Jun 01 2004
Contents
How to Use This Book, 15
Dondero’s Language Learning Journey, 16
How to Learn Another Language Quickly!, 17
So, What are the Shortucts?, 18
Lesson 1: The Spanish Language, 27
A Few Facts & Figures, 27
A Little Spanish History & Geography, 29
Getting Familiar With Spanish Culture, 31
Lesson 2: The Sounds of Spanish, 35
The Spanish Alphabet, 35
Natural Vs. Written Accents, 35
Common Spanish Words, 35
The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication, 38
Lesson 3: The Spanish You Already Know, 41
Some Popular Phrases From Movies and Music, 41
Words That Have Crept Into Use in American English, 42
Lesson 4: Cognates (Cognados), 47
Definition, 47
Universal Cognates, 47
Romance (Latin) Language Cognates, 48
English/Spanish Cognates, 50
Exact Cognates, 51
Near Cognates, 51
False Cognates, 51
Lesson 5: Basic Conversation, 61
Introductions, 61
Interrogatives (Question Words), 63
Key Words & Phrases, 64
Lesson 6: Quick Overview of Grammar, 69
Gender, Singular Versus Plural, 69
The Articles, 71
Prepositions, 73
Pronouns, 73
Lesson 7: Key Verbs and their Conjugations, 77
Regular & Irregular, 77
Ser Vs. Estar, 80
Key Verbs and Their Conjugations, 81
Past & Future Tenses, 85
Lesson 8: Introduction to Basic Vocabulary, 89
Vocabulary Words, 89
Useful Phrases for Socializing, 96
Colloquialisms, 97
Haggling With Shopkeepers in Border Towns or Caribbean Tourist Traps, 99
Miscellaneous Shopping Vocabulary, 105
How to Tell a Spanish Speaker to Slow Down When They Start Speaking Too Fast, 108
Asking for Directions, 108
Cruise Ship Terms, 114
Pick-up Lines for the All-American Guy and Gal Seeking Romance With a Spanish Speaker, 115
Spring Break Terms, 117
Key Words to Get You Out of a Mexican Jail and Other Important Emergency Phrases, 119
Montezuma’s Revenge: Getting Sick in Mexico or Another Spanish-Speaking Country, 120
Lesson 9: Immersion, the Final Step, 125
Bonus Chapter: Brazilian Portuguese, 129
Grammar Notes, 130
Basic Phrases, 131
Key Prepositions, 134
Numbers, 135
General Vocabulary, 135
Special Vocabulary, 136
About the Authors, 137