Synopses & Reviews
THE BASIC SPANISH SERIES, 2E Series offers a flexible, concise introduction to Spanish grammar and communication with state-of-the-art online learning tools to better address the needs of today's students and professionals who need a working knowledge of Spanish. For the second edition, we maintain the strengths of the program while making it more accessible to all students of Spanish. We are proud to offer an extensive technology program with this edition, thereby improving students' access to required materials and giving instructors the freedom to design their courses in the way that best meets their students' needs.
About the Author
Ana C. Jarvis, a native of Paraguay, was born in Asuncion and attended school in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She received her Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of California, Riverside, in 1973. Presently an instructor of Spanish at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Arizona, Dr. Jarvis previously taught at Mesa Community College, the University of California, Riverside, San Bernardino Valley College, Brigham Young University, and Riverside City College. In addition to authoring numerous Spanish textbooks, she has published several short stories in Spanish. In 1988, she was chosen "Faculty Member of the Year" at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Raquel Lebredo was born in Camagüey, Cuba. She attended school in Havana and later enrolled at the University of Havana, where she received a Ph.D. in education in 1950. She was subsequently employed as an elementary school principal, and taught literature and language at a preparatory school in Havana. After living in Spain for a period of time, she moved in 1968 to the United States. Dr. Lebredo was awarded a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of California, Riverside, in 1973. Since then she has taught Spanish at Claremont Graduate School, Crafton Hills College, the University of Redlands, and California Baptist University, and has authored several Spanish textbooks. In 1985, she was chosen "Faculty Member of the Year" by the student body at California Baptist University, and in 1991 she received a YWCA "Women of Achievement" award. Prof. Lebredo is retired. Francisco Mena-Ayllon, a native of Madrid, Spain, received his Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of California, Riverside, in 1973. He has taught Spanish language and literature courses at the University of California, Riverside, Oberlin College, California State University, Chico, the University of Redlands, and Crafton Hills College. In addition to authoring numerous Spanish textbooks in the United States, he has published a book about Federico Garcia Lorca and several volumes of his own poetry. His poetry has been published in Spain, Latin America, and the United States. His work has also been included in several anthologies of contemporary Spanish poets, and he is listed in Quien es quien en las letras espanolas, 1978 (Who's Who in Spanish Letters), as an important contributor to contemporary Spanish literature. Prof. Mena-Ayllon is retired.
Table of Contents
Preface. Leccion preliminar I. Communication: You will learn to greet people and exchange some polite questions and answers, exchange phone numbers, talk about days and dates, and describe colors. Structures:1. Greetings and farewells. 2. Cardinal numbers 0-39. 3. The alphabet 4. Days of the week. 5. Months of the year. 6. Colors. Leccion preliminar II. Communication: You will learn about cognates and some simple vocabulary related to the classroom. Structures: 1. Gender and number. 2. The definite and indefinite articles 3. Subject pronouns. 4. The present indicative of ser. 5. Uses of hay. 6. Cardinal numbers 40-299. Leccion 1. Communication: you will learn vocabulary related to restaurants and cafeterias. Country highlighted: Espana. Structures:1. The present indicative of regular -ar verbs 2. Interrogative and negative sentences. 3. Forms and position of adjectives 4. Telling time. 5. Cardinal numbers 300-1,000. Leccion 2. Communication: You will learn additional vocabulary relate to restaurants. Country highlighted: Mexico. Structures: 1. Agreement of adjectives, nouns, and adjectives. 2. The present indicative of regular -er and -ir verbs. 3. Possession with de 4. Possessive adjectives. 5. The personal a. Leccion 3. Communication: you will learn vocabulary related to the family. Country highlighted: Guatemala. Structures: 1. The irregular verbs ir, dar, and estar. 2. Ir a+ infinitive 3. Uses of the verbs ser and estar. 4. Contractions. Leccion 4. Communication: You will learn vocabulary pertaining to hotels. Countries highlighted: Honduras and El Salvador. Structures: 1. The irregular verbs tener and venir. 