Speak Spanish with Michel Thomas

This is an excellent way to learn Spanish. I think more educational programs ought to go this route. I mean, how do we teach kids to learn English? By propping a book in front of them and forcing them to memorize it? No, by conversactional English. THEN, do the writing. That is essentially what this CD set is doing. Yes, sometimes it is hard to under Michel at first. Then, you get used to his speaking. Having actual students makes it really handy. The lack of "pressure" helps things sink in. I tried some terminology CDs and they just don't work as well. If you want to learn conversational Spanish, especially if you have kids or friends that are learning Spanish, try this out (and consider the 8 CD set as well).

This is a 2CD-introd pack - which is excellent in leading the learner, together with 2 students, under the real-situation guidance of Mr Thomas - you will be eager to learn, urge to know more and confident to get it wrong and right. I'm a Chinese with only half-fluency in English -and Spanish is going to be my third language, and it really can help - and advise you to buy the full-pack -not like me, only the intro - otherwise, you need to buy it again for full-pack....it's really excellent and beyond other words to tell more. Remember - no book and no pen for this course. However, you can grasp the basics - the sentence structure and so you can make your own sentences step by step. GLEE

Who's Michel Thomas you ask - an old man who slobbers constantly on the recording who fought with the French Resistance and is the foreign language professor du jour of the stars. I mean, if Emma Thompson can pick it up, surely you can - right? Right. We're talking Michel Thomas here - he doesn't mess around. I have studied Spanish books, but it never really sank in until I heard it pronounced properly by Michel Thomas and his astute and sexy female student - and then butchered mercilessly to death by the ingrate male student. Michel Thomas is overly patient with the moronic male student - almost to a fault. Thomas almost loses it when, on the 2nd CD at the end, the male student says "mas o menos" repeatedly when asked to say "mas tarde." Not to be missed. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion at the idiocy of the male student - he provides good comic relief and, in turn, helps with the learning process in a strange kind of way. If he can learn(if that's what he's doing), then anybody can. Undoubtedly, I consider Michel Thomas THE preeminent teacher and this CD set to be the sublime paradigm of Spanish audio learning for beginners.

I was convinced I could not learn by listening to tapes or cd's because of all the money I wasted trying different audio products which I just couldn't "get". This was driving me crazy because the only free time I had to learn a language was during my commute so I needed something I could listen to. That all changed when I took one more chance and bought Speak Spanish With Michel Thomas. All I needed was the right teacher and Michel Thomas was that teacher. The audio quality is great, the method is incredible, and most importantly I am finally learning Spanish!

I have been married to a native Spanish speaker for 6 years, and have never been able to pick up Spanish until I put these 2 CDs on in my car. He alternates English and Spanish, in a conversational style and I was able to jumpstart my learning in about 10-12 hours. Highly recommended.