Exercise book recommendations.
I would like some recommendations of learning Spanish language text books. I am a beginner. But am keen so perhaps a progressive series would be good. I am also a flamenco dancer heading to Spain to attend a flamenco school where classes are taught in Spanish. If anyone has suggestions re learning Spanish for this purpose I would like to hear them. I have a flamenco language glossary and am learning body parts slowly. I guess what I need is some understanding of instructions. Any help re text book recommendations or my Flamenco question would be great. Thanks.
4 Answers
For me, with the availability of so many resources on line, I never used one single resource. I did, however think that doing lots of simple exercises at the start helped, and I found the two books by Dorothy Richmond in the practice makes perfect series quite helpful. I especially liked the one on pronouns, it really did well on getting me to understand them. Keep in mind these are beginner exercises – but that works well in books, as the answer you get should match the one in the back. Once you get to more complicated thoughts, you need feedback from a person, as there are multiple ways to express a given concept- not just the one in the back of the book, and that is where this forum comes in very handy.
Hi bc...as your level is "beginner" why don't you have a look at our free video resources first?
Learn Spanish
I am assuming you are based in the UK. Some time ago we used a grammar book by Phil Turk which was helpful and a book from a course by Anaya ELE.
However, the internet is now so much better it is easy to check things on there.
I bought myself a book English grammar for students of Spanish
Spinelli English grammar for students of Spanish
I found the book useful as I was an adult returning to language learning and found it helpful to learn the English grammar language. You could try libraries or buy items secondhand.
Collins do a dictionary which includes grammar.
501 verbs is good as it includes a middle section with grammar and exercises.
I personally think the Dorling Kindersley visual bilingual dictionary is brilliant. There is an American edition and a British one. It was recommended to me by our teacher who raved about it
Bilingual pictorial dictionary
A few years ago our teachers used the Prisma books. However we were using C1 it was entirely in Spanish and is a high level. I do not know what the lower level ones are like. Books start A1 A2 and finish C1/2
I don't know what your level is now and whether you are completely self taught.
Here is an online grammar book
You may want to go to a language school in Spain - with your interests Sevilla would be a good idea. I have been on courses with DonQuijote in Salamanca and Valencia and you get a book with the course.
The BBC do an interactive course Mi Vida Loca
The podcasts from Notes in Spanish and Light Speed Spanish are good. NIS has free pdf on some subjects.
Do have a look at the resources on this site as suggested by Heidita
The site below has good explanations about grammar.
Post again if there is more you need.
This wikibooks link in Spanish is useful & there's a pdf format also. Spanish
