Excellent Really Teaches You Spanish

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I liked the first program so much (Conversational Latin American Spanish 1) that I decided to move up to Conversational Latin American Spanish 2. I'm so glad I did.Awesome memory technique. Great detailed timed repetition that never gets boring.Super good native Spanish speakers from Mexico, Colombia and so forth.Warning: This program is designed for people who really want to converse in authentic Latin American Spanish. It's not just another "feel good" program with a few catchy phrases.It requires practice - which is enjoyable and fun but still requires some discipline.The good news is that it really gets you conversing in Spanish fast.

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Nice Job -- Worth the Money

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You don't listen all in one sitting.You listen to as little or to as much as you want to at one time. You can skip around in the lessons, too.

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I learned quite a bit of useful Spanish from this program. Some words I already knew but what was most valuable to me about these lessons was the way the speakers said sentences kind of slow at first and then said them again faster at a regular speaking rate. I don’t have much trouble learning new vocabulary words in Spanish but I get tongue tied when I try to speak them, especially several words fast one right after the others. But when the Spanish is all said at a slowed down pace like with this program, and then speeded up, it makes it a lot easier to get used to speaking Spanish like it is really spoken. This teaching process really worked for me and I learned to speak much better Spanish from it.

A lot more than one hour of dialog is given, and the conversation that is presented is long and multi-faceted, but it is fortunately, broken down into digestible bits that can be practiced and understood. This is extremely helpful to the learner who comes in from nowhere and hears a lot of Spanish spoken at native speed that sounds like unintelligible "gibberish" unless it is deciphered and explained.

It might be a little hard for a complete beginner but if you have some Spanish experience in your background, like a semester or two back in school, then you’re probably at the right level for this audio program. Your ability to speak in Spanish will definitely get better fast.

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13 people found this helpful

A Few Sentences of Spanish

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would add more Spanish phrases, and delete much of the English repetition such as, "You should have said." Also, don't need to hear Mark explain the purpose of the course more than once. I understood that the course's purpose was to get the English speaker up to speed on a few sentences.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

A couple of the sentences include some nonsense situations. So much repetition is tedious. More sentences and a little less speed. It is doubtful that anyone could become fluent if this much time was necessary to be spent on every Spanish sentence.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

See what I would change in this book above.

Was Conversational Latin-American Spanish 2 worth the listening time?

It was somewhat interesting to get up to speed on a few phrases, since Spanish speakers hablan muy rapido, but the learner is also trying to build vocabulary. It's one tool for the intermediate Spanish student.

Any additional comments?

I do not think this is the way to learn Spanish except for the speed drills. Spanish can be learned by studying courses that give a grammar and vocabulary foundation along with conversation. But, it is ok for demonstrating how speed can be increased with repetition. I think speed can also be increased by practicing all the Spanish that is learned, and the student becomes faster that way rather than just concentrating on a few phrases. I'm now listening to a Speak to Me Book with more vocabulary.

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You Remember What You Learn

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What counts in learning a language, in this case Spanish, is not just fun lessons played once and immediately forgotten. What counts is what you actually can remember and use. The Frobose Memory Technique that is used in Conversational Latin American Spanish 2 is awesome. The spaced interval memory technique ensures that you WILL REMEMBER what you learn. Of course, you must actually expend a little effort on your part, but the system is so seamless that you actually ENJOY the process of learning to speak Spanish conversationally by hearing the real language spoken by natives and then you get to participate over and over until you get it right. Like Language Guy Mark Frobose says in the program “Timed repetition is the mother of fluency”. I agree.

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Amazing Effective Real Spanish

First you get hit with real Latin American Spanish (not esoteric Castilian that no one uses) spoken at native speed, with English explanations so you always understand while you learn. Very different from most Spanish programs who make you “guess” at meanings.
With this great approach, you are constantly being “brought back” to the original sentences and convesations until you can you them. You actually get to hear it all spoken slowly, breaking it down piece by piece. Then you get to practice speaking the pieces slowly, much like a child “gets to” practice walking, step by step. Then Mark gradually speeds up the process and has the native speakers speaking more quickly until they’re speaking at a “native pace”. So important to understand while you’re learning and to learn and remember and then to be given the chance to actually “Practice” while you learn. Amazing and effective huge step towards fluency in Spanish.

