Spanish Without the Fuss

By Living Language

Provides twenty lessons covering the basics of vocabulary, grammar, and phrases of everyday spoken Spanish. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0609810634
• ISBN13: 9780609810637
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: Living Language
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.8" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

basic spanish

This book has a well integrated and easy to understand approach to learning Spanish. The CD allows you to hear the practice conversations and, if you have a good ear, correct your own pronunciation. But like all textbooks, this one works best if you are using it as part of a class where you get feedback from a native speaker.

Fun & Funny

Great way to learn Spanish. We've tried lots of other products, this one keep the attention of a 15 y.o. who didn't really want to learn the language.

Delightful in spite of its flaws

Other reviews have mentioned what's wrong with this book. Nonetheless, I found it improved my Spanish rapidly and easily. I had had nothing but the 16 Pimsleur 1 CDs before starting this book. Never took Spanish in school. Still found that I could understand most of this CD after a few listenings and checking with the book what I was hearing. Munday's CD is awesome, although I too wish they had included all the dialogues. That might have required two CDs, but would have been worth it. Anyway, the CD includes speakers from many countries, so one gets to hear lots of different Spanish accents, from Castilian to Mexican, Colombian, Argentinian, and Puerto Rican. The dialogues are entertaining and easy to listen to over and over. The actors are quite good--more talent than on any other language tapes or CDs I have listened to. The amusing story flow helps the phrases stick in one's head. From the taxi driver at the beginning to the difficult department store cashier to the snotty teenager to the flamers in the chat room to the rabid soccer fan to the soap opera addict, the characters all hold one's interest. I find I can listen to it over and over without getting bored, and every time more of it stays with me. I liked that the book teaches the "tu" form thoroughly. Although there is nothing better than Pimsleur for getting a solid start in a language, I find it annoying when Pimsleur's characters use the formal "Usted" to say things like, "Can I go to your house with you? I haven't seen your mother for a long time. And afterward, we could go to dinner and a movie." Obvious from the dialogue that these people are close friends, but they are using "Usted." Note that Munday's CD does NOT have silent pauses for one to repeat the dialogue. So this is not a substitute for a Pimsleur or Berlitz type of CD, but a useful addition.

For my classes

I teach a Beginners' Basic Conversational Spanish course at a local recreation center. This is the second time I'm ordering copies of this book for my group. I find it clear, not for kids and with a little humor to boot. It could be used as a do-it-yourself course too. The CD that comes with it is essential.