Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation is a book for learners of Spanish of all ages. It will increase your confidence in holding a conversation in Spanish, whether you are just starting to learn Spanish, studying at school or at an evening class, or brushing up your language skills. You may be going on holiday or planning to go travelling in a Spanish-speaking country, go there on business, or live there. Whatever your situation, you’ll want to be able to communicate effectively and naturally in Spanish.
Becoming proficient in a foreign language means being able to use and understand a number of different aspects – vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and so on. However, it takes a while to be able to put all these elements together and be sure that what you are saying sounds like natural Spanish. The Easy Learning Spanish Conversation has been carefully designed to bring these aspects together and give you language structures which you can use in conversation with confidence, knowing that you will be speaking Spanish as spoken by Spanish speakers.
Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation is made up of 12 units, each illustrating the language used in a particular situation, followed by a summary which brings together the key phrases covered throughout the units. You’ll also find the One-stop phrase shop – a unit which contains all the important expressions and turns of phrase that help you to sound more natural in Spanish.
A short grammar and verbs supplement gives you additional language support, ensuring that you have everything at your fingertips. Finally, the English-Spanish glossary covers the most important vocabulary you may need to personalize your conversation.
Language allows us to express ourselves and interact with others. In any given situation, we perform different language tasks, such as asking for information, agreeing and disagreeing, complaining, making suggestions and so forth. To do this, we use linguistic structures (How…?, When…?, Could I…?, I’d like… and so on) which can be used in a variety of contexts. Each unit in Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation gives you all the phrases you might need in a given situation, grouped by structure. English headings help you navigate through the structures to enable you to find what you want quickly and easily. Throughout the units, there are also tips headed ¿Lo sabías? which highlight important differences in the way English and Spanish work.
A conversation, by definition, is a two-way process. It is as important to understand what is being said to you as it is to be able to respond. At the end of each unit, there is a section headed Listen out for. Each of these sections gives you a variety of the most typical phrases which you might hear in a given situation. Becoming familiar with these will allow you to have a successful conversation with a Spanish speaker. For further help with pronunciation, a free download with all the important structures recorded is available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources.
Communicating effectively in Spanish isn’t just about linguistic competence – it’s also about cultural knowledge. For you to feel confident in a Spanish-speaking country, it is also useful to know more about Spanish culture and lifestyle. At the end of each unit, the Lifestyle Tips will give you the information you need to gain a deeper insight into the language, the country and its people.
Why choose Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation?
• easy to use all the key language structures you need to give you the confidence to hold a conversation in natural Spanish
• easy to read a clear, modern layout which allows you to find what you need quickly and easily
• easy to understand the language you may hear from Spanish speakers in a given situation
• easy to speak free audio download available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources
The Collins Easy Learning range
The Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation is part of the best-selling Collins Easy Learning range, which includes the highly acclaimed Collins Easy Learning Spanish Dictionary. Collins Easy Learning Spanish Grammar and Collins Easy Learning Spanish Verbs support you with all your grammatical needs, and the Collins Easy Learning Spanish Words allows you to learn and practise your Spanish vocabulary. The Collins Easy Learning series is the ideal language reference range to help you learn Spanish.
Spanish pronunciation is easier than you might think. First, words are written pretty much as they sound. So, when you see a new word written you’ll know how to pronounce it and when you hear a new word you’ll know immediately how to spell it. Second, there are no sounds which are radically different from English ones. Below we give some tips to help you pronounce Spanish naturally.
In English, vowels we don’t emphasize tend to sound like the –er in mother, for example central, January. In Spanish this never happens. Spanish vowels are always clearly pronounced.
This is how Spanish vowels are generally pronounced:
| a | – between the a in hat and the u in Southern English hut |
| e | – similar to e in pet |
| i | – similar to ee in been, but shorter |
| o | – similar to o in hot |
| u | – similar to oo in too, but shorter |
This is how Spanish consonants are generally pronounced:
| b, v | – these are pronounced exactly the same as one another |
| at the start of a word, say them like boy (barato, valija) | |
| otherwise, say them like very, but without letting your lips touch (labio, lavar) |
| c | –
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