and well presented. My only criticism is that the prices given as examples in the book are out of date making everything too cheap so don't be shocked when you go to Italy! The tapes are very useful and offer further practice. The book is user friendly and my students and I highly recommend it.

Linguistic approach, 23 Sep 2001
This textbook is based on the insights from current research in lexical studies, text linguistics and pragmatics to maintain a constant link between language, translation and the social and cultural environment. Easy to follow, despite the firm grounding in linguist theory, is starts at a simple level and grows in complexity, widening the focus. The author relates the theoretical concepts to authentic examples of translated texts in a variety of languages, which are all simple to understand. Each chapter concludes with practical exercises; a combination that provides a sound all round knowledge.

ISBN for Audio CDs, 24 Oct 2008
The CDs are available separately. This is listed on the page opposite to 'Contents'. For CDs, order ISBN 9780563519775 (0563519770).

Waste of time and money, 06 Sep 2007
I've been teaching modern Greek for more than 10 years. This course book is not suitable for students who are serious about learning Greek. It's ok for those who, as tourists, want to be