Mark Rhea - DIY Spanish: Top 12 Tools for Speaking Spanish

Top 12 Tools for Speaking SpanishMARK RHEA Copyright 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-07-178508-2 MHID: 0-07-178508-6 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-177609-7, MHID: 0-07-177609-5. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.

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Bonus audio recordings online! Perfect your pronunciation before your trip by listening to audio recordings of key expressions and dialogues in this book. Spoken by native Spanish speakers, the recordings are conveniently arranged for quick and easy access.

Go to www.audiostudyplayer.com, launch the Study Player, and then select: Spanish > Beginner Courses > DIY Spanish.

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DIY Spanish breaks the mold by organizing language into specific tasks, giving the student the tools to communicate effectively right from the start. Unlike traditional language books that present lessons from the easiest to the most difficult, DIY Spanish emphasizes what Spanish speakers use most. Like any good toolbox, DIY Spanish gives the language student the right tool for the task, minimizing the fluff and filler found in most textbooks and phrase books. DIY Spanish is divided into two broad categories: speaking sections (Power Tools, Hand Tools, and Nuts & Bolts), and a comprehensive reference section (The Tool Shed) for even the most advanced student. IF YOU STUDIED SPANISH IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGEThis book was written with you in mind! Begin with and work your way down.

The spoken sections (Power Tools, Hand Tools, Nuts & Bolts) highlight the most important and basic uses of Spanish. These sections clarify what you have previously studied and are organized to move you towards speaking Spanish. After mastering the Power Tools, Hand Tools, Nuts & Bolts, continue on to the reference sections (The Tool Shed) to further perfect your skills. THE COMPLETE BEGINNER If you have never been exposed to Spanish, use the alternatively ordered Table of Contents below. Start with and make your way down the list. Focus on the information you find most useful, moving quickly as needed.

Dont waste time! BEFORE GETTING STARTED The spoken sections and chapters are divided into three parts: Power Tools, Hand Tools, and Nuts & Bolts. The most important and practical section is Power Tools, followed by Hand Tools, and finally, Nuts & Bolts. The reference sections and chapters include The Tool Shed and Vocabulary sections. Power Tools focuses on how to communicate basic wants, desires, future plans, likes & dislikes, and needs.Hand Tools is essential for describing and identifying yourself and your surroundings. Nuts & Bolts covers common structures like commands and past tenses. The Tool Shed is a comprehensive reference and review for every level, from beginning to advanced.

It includes a review of every important tense and construction as well as telling time, possession, irregular verb charts, and more. Vocabulary consists of 13 theme-based vocabulary sections, the essential fill-in words, common verbs, cognates (words that are similar in Spanish and English), and adjectives. To get started, lets review some basic information like verbs, personal pronouns, and common courtesies. VERBS: THE KEY TO COMMUNICATION Verbs are essential for both speaking and understanding language, and help to communicate the big picture by telling us what is happening. Below is a quick overview of how verbs change in English and Spanish, and some of the words used to describe verbs. In English, verbs do not change, or conjugate, often. We either say live, or lives: I, you, we, they, or you all live, or, he or she lives.

In Spanish, however, the verb to live has five different forms! Look at the comparison of to live in English and Spanish (vivir) on the next page. The form of the verb in bold (