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The very best!!

Fantastic! So far this aaa the easiest way for me to learn to speak and understand.

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really pushes you to learn, speak, comprehend

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I learned to speak a lot of "real" Spanish with this program and the Conversational Latin American Spanish 1 combined. I tried Pimsleur programs and liked them but didn't feel like I was getting enough vocabulary. Frobose's (or Language Audiobook's - whatever) Conversational Latin American Spanish really pushes you to learn, speak, comprehend. Warning: There is repetition. So what? What can you learn without practice? Nothing. I will say that Mark did a great job making the repetition part interesting and fun, and the best part is that it really works.

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Excellent Conversations Really Teach to Converse

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The content and method used in this program are excellent. Several conversations are used and taught for mastery in Spanish conversation.
To dabble in a language is to listen to a lot of material once or twice, and then quit.
To master Spanish conversation, one needs the method used in Conversational Latin American Spanish 2.
Here are what I consider to be the highlights of this program:
1. Great method with memory recall.
2. Great native speaking voices from all over the Spanish-speaking world.
3. Different rates of speed. This is a stroke of genius. Like in English when you hear
"Did you ever go?" sounds one way slow, but when spoken quickly it sounds like
"Jever go?". Same thing in Spanish. This stuff takes real practice, and this program gives it to you.
Bottom Line: If you want a real "let's get down to work and really learn how to speak Spanish" program, then Conversational Latin American Spanish 2 is for you.
If you only want fluff, you don't like to practice, and you don't really care, then please try a different approach, because this one will not appeal to you.

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From My Mind into My Mouth

What did you love best about Conversational Latin-American Spanish 2?

Complicated sentences are said more slowly at first and then speeded up to normal talking speed. That makes it much easier to learn and remember the words and say them in the right order.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's not necessary to listen all at once. You can decide for yourself to listen a little or a lot at one time.

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I am minoring in Spanish in college. Next summer I am going to Mexico City for two months. Part of the program will include Spanish classes at the university there. I can’t wait! I have made good grades in Spanish classes but I know I can’t really speak it yet so I got this Conversational Latin American Spanish audio course. This course takes the head knowledge that I gained from Spanish classes and puts it to use in actual speaking scenarios.

Right into the first section I was sure that I was in over my head. Then after giving several sentences at normal speed the speakers slowed it down, saying the longer more difficult sentences slowly and then speeding it back up. That’s the way it was throughout the program and I found it a perfect way to learn. You hear how it is said and then it is slowed down for you so that you can learn it and then it is gradually speeded back up to normal talking speed. It’s the perfect way to learn! I’m lovin’ it!

I listen for a few minutes while I am walking to class and sometimes when I have an hour or so between classes. I listen on the bus when I go downtown to shop. Sometimes I listen at night for fifteen or twenty minutes after I get into bed. I have found that I can listen for five minutes or for forty-five minutes. Sometimes I listen to three or four minutes several times in a row and other times I do a whole section non-stop. It doesn’t matter. You can jump around as much as you want, although I personally recommend that you listen to the entire program from beginning to end the first time through, but you don’t have to do it the first time through all in the same sitting. After you’ve heard it all you can go back and forth and jump around. I have found that a good technique is to blindly run the audio up for a few minutes and then stop it and just start there.

I know I’m obsessed. But I know that this course will really give me a jump on being able to converse with people while I am learning Spanish in Mexico this coming summer. These great portable audio lessons have taken my Spanish from my brain and put it onto my tongue. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I want them to do a conversational Spanish level 3 so that I can continue to improve after I return.

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CHALLENGES AND TEACHES

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I used all of Nobles programs and just by chance happened upon Frobose’s wonderful Power Spanish and now I’m doing Conversational LA Spanish 1 and 2.
Level 2 is awesome. These programs really challenge you to speak, remember, retain, and create. Yes. Create your own Spanish senteces. Also … I’ve always had difficulty understanding Spanish spoken at native speed. This program has really helped my not just to speak Spanish faster and better, but also to understand what the heck natives speakers are saying when they talk so fast. Excellent.

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