Pimsleur Spanish Level 2 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Latin American Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (2) (Comprehensive)

Description

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Spanish Did you know that Spanish is the world’s second most commonly spoken language? For Americans, it’s one of the easiest to learn, and you won’t find anything faster or easier than the Pimsleur® Method. Even knowing a little bit of Spanish will make travel to Latin America or Spanish-speaking countries a breeze. Whether you want to travel, communicate with friends or colleagues, reconnect with family, or just understand more of what’s going on in the world around you, learning Spanish will expand your horizons and immeasurably enrich your life. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be difficult or take years to master. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes, and we get you speaking right from the first day. Pimsleur courses use a scientifically-proven method that puts you in control of your learning. If you’ve tried other language learning methods but found they simply didn’t stick, then you owe it to yourself to give Pimsleur a try. Why Pimsleur? - Quick + Easy – Only 30 minutes a day. - Portable + Flexible – Core lessons can be done anytime, anywhere, and easily fit into your busy life. - Proven Method – Works when other methods fail. - Self-Paced – Go fast or go slow – it’s up to you. - Based in Science – Developed using proven research on memory and learning. - Cost-effective – Less expensive than classes or immersion, and features all native speakers. - Genius – Triggers your brain’s natural aptitude to learn. - Works for everyone – Recommended for ages 13 and above. What’s Included? - 30, 30-minute audio lessons - 60 minutes of reading instruction to provide you practice reading Spanish - in total, 16 hours of audio, all featuring native speakers - a Reading Booklet and User’s Guide What You’ll Learn Builds upon skills taught in Pimsleur’s Spanish Level 1. In the first 10 lessons you’ll begin using the past tense. Structures become more complex and informal speech is introduced. Soon you’ll take part in conversations about ordering meals, shopping, and local tourist attractions. As you progress, your fluency will increase as your vocabulary expands. The next 10 lessons will allow you to further combine and build upon known elements, and produce longer and more complex sentences. You’ll be discussing business and social activities, expressing your interests, and talking about the weather. In the final 10 lessons you’ll double your vocabulary and have several hundred structures to draw upon. You’ll learn to express yourself with relative structures – faster, slower, etc. You’ll be able to ask for assistance in many situations and to ask for directions to various locations. You’ll explore sports and leisure activities, manage changing money and banking, and discuss travel plans. By the end of the program, you’ll be speaking at a mid-intermediate level with near-native pronunciation, and you’ll be comfortable meeting most social demands and limited job requirements. Reading Lessons are included at the end of Lesson 30. These lessons, which total about one hour, are designed to give you practice reading Spanish, and to provide you with some insight into Spanish culture with proverbs, common expressions, and a broad look at things you’ll experience when visiting a Spanish-speaking country. The Pimsleur Method We make no secret of what makes this powerful method work so well. Paul Pimsleur spent his career researching and perfecting the precise elements anyone can use to learn a language quickly and easily. Here are a few of his “secrets”: The Principle of Anticipation In the nanosecond between a cue and your response, your brain has to work to come up with the right word. Having to do this boosts retention, and cements the word in your mind. Core Vocabulary Words, phrases, and sentences are selected for their usefulness in everyday conversation. We don’t overwhelm you with too much, but steadily increase your ability with every lesson. Graduated Interval Recall Reminders of new words and structures come up at the exact interval for maximum retention and storage into your long-term memory. Organic Learning You work on multiple aspects of the language simultaneously. We integrate grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, melody, and intonation into every lesson, which allows you to experience the language as a living, expressive form of human culture. Learning in Context Research has shown that learning new words in context dramatically accelerates your ability to remember. Every scene in every Pimsleur lesson is set inside a conversation between two people. There are no drills, and no memorization necessary for success. Active Participation The Pimsleur Method + active learner participation = success. This method works with every language and every learner who follows it. You gain the power to recall and use what you know, and to add new words easily, exactly as you do in English. The Spanish Language Spanish is the official language of 19 Latin American nations, as well as Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Further, it’s one of the six official languages recognized by the United Nations. Pimsleur's Spanish programs teach an educated Latin American Spanish, featuring speakers from Colombia and Mexico. Students can expect to understand the lessons clearly and to be understood by Spanish speakers everywhere. Tech Talk - CDs are formatted for playing in all CD players, including car players, and users can copy files for use in iTunes or Windows Media Player. Review: Would strongly recommend - I highly recommend Pimsleur Spanish for those with no previous experience who want a good basis in speaking the language. I studied German in Jr High and High School, and felt like I had virtually no ability to speak it after 3 years. At this point I have finished Pimsleur Spanish 1 and 2, and have just returned from a vacation in Mexico where I had a chance to try it out. I got a lot of compliments on my Spanish (and importantly, my accent). It may be that the early Pimsleur courses focus on things commonly said in the course of travel or business, but I found I was able to say 75% or more of what I wanted to communicate, and was understood in almost all cases. If you really think about this it is impressive- the courses cover roughly 15 hours of audio time each. Admittedly I listed to each lesson 2-3 times before moving on, but 30 hours of instruction can get you to the point where you can get your ideas across. I would not claim to be fluent by any standard; more like an advanced beginner. I have a lot of trouble understanding the rapid-fire speech of native speakers, and I'm certain my grammar could use a lot of work as well. But I did this while in my car driving to work each day, so there was virtually no time commitment outside of my normal routine. Another down-side is that you don't get much experience in reading. When I look in my daughter's Spanish book I am consistently shocked at how things are spelled. However, I think that actually helps with pronunciation, as you have no preconceived notion of what the word should sound like based on its spelling. Since you only ever hear native speakers say the word, my guess is that a person who studied a language via Pimsleur probably has a better accent than someone at a similar level who learned it in school the traditional way. I have already purchased Pimsleur Spanish 3, and am planning to go on through all 4 courses. Again, I do NOT expect to be fluent by the end, and I think those claims are a bit of a reach by any standard. However this is a great way to start, especially if you don't have the time/money to invest in a course at your local college. Review: This is a great learning tool for busy people (listen in car on the way to work) - I bought this level II course after completing the level I course. I had borrowed a lot of different Spanish learning CDs from the local libraries, and liked this one the best. But when I decided to purchase it I thought it was too expensive, so I signed up for a community college class instead. The college course did not fit my needs, most of the students were 30 years yonger than me and not very enthusuastic about learning. So I bought the tapes. I liked the freedom of learning at my own speed. The 27-29 minute lessons are perfect, for me, since my commute is 1/2 hour. I really had to concentrate when I listened to the CDs in order to say the correct responses. I found that I really was remembering the vocabulary, and the word order - which seemed confusing at first but now is starting to feel more natural. The tapes gave me enough self confidence to try to say a sentence or two to people at work who are native speakers, they seem happy to help since I am really trying. I do not use the CDs on the commute home, I can not learn when I am tired. On the way home I listen to Spanish singing tapes, from the library. The Enrique Iglesias Quizas CD is my current favorite.