The vocabulary index at the end of each chapter is not beginning-student friendly. Rather, at the beginning of the chapter, the vocabulary is presented in a fill-in-the-blanks format instead of in meaningful context. A vocabulary list with English definitions is presented in alphabetical order at the end of each chapter, but not at the beginning. The chapter contents are clearly listed in the Table of Contents at the beginning of the book, although it would be nice if links were included to take someone directly to a specific section in the book. Chapter 10, however, is jammed packed with advanced verb tenses (imperative, subjunctive, future, etc) and tries to summarize an entire second year course in one chapter.
Chapters 1-9 cover, for the most part, what a typical first year Spanish course would cover. I found this book to be a bit overwhelming and too inclusive for a first year, beginning Spanish course. Reviewed by Elsa Coronado Salinas, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 4/12/21
¡Brava! Thank you for creating this comprehensive textbook for beginning students of Spanish! It is an excellent addition to the OER library and will be appreciated by instructors and students alike as an attractive and free alternative to expensive textbooks. I appreciate the inclusion of a thoughtful discussion of gender. However, I would like to see more attention to Spanish in the United States. No major grammatical errors were noted in a cursory evaluation of the text.Ī variety of cultural topics from a wide-range of Spanish-speaking regions are addressed. The Table of Contents and index are clear, but I would like to see more hyperlinked texts to facilitate navigation. The text is easy for students to access and to download. The page design is not overcrowded, and the font is clear. The hyperlinks to the multimedia required users to disable pop-ups. I enjoyed the photos and the general layout. The only glaring question I have relates to the lack of double object pronouns. The text is well organized into chapters and sections. The organization and presentation of content are consistent throughout. The explanations are easy to understand for non-native speakers without being overwhelming.
However, its inclusion as is does not distract from the learning goals. There is a calendar from 2011, which should be changed. There is not much attention given to Spanish spoken in the United States (i.e., heritage speakers), but the book does not seem to be overly biased. I would like to see more opportunities for interactive practice through the integration of online activities (perhaps using tools such as H5P for an online workbook), but the book itself is a good resource for instructors teaching in a traditional classroom and a starting point for instructors, who may wish to create more tailored online materials for their own students.ĭespite minor spelling errors, such as ‘objectivo’, the cultural content and grammatical explanations appear to be accurate. There are links to video and audio files throughout as well as a variety of activities to practice them. Not all cultural topics were included in the Table of Contents. I especially like the inclusion of prompts through which students establish and evaluate learning goals. The presentation of vocabulary, grammar, and culture is appropriate for the first two beginning-level courses. Reviewed by Elizabeth Deifell, Senior Lecturer, University of Texas at Arlington on 4/12/21 Journalism, Media Studies & Communications.