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| Michel Thomas Foundation Course: Spanish (Michel Thomas Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Michel Thomas
Publisher: Hodder Arnold
Category: Book
List Price: £68.51
Buy New: £24.40
You Save: £44.11 (64%)
New (31) from £24.40
Avg. Customer Rating:  123 reviews
Sales Rank: 3542
Format: Audiobook
Media: Audio CD
Edition: 2
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.5 x 3.2
ISBN: 0340938935
EAN: 9780340938935
ASIN: 0340938935
Publication Date: September 29, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFT, FULLY SEALED, FROM THE OFFICIAL PUBLISHERS. DISPATCHED IMMEDIATELY VIA ROYAL MAIL. [YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE ADVANCED SPANISH COURSE BY MICHEL THOMAS].
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| Customer Reviews:
 Not for everyone July 20, 2005
21 out of 26 found this review helpful
Despite the rave reviews, I found this course frustrating and of very little practical use. The format (described elsewhere) is not conducive to anything other than very basic learning and in what I covered gave me not much more than an idea of the structure of the language - which even then, was very simplistic. I only got halfway through and hadn't heard a native Spanish speaker utter one single word, nor had I heard a complete sentence spoken without interruption. The course says it is intended to teach the student to converse in Spanish. But if you aren't used to hearing the language spoken, you'll be doing all the (very slow) talking. The first time a Michel Thomas student encounters real Spanish will be a real shock.
The male student on the course is that one from school who held back the whole class because he was so dull - you know who I mean. The female student does well not to rip him to pieces and write things on his back and her frustration can be heard from time to time.
If you want to learn the language instead of imitating it, beg, borrow or steal a copy of the full Pimsleur course. Michel Thomas' course has only one thing going for it: it's cheaper than Pimsleur by a considerable margin. But it's still not worth it.
 Well worth the effort April 29, 2005
21 out of 23 found this review helpful
Although at times dry and long-winded, a very effective method of instruction. The key to his undoubted success is getting you to understand the form of the language. Focussing on verbs and tenses, and developing more complex sentences from simple phrases is spot on, as you can learn the vocabulary that suits your own personal purposes later. His conversational style, and matching the two "students" to the listener, is clever and provides a valuable frame of reference. While you (rightly) feel a sense of achievement immediately, you need to replay each lesson a number of times to get the best of out of the course - it is not for the faint-hearted! And despite his claims, writing down the words as well undoubtedly assists, but also exposes a number of editing holes. Overall though, well worth the effort, and little else compares as well for price or time involved.
Very practical and incredibly effective. March 20, 2005
57 out of 60 found this review helpful
I think the problem in terms of how to learn a second language like Spanish, other than living in Spain itself is the fact that: a.Educational classes are boring and in the end you're only aiming to pass an exam;
b.Learning at home via a book is very boring and non-interactive, plus the brain occasionally does not accept the information to be true, due to the fact that you may be pronouncing words incorrectly, slowing down memory recall. This may sound silly, but it's entirely true;
c.Computer programs are often tedious and despite a plethora of beginners Spanish out on the market, the next step is left desirable. You will be speaking Spanish and remembering and constructing your own words and sentences in Spanish within hours of purchasing (once delivered and also in your possession obviously) this product. Michel Thomas gets straight to business and for the journey you have two companions going through the same experience. You act as the invisible fourth person, you learn from their mistakes (which despite criticisms from other reviewers, is essential learning: how many times have you heard the expression: "You learn from your mistakes".) and if you repeat the course over and over, this will no doubt cement important elements in your mind. The course is simply fantastic and you could never imagine it was this easy to learn a language. If you hate revision and homework, then this really will suit you as Michel Thomas stresses how important it is not to do homework and not to try and remember. A perfect course in every way.
Original, intuitive and effective teaching! March 4, 2005
29 out of 31 found this review helpful
Despite the APPALLING packaging, these CD's instantly start to deliver an amazing, clear, logical, and comprehensive starting point for learning the Spanish language.Michael Thomas instructs you NOT to make notes, NOT to try to remember, but to just relax and let the instructions just wash over you. I learnt more in 10 minutes listening to him than I did in a WHOLE YEAR of evening classes! If YOU'RE fed up ploughing through dusty, dreary old books, and following some computer instruction that requires you to 'practise' in your spare time, just listen to Michael. His accent is a little tricky sometimes, and your equipment DEFINITELY needs a PAUSE button, but YOU don't have to WORK at it - HE DOES ALL THE WORK, and you end up speaking Spanish EFFORTLESSLY! It's a bit pricey, BUT IT WORKS! I've spent more than this on courses, and dreary books!
If you want to learn Spanish,: buy this course February 10, 2005
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
I cannot recommend this highly enough. Having struggled with the Linguaphone course and learned very little, I was very sceptical about another audio course. However this one came persoanlly recommended by a friend and I am so glad I followed his advice. Right from the beginning you are forming phrases and sentances; not just repeating meaningless phrases like a parrott. In doing so Michel Thomas teaches a very good grounding in grammer with you hardly noticing. This is one to listen to in the car, in bed or anywhere you have access to a CD player. Try uploading it onto an ipod and take it with you where ever you go. Learning is made fun and easy and you will be amazed by how much you have actually learned and remembered - even after the first CD. This course gives you the confidence to speak your new language from the start and gives you a real sense of achievement making you feel good inside. Do as I did: follow the advice and try it now.
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