Learn in Your Car: Spanish, Level 1

By: Henry N. Raymond

Narrated by: uncredited

The Learn in Your Car language series is the first system ever designed to teach a language in your car...or anywhere...without a textbook. Simple and effective, you can learn to converse in another language while driving, walking, or doing tasks around the house. And now with Learn in Your Car from audible.com®, you can turn your PC, your Rio, or any mobile device into your own personal language tutor.

Each course is organized the way you learn best - by learning words and phrases - and building these into sentences and clear conversations. Arrange hotel accommodations, order in restaurants, change money, and feel more at home next time you travel!

The Learn in Your Car language series is:

• Easy to use without a textbook
• Prepared by dialect-free professionals
• Available in levels for students of all abilities
• Designed to teach grammar basics through recorded examples

Level 1 offers an introduction to key words, numbers, phrases, sentence structure, and basic grammar.

Level 2 teaches more challenging vocabulary, additional grammar, and targeted sentences designed to generate confidence in your ability to comprehend and converse.

Level 3 presents expanded vocabulary, advanced grammar, and more detailed sentences to extend your conversational skills.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©1990 Penton Overseas, Inc. (P)1990 Penton Overseas, Inc.

Critic reviews

"You really do learn the language quickly...Excellent for a traveler." (Robert C. Allen, San Antonio, TX)
"I have tried numerous other language programs...the Learn in Your Car series [is] the most concise and helpful." (Linda Clark-Borre, Northbrook, IL)

Could be better...

If you're going to travel in a Spanish speaking area this audiobook could be somewhat helpful. If you are looking to become a conversationalist this is not the one to use to learn Spanish. I often have a hard time hearing the proper pronunciation and really have to listen hard.

Useful and Effective

This is a useful and effective way to learn introductory vocabulary and pronunciation. I found this very helpful and would recomend it to someone who is serious about trying to learn Spanish. You will need to use Levels 2 and 3 to have a practical knowledge of Spanish. Level 1 standing alone is not enough.

Only One Track

I was very disappointed that this otherwise wonderful lesson was only one track. On the CD you can skip around and replay a lesson, but on this audio it is not possible to review before going through the entire, very lengthy lesson.

Useful audio book for listening and speaking

As its concept, this audio is useful in the car or outside situation.
This method is not logical (No explain about grammer) but little by little you can learn by feeling.
And I reccomend you to get textbook. If you try to dictate without reference the textbook and check each sentence and spelling with textbook, this audio is the most effective.

Found it useful

My wife and I went to Costa Rica last year and so I listened to all three of the Penton Spanish series. I had three years of high-school French (many years ago), and that was enough to help me follow the Spanish. After going through the program several times, I felt confident enough to go off on my own. Admittedly my Spanish was minimal, but enough to negotiate purchases, ask simple directions, etc. All was with difficulty (happily the Costa Ricans seem to be a patient people), but having started from no Spanish at all, I was pleased.

The Penton programs I have listened to don't offer any helpful explanations of the language in the audio, but they do have some helpful notes in the booklets you can order. So they are best used by those who have a background in a similar language, or perhaps have had some training in the language and are looking to brush up their skills for a trip.

Phrasebook - not a self-study course

After using this product, I am inclined to agree with the reviewer that said that this is a supplemental learning aid and to get the most out of this product you need to do Learning Spanish Like Crazy first in order to learn the fundamentals of the Spanish language before moving on to Learn in Your Car Spanish. Alternatively, you can use Learning Spanish Like Crazy along with Learn In Your Car Spanish, making Learning In Your Car a supplemental aid and LSLC your core or main course. Unless you have already built a strong foundation in Spanish by learning the basics, it is almost impossible to learn Spanish with this product by itself because it is not a comprehensive self-study course. It is an audio-phrase book.

Really quite good

Based on other reviews, I almost did not purchase this audiobook... I am glad I decided to ignore others' advice and go ahead with it anyway. Now that I have been listening to it for the past week, I felt it may be useful to add my own review to the group.

Other reviews are correct in the assessment that this is not the most exciting way to learn some spanish. The book is arranged in lesson-chapters, such as "getting around" , "directions", "numbers" "shopping". And a female voice speaks a word/phrase in english, while a male voice repeats it in spanish twice (and in normal tempo, i.e. not slowly). This is certainly not choice entertainment. And I think if a listener did not know a word of spanish, this book could be very frustrating.

HOWEVER, if you are serious about learning some spanish and ALREADY know a little bit (a few words, phrases and grammar) this is a GREAT choice. I came in knowing a bit and feel like I have learned many important phrases and basic sentence constructions. Furthermore, instead of presenting a non-repeating laundry list of spanish, many of the phrases and words make 3rd, 4th, 5th etc entrances in other chapters, so you really familiarize yourself with them. I listen to it on my way to work and when I am walking places; I can zone in and out and still be learning, and flip to different chapters on which I am weaker.

I have not tried other audiobooks, but if you are serious about learning spanish, know a little bit already (and maybe have a dictionary handy), my rating is: Muy Bueno!

Good but not intended to be a stand alone course

I read a lot of the reviews here at Audbile about Learn in Your Car Spanish. A lot of the reviews seemed unhappy with this product. I think I know why.

This is not a stand-alone Spanish product. It is a Spanish phrase audiobook. In fact, the materials that come with this course mention that it is not desigend to teach you how to actually speak Spanish. It is a supplemental resource to help you learn more words and phrases in Spanish AFTER you have already learned the fundamentals of Spanish either on your own or with an instructor.

Although I have purchased quite a few of the Spanish courses sold on the Net, I am not familiar with most of the Spanish courses available here at Audible. But I have used the Learning Spanish Like Crazy course that is offered here at Audible. I must say that Learning Spanish Like Crazy is the best course that I have ever used. That's the course that I would recommend using before Learn In Your Car Spanish in order to master the basics of the Spanish language. I have written reviews for LSLC here at Audible highly recommending that course. But the best thing I can say about that course is that after you have finished both levels, you will be able speak in Spanish with confidence.

After you finish using Learning Spanish Like Crazy, I would advise using Learn In Your Car Spanish to learn some more Spanish phrases to add to your vocabulary. Using Learn in Your Car Spanish after you have completed Learning Spanish Like Crazy may not make you completely fluent in Spanish, but you will be able to communicate with Spanish speakers with confidence. And I am speaking from personal experience.

Just a phrasebook

This is not a language course, it is just a phrasebook. If you listen to it enough you may be able to memorize enough to ask where the bathroom is, but nothing more. No grammar, so nothing to help you actually learn the language.

Best way to learn Spanish primarily by audio

this is the best way I have found to learn Spanish primarily by audio. however, you need to download the accompanying guide and refer to it occasionally to get the full benefit.