Does Getting Started with Spanish teach the type of Spanish spoken in the Americas or in Spain?
The short answer is both. This book just teaches beginning Spanish, so at this stage, that issue does not come up very often. But when it does (mostly with regard to the usage of the word ustedes) the variations in usage are fully addressed.
What's different about Getting Started with Spanish? What advantage would it give me over other popular Spanish methods?
The basic idea of Getting Started with Spanish is that it introduces only one new word or concept in each lesson. And, after each new thing is introduced, there are lots of exercises that allow you to master that new material.
Sometimes, when a language book moves too fast and introdces too many things at one time, it can leave the student discouraged. But when a book introduces only one thing at a time, it sends quite a different message to the reader. It says, "You can handle this. Let's take it step by step." The psychology of learning is an important concept to keep in mind, especially when designing a curriculum for a homeschooled or self-taught student. The structure of a book can affect the attitude and motivational level of the student. Instead of discouraging the reader with too much information, the goal is to keep them moving forward. And Getting Started with Spanish does just that. After completing each small lesson, the student feels encouraged and ready to continue on to the next lesson. This is crucial for the simple reason that if the student quits, he or she will not learn anything!
Additionally, on a purely cognitive level, introducing only one thing at a time allows for better comprehension of the material.
So what advantages does Getting Started with Spanish offer?
- Better comprehension
- Better retention
- Better independent study
- More motivation and encouragement for the reader
- Free, comprehensive audio recordings
- Any parent, regardless of educational background, can help his or her child learn Spanish with this book.
What grammatical points does Getting Started with Spanish cover?
Getting Started with Spanish covers the following:
- Nouns
- Gender
- Definite articles
- Indefinite articles
- Singular and plural
- Greetings and salutations
- Subjects
- Verbs
- Pronouns
- Linking verbs
- Titles
- Person
- Numbers 1-12
- The personal endings of verbs
- Spanish's derivation from Latin
- Possession
- Idioms
- Stem-changing or shoe verbs
- Conjugations
- Questions
- The personal a
- Formal and informal speech
- Infinitives
- Yo puedo (poder)
- Expressing purpose
- Differences in usage between ser verbs and estar verbs
- Gerunds
- Using me gusta
- Adjectives
- Demonstrative adjectives (this and that)
This book only covers the beginning stages of Spanish grammar. However, the lessons are presented in such a way as to guide homeschooled and self-taught students successfully into the study of Spanish.
