| | |  | Babies | Home » » Discover Spanish: THE Best Way to Learn Spanish | | | | | | | Description: | | From the people who brought you the best seller Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe comes a breakthrough new program that is THE best way to learn to speak Spanish. Discover Spanish is the award-winning language system that uses a building block approach to teach practical conversational skills to people of all ages. It's the only program of its kind that offers animated native-speaking characters, cultural information, and games... all presented in an interactive and engaging format. This is a hands-on language learning system that engages all your senses. Discover Spanish does not have boring drills and the endless rote memorization that most programs have. Discover Spanish is unique in that it offers the value of play which increases retention. The program comes with 42 audio lessons on 6 Audio CDs to reinforce the material covered in the interactive software. | | | Features: | |
• Discover Spanish was designed by language experts using a building block approach that teaches practical conversational skills
• Discover Spanish is a complete language-learning system covering vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and culture
• The immersion method is supported through the use of an interactive environment featuring a cast of animated characters in real-life situations
• The step-by-step process -- Explore, Learn and Practice -- motivates students to learn at their own pace and increases retention
• Learn on the Go with 42 audio lessons for your CD, ipod, or mp3 player
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Weight:
| 0.31 pounds | | Package Length:
| 4.72 inches | | Package Width:
| 2.17 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.16 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.05 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 21 reviews |
| | | System Requirements: | | | Platform:
| Mac / Windows | | Media:
| CD-ROM | | Item Quantity:
| 1 |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 21 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
 Great Product!!Jan 15, 2009
By Sheree
I bought this program because I`ve been wanting to re-learn Spanish again and this looked like a good beginners course for any age. I've tried 2 other Spanish programs and had no luck. They were too complicated and frustrating and I gave up.
With Discover Spanish I was able to immediately start learning the basics in an easy to understand and colorful format. The lessons are nice & short (about 10-15 minutes) and I don't feel overwhelmed or confused. They are broken up into small bites that are easy to digest. Sometimes I did one lesson at a time and other days I was able to do 2 or 3 in a row. As easy as it appears to be, though, I found it was best to not rush ahead too quickly because I needed that retention time, to let what I learned, really sink in. I could practice the conversations by repeatedly clicking on the animated characters as needed and hearing them repeat the sentence as many times as I needed, then go on to the next when I was ready. Using "flash" is a terrific interactive feature of the program and allows this back and forth interaction. I don't know of any other Spanish programs that have this design feature.(and I've been looking!) I'm a visual person so this
program has been a blessing for me! It took me awhile before I figured out who was who with all the characters, but after you get into the lessons, you see that Johnny and Cristina are brother and sister, Miquel is Cristina's husband, Silvia is a neighbor, and so on. Reviewing grammar and pronunciation was effortless and easy. Another nice feature is the games and cultural notes at the end of each lesson. My favorite lesson is learning different objects in a room. It has a fly that buzzes around the room and lands on different items that you say in Spanish. You click on whatever item you want and that's where the fly goes to. The lessons are well thought out and all build upon each other.
I was very impressed with the amount of learning I was able to accomplish in a few short weeks! These guys really have defined the word E A S Y. My only complaint, if I had to find one, is that there isn't a Discover Spanish CDROM #2, so that I can continue. This program is well worth the modest price I paid- in fact I see it as a real bargain. It is well deserving of the 5 star rating I'm giving it! If you really want to learn how to speak Spanish with little effort, I highly recommend this one!
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
It Helped Me on My Trip!Jan 13, 2009
By FK
I spent a couple of months with Discover Spanish and was extremely pleased with the results! I just returned from a 2-week trip to Mexico and Discover Spanish really helped me to converse with the locals (neither my parents nor my sister spoke, nor attempted to speak, Spanish while we were there).
I've tried other software programs and always dropped out after about the third lesson because the lessons were too long and boring for a beginner like me. I liked Discover Spanish's creative approach to learning Spanish, and the short lessons were quick to master, not to mention useful for communicating in the real world. The overall approach strikes just the right balance and, more importantly, it's neither boring nor frustrating.
15 of 16 found the following review helpful:
A Complete Language Learning System!Nov 19, 2008
By NYteacha
Discover Spanish covers everything you need to know to be able to speak and understand Spanish in 36 innovative lessons. Lessons are organized into thematic units starting with the stuff that you need to know first when you learn a language like greeting people and making introductions.
Lessons are built around a communicative goal so that as you finish each lesson, you not only increase your vocabulary and knowledge of sentence structures, but you also can use the language to accomplish a purpose like asking someone for help, making a telephone call, or ordering food.
Immersion:
Immersion is the buzz word in language learning these days and in Discover Spanish, each lesson begins with the immersion method. You'll immediately find yourself in a real-life situation where you can interact with a cast of animated characters who will engage you in learning to speak Spanish. The cool thing is that you can figure out the meaning of words and phrases by the way they are used in context and through visual clues. Of course, the Spanish text is available if you want it, but it's turned off by default. The interface so simple - if you want to hear a character repeat a line, just click the character again.
I really enjoyed being immersed in the sounds and sights of the Spanish language. Most of the time, there is an ending to the scenario when you've clicked on anything. For example, in the airport, after you click on all the characters and you listen to them exchange farewells, Cristina boards the plane and flies away.
Vocabulary, Sentence Structure, Grammar and Culture:
After being exposed to new words and phrases, your next step is to review the vocabulary and sentence structures related to the communication goal of the lesson.
This is where you see how language can be approached like building blocks and how words fit into sentence patterns that result in full sentences.
Grammar topics are introduced as needed. For those people who find the grammar approach useful, this is a nice resource to include in the program.
The makers of Discover Spanish have not left out culture. Each lesson touches on an aspect of Spanish culture that is relevant to content of the lesson. For example, in the lesson about meeting people, the program explains that in Spanish-speaking countries, when close friends meet, men and women may kiss each other twice, once on each check. Men will greet other men with a quick hug.
Practice Makes Perfect:
The key to learning a language is to practice. Discover Spanish has several interactive exercises that will drill you on the vocabulary and phrases from the lesson. The exercises use audio and pictures to train your brain to think in Spanish.
There is also a Match game that will reinforce what you have learned while you're having fun. The game has three rounds and at the end of each round, the flag, the map, and the country (one of 21 Spanish-speaking countries) is revealed. You also play the game again to try to beat your top score.
Summary:
Discover Spanish is a wonderfully designed learn to speak program. It's appropriate for all ages 9-99. It's simple to navigate and makes learning Spanish fun, not a chore. I also consider it a best buy- very reasonably priced for all that you get!
10 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Discover Spanish is A++Nov 26, 2008
By Sage
Discover Spanish opened doors for me - Literally! I learned Spanish with Discover Spanish before leaving for a trip to Mexico recently. I knew very little Spanish before using the Discover Spanish method. I was amazed that I started learning with their program immediately! It was all very natural and easy. My goal was to learn just enough Spanish to be able to get around and converse a little bit with the locals. I took 3 lessons a week for 12 weeks. When I arrived in Mexico, I was able to speak the language! If I needed to order in a restaurant, ask someone for directions, or check into a hotel, I could do it. I felt very independent. The best part was being able to talk with the natives and make new friends.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Highly Recommend ProductMar 17, 2011
By Erik
Best approach to learning Spanish that I have used. The interface is clean and straightforward. Lessons are fun and interactive. I like the portable too, which lets you hear the lessons on the go. Great preparation for more enjoyable trips to Latin America.
See all 21 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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