Teach Yourself Beginner's Spanish (Teach Yourself Languages)

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. If you really want to learn standard Castilian Spanish but are daunted by the prospect of complicated grammar, classes and coursebooks, this book starts right from the beginning and explains everything in simple English. There are hints throughout to make learning easy and you can learn at your own pace with plenty of practice of each new point. It should help you to understand and speak Spanish sufficiently well to function effectively in basic everyday situations. The course also offers an insight into Spanish culture. The text is divided into two main parts. Units 1-11 introduce you to the basic structures and grammatical points needed in everyday situations. Each of the units contains at least one dialogue or a description by a Spanish character of some aspect of their daily life. There is a short test at the end of each unit so that you can check you have thoroughly understood the contents of one unit before moving on to the next. Units 12-20 give you the opportunity to put into practice and consolidate the language you have learnt in the first ten units.They deal with situations such as shopping, eating and travelling, and can be tackled in any order. There is a special section on pronunciation at the beginning of the book to get you started and there are plently of excercises to practice each new point as it is introduced. By the end of the course you'll be able to communicate in a wide range of real-life situations and have all the practical information you need to enjoy your next trip to Spain.

Mark Stacey and Angela Gonzalez Hevia have now retired from a lifetime of teaching Spanish in Further Education, Adult Education and at University, and divide their time between the U.K. and Spain. Angela has a language diploma from the University of Toulouse and Mark has an honours degree in Spanish, an MA in Applied Linguistics and is an LRAM.