Easy Spanish Step-by-Step

By: Barbara Bregstein

Narrated by: Rachel Story

Length: 37 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Easy Spanish Step-by-Step is the top-selling Spanish book on all of Amazon! Ranked number one in the Spanish language instruction category after more than 5,000 four- and five-star reviews, the reviews speak for themselves. Now, it’s your turn to learn Spanish with us! This audio course is designed to help you learn Spanish as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

No one wants to spend effort and hours learning a language, and still not truly, authentically, be able to speak it. Well—no se preocupe (“don’t worry”)—with years of experience and thousands of success stories, we’ve got you covered! No matter your reason, once you’ve committed yourself to learning this beautiful language, you want to be sure you do it right. Right?

Here’s what you can expect from your Easy Spanish Step-by-Step course:

• Be ready to listen and speak—a lot! This is the way that each and every one of us learned our first language, and the number one way that our brain actually learns and remembers information. You will be speaking Spanish out loud within your first few minutes with us.
• Learn correct grammar and be able to apply it to your communication. This audio course is the product of a fusion of two methods: comprehensive grammatical understanding blended with authentic, child-like acquisition through listening and speaking.
• Actively engage in your learning with dynamic practice activities! This course is not a podcast or a lecture to simply listen to. You are going to be interacting with us the entire time: responding to questions, filling in the missing word, giving your opinions, and more.
• Tune your ‘Spanish ear’ to an authentic, native Spanish-speaker accent. Your new Spanish teacher, Rachel, is accompanied by Jorge, a native Spanish speaker. Adapt your listening skills to the “real” Spanish you will hear out in the community and across the world—not only the slow, clearly-enunciated Spanish you would hear in a classroom setting.
• Make meaningful connections between newly introduced words and concepts and your own life, further increasing your brain’s ability to remember them thanks to the personal connection.
• Develop your skills through a natural mix of language structure and fluid, conversational-style listening.
• Listen to original stories and poems in Spanish and demonstrate understanding through interactive questions.
• Receive consistent encouragement to recognize your growth, and to always take the course at your own pace.

Easy Spanish Step-by-Step is designed in such a way that each section builds upon the last to help your brain progressively create lasting and meaningful connections to each new word and grammar concept. Simply by listening and speaking out loud with us, you will naturally progress, step by step, toward Spanish communication and fluency.

©2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (P)2021 Upfront Books

Very Cool

I have completed a basic class and now trying this book to learn more grammar and vocabulary. I have had the printed version of this book for a while, but never got beyond chapter 2. This audio book is following the printed book and it is made very very well. I am only in chapter 5 and I am definitely learning stuff. It is well presented so makes it easy to listen and learn.

genuinely love this teachers style, she is kind

teacher is warm and celebrates your little victories. i recommend thos program, but you need to practice, and actively listen. there will be quizzes and you need to pause and try and answer them.

Very Extensive

This course is amazing. They go with you, step by step, through various grammar concepts and verb tenses. By the end of the course, you can already form sentences and have conversations in Spanish. Highly recommend! A+

Fantastic audio especially in combination with the physical book.

My Spanish tutor recommended this book in my first lesson and I’m very grateful she did! From day 1 I combined the audio with the physical book which is 95% in sync. It really helps me stay on track and I’m progressing into the immediate section. NOTE: I’m glad they have just launched the complete audio Spanish book which has this book plus the advanced section. I will be purchasing that audio book because my physical book is the complete book. Save yourself the money and go for the complete.

So worth it!

For the very first time I can see myself being able to speak Spanish. Every day for the past 5 months I’ve been listening and practicing for one hour and my progress is tremendous. Will keep repeating these 15 chapters for the next 6 months or until I think I’m ready for the next course.

It's terrific...with two annoying aspects

Structure is great, and the narration is engaging. It is a great supplement to Paul Noble. I agree with the positive reviews here regarding this audiobook, but there were two minor but not insignificant things that bothered me about the audiobook.

First, I think it would have been helpful to spell out some of the words. I know the audiobook is long already, but because you have to listen and not read the words as they are presented, it isn't always entirely clear what the consonants and vowels being used in certain words are.

Second (and related), I fairly certain the native Cuban speaker is pronouncing his Bs like Vs. What?!?! And the Vs sound like Vs, not Bs. This is not how I was taught the pronunciation in my 4 years of High School Spanish. It is very confusing to say the least. For instance, they are teaching you the word for "to drink" (beber), but your mind is hearing "vivir" (to live). Yes, some people do live to drink, but it is not helpful in an audiobook.

Best so far . . .

Of all the Spanish language-learning audiobooks I've purchased, including those by Paul Noble, this is the best so far. The lessons provide ample opportunity for repeating, practicing, improving vocabulary and phrasing (and not the typical travel-related phrases either), comprehension, and speaking. My only complaint, and it's a small one, is that some of the self-checking quizzes use a fill-in-the-blank format that doesn't lend itself audio (unless you happen to have a good memory or write down the specific list of verbs being covered by the particular quiz). Other than that, I'm very happy with this audiobook!

Hard to follow

The methodology had me really interested. I had to return the title because it was just so hard to listen to. The first few chapters are basic words and rules. These are said once by an native English speaker and repeated by a native Spanish speaker. Some words are hard to hear the Annunciation from the English speaker which then leaves you lost trying to decipher the through the Spanish accent.
I felt after some time that is was falling behind as words were getting strung together and I could not understand the pronunciation and ultimately returned the title.

Missing sections/Chapters in audiobook!

I am learning spanish using this book and the audiobook to go along with it.
Till chapter 7, things were good.
Half of chapter 7 is missing.
I am in Chapter 8 now and the editing SUCKS.
I don't know who took over the second half of the book, but it is TERRIBLE with half the things missing.
Very very disappointing as it was going very well till Chapter 7.

NPR style

It puts me to sleep. It is like listening to NPR radio. The audio is terrible. Being someone from the recording industry, this makes it hard to listen to. The audio goes “tinny” with pops. It sounds as if the speaker is bumping the microphone at times. The audio quality also makes it difficult to hear the correct pronunciations. I bought the book to be able to understand the speaker. The book is better than the audiobook.