Nuria Agulló - Spanish Among Amigos Phrasebook

Conversation for the Socially Adventurous SECOND EDITION Nuria Agull Copyright 2011 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: 978-0-07-175416-3
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First of all, I want to thank my ingenious editor, Garret Lemoi, for talking me into doing this phrasebook. Thanks, Garret, for your enthusiasm and encouragement! Thanks also to my agent, Ed Knappman, for being there when needed, and various phone chats when your support, patience, and mellow baritone voice did wonders.

I also feel lucky to have dealt with Charlie Fisher, who orchestrated the books production. Cheers, Charlie, youre a real class act. As for the core support teamall amigostheir identities will be protected (no full names here), and they will remain fabulously incognito. Here goes... Thanks, Juan, for your beautiful editing job. Thanks, Hugo, for your pithy cutting-edge suggestions.

Thanks, Marino, Nenorra, and Oscar, for making the Spanish even leaner and meaner. Thanks, Jorge, for your flexibility and flair on the illustrations. Thanks, Jani Bani, for being a fab all-around consultant. Thanks, Juan Jos, for wading through the word bank so carefully. Thanks, Duquesa DOrtera and Lotte, for your save-the-day input on American slang. Thanks, Fran, for being the bridge to Latin America.

Ditto Luis, my cono sur consultant. And un milln de gracias, Chuchi, Javi, John, Jos, Lourdes, Mandi, Marina, Papi, Pas, Roco, Silos, Stevie, Sweet-ums, and Trisha for your help, interest, and encouragement. Last but not least, mucha gracia (not typosthey zap the final s down here) to all my amigos in Cceres who have made my semi-sabbatical here a real treat.

First of all, as youve probably guessed, this is not your basic Spanish phrasebook. That is, if youre looking for phrases to deal with waiters, sales clerks, and hotel receptionists, youve come to the wrong place. This is not about survival Spanish.

We assume you can survive. We also assume youre interested in something more than getting by. This phrasebook is about really conversing in Spanish. And yes, its written with a special type of person in mindsomeone whos already got a little Spanish under his or her belt and whos more into the living culture than being carted around to see the sights. In other words, all you adventurous souls who want to strike out beyond textbook or survival mode, and start really communicating with people. So how does this phrasebook work? Basically it gives you the tools you need to carry on a conversation.

Each unit zooms in on a key social function: greeting people, breaking the ice, relaying news and gossip, giving your opinion, and so on. Apart from ready-to-go phrases thatll get you sounding like a native, youll also find grammar pointers, insights into Spanish culture, notes on idioms and slang, and tips on avoiding common blunders. Along the way, youll also be exposed to real-life conversations in Spanish among amigos. Enter Pepa and Pili, along with their friend Lola and Mark, an American whose Spanish doesnt quite measure up. You may have already met this duo from Madrid in Spanish Among Amigos, a hands-on vocabulary builder that later gave rise to the idea for this phrasebook. Weve toned down the dialogues here to make them a little more accessible, but for those of you who arent familiar with the original Spanish Among Amigos and are up for a bit more of a challenge after this, we recommend that you check it out.

Thats all, folks! We hope this phrasebook not only opens up new horizons, but also has you chuckling along the way. And best of luck on your Spanish odyssey. May you make many new amigos!

Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of this book. Follow them, and youre in business! This book is not intended to be used as a script. Any conversation needs a good dose of spontaneity and improvisation. As in English, there are many ways in Spanish to say hello, goodbye, give your opinion, offer advice, and so on. As in English, there are many ways in Spanish to say hello, goodbye, give your opinion, offer advice, and so on.