2. Expressions with tener. 3. Comparative forms. 4. Irregular comparative forms. Leccion 5. Communication: You will learn vocabulary about typical activities related to traveling in a foreign country. Country highlighted: Nicaragua. Structures: 1. Stem-changing verbs (e:ie). 2. Some uses of the definite article. 3. The present progressive. 4. Ordinal numbers: Cuanto sabe usted ahora? Lecciones 1-5. Leccion 6. Communication: You will learn more vocabulary related to situations encountered while traveling. Countries highlighted: Costa Rica and Panama. Structures: 1. Stem-changing verbs (o:ue). 2. Affirmative and negative expressions. 3. Pronouns as object of a preposition. 4. Direct object pronouns. Leccion 7. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to travel arrangements. Countries highlighted: Puerto Rico. Structures: 1. Stem-changing verbs (e:i). 2. Irregular first-person forms. 3. Saber contrasted with conocer. 4. Indirect object pronouns. Leccion 8. Communication: You will learn vocabulary to sports and other outdoor activities. Countries highlighted: Cuba and Republica Dominicana. Structures: 1. Pedir contrasted with preguntar. 2. Special construction with gustar, doler, and hacer falta. 3. Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns. 4. Direct and indirect object pronouns used together. Leccion 9. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to daily routine and personal grooming. Country highlighted: Venezuela. Structures: 1. Possessive pronouns. 2. Reflexive constructions. 3. Command forms: Ud. and Uds. 4. Uses of object pronouns with command forms. Leccion 10. Communication: you will learn vocabulary related to housework, shopping and weather. Country highlighted: Colombia. Structures: 1. The preterit of regular verbs. 2. The preterit of ser, ir and dar. 3. Uses of por and para. 4. Seasons of the year and weather expressions ¿Cuánto sabe usted ahora? Lecciones 6-10. Leccion 11. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to everyday life. Country highlighted: Ecuador. Structures: 1. Time expressions with hacer. 2. Irregular preterits. 3. The preterit of stem-changing verbs (e:i and o:u). 4. Command forms: tu. Leccion 12. Un matrimonio peruano va de compras. Structures: 1. En and a as equivalents of at 2. The imperfect tense. 3. The past progressive. 4. The preterit contrasted with the imperfect. Communication: Shopping for clothes. Culture: Peru. Different ways of shopping in the Hispanic world. Leccion 13. En una tienda por departamentos en La Paz. Structures: 1. Changes in meaning with the imperfect and preterit of conocer, saber, and querer. 2. Hace meaning ago. 3. Uses of se 4. ¿Que? and ¿Cuál? used with ser. Leccion 14. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to automoviles. Country highlighted: Paraguay. Structures: 1. The past participle. 2. The present perfect tense. 3. The past perfect (pluperfect) tense. Leccion 15. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to transportation. Country highlighted: Chile. Structures: 1. The future tense. 2. The conditional tense. 3. Some uses of the prepositions a, de, and en. ¿Cuánto sabe usted ahora? Lecciones 11-15. Leccion 16. Communicaton: You will learn vocabulary related to traveling by train. Country highlighted: Argentina. Structures: 1. The present subjunctive. 2. The subjunctive with verbs of volition. 3. The absolute superlative. Leccion 17. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to hospital care in emergencias. Country highlighted: Uruguay. Structures:1. The subjunctive to express emotion. 2. The subjunctive with some impersonal expressions. 3. Formation of adverbs. Leccion 18. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to collage life. Nationality highlighted: Los puertorriquenos. Structures: 1. The subjunctive to express doubt, disbelief, and denial. 2. The subjunctive to express indefiniteness and nonexistence. 3. Diminutive suffixes. Leccion 19. Communication: You will learn vocabulary related to health problems and visits to the doctor's office. Nationality highlighted: Los mexicanoamericanos. Structures: 1. The subjunctive after certain conjunctions. 2. The present perfect subjunctive. 3. Uses of the present perfect subjunctive. Leccion 20. Communication: You will learn vocabulary to running errands. Nationality highlighted: Los cubanoamericanos. Structures: 1. The imperfect subjunctive. 2. Uses of the imperfect subjunctive. 3. If clauses. ¿Cuánto sabe usted ahora? Lecciones 16-20. Appendix A: Introduction to Spanish Sounds and the Alphabet. Appendix B: Verbs. Appendix C: Useful Classroom Expressions. Appendix D: Weights and Measures. Spanish-English Vocabulary. English-Spanish Vocabulary.