Spanish

Many language books are boring-this one is not. Written by a native English speaker who learned Spanish the hard way-by trying to talk to Spanish-speaking people-it offers English speakers with a basic knowledge of Spanish hundreds of tips for using the language more fluently and colloquially, with fewer obvious "gringo" errors. Writing with humor, common sense, and a minimum of jargon, Joseph Keenan covers everything from pronunciation, verb usage, and common grammatical mistakes to the subtleties of addressing other people, "trickster" words that look alike in both languages, inadvertent obscenities, and intentional swearing. He guides readers through the set phrases and idiomatic expressions that pepper the native speaker's conversation and provides a valuable introduction to the most widely used Spanish slang.

Intended to equip learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Latin American Spanish in a broad range of situations, each unit presents a wealth of grammatical points that are reinforced with exercises for regular practice.

This audio language-learning program provides grammar and vocabulary to beginners and advanced students.