Easy lessons that help you speak Spanish like a native
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This revised edition of Streetwise Spanish features an. overview of the �signature� words that differentiate speakers across the Spanish-speaking world. It also includes an audio CD featuring 30 dialogs from the book, spoken by native speakers from more than 15 countries and exercises that test your grasp of key slang expressions.
Streets throughout the Spanish-speaking world This book will give you a taste of the vernacular used in a wide variety of places in the Spanish speaking world. This is both the strength of the book and, if you're only interested in learning about one particular piece of the Spanish speaking world, say just Spain or just Mexico, a drawback.
The idioms presented are useful and current. This isn't a text book or a grammar book about usage. Rather, its a sampling of how Spanish is actually spoken by regular people.
I highly recommend it and its companion book, Red Hot Spanish Slang and Idioms, by the same authors.
Warning CD exercises do not follow book at all! When someone "borrowed" my 1st edition, I was glad to be able to get an Audio CD with this second edition. But, the CD chapter exercises do not follow book exercises. The familiar exercises at the end of chapters is a nice touch, but I was disappointed that CD doesn't match up with these. The book itself is a good taste of Spanish slang from around the world. The book is especially good for the learner who has become bored with the usual textbook vocabulary from beginner's Spanish.
Not helpful Only slighlty useful. The CD is of no use at all for learning - it has too little information about too few places. It would have been better to teach U.S. urban terms instead of jumping from country to country giving single phrases.
A waste of money.
Quite Entertaining Throughout my student years I had always learned "proper" Spanish. Just learning proper spanish does not give you a real "feel" for the language. I found many of the phrases in this book quite entertaining and funny. There are chapters for different situations (expressing anger, romantic relationships) each with two conversations in Spanish and then an English translation. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is that they let you know which Spanish-speaking country the phrase is commonly used as well as giving you tips on what phrases are OK to use in one country but can be offensive in another.
The only reason I knocked one star off the rating is because it would have been helpful to include a list of commonly used English phrases with their equivalent Spanish phrases. It's good to know what people are saying, but it is equally good to know how to express yourself. For a more "dictionary" style book, get "The Red-Hot Book of Spanish Slang" written by the same authors.
Makes Learning Spanish Great Fun! Your Streetwise Spanish book arrived promptly and in fine condition. I like the exercises and the practical, funny sayings. It makes learning Spanish much more fun than it was before.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
