¿Sabias que...? (Student Edition),   ISBN:9780072555868

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I'm really happy with what I got for the price I paid. Thanks a bunch.

Customer Rating: 

I've used other texts by Van Patten and haven't liked them for the same reasons: not enough exercises, but more importantly, I have a philosophical difference with him over pedagogy. His books seem to be driven by the belief that post adolescent learners of foreign languages most need input, input, input -- downplaying grammar --- and they will eventually give you correct output. Thirty years of experience, not research, tells me that this just is not so. I know he's a "second language acquisition expert" and a well liked and respected professor, but I'd like to point out that people had been mastering languages for eons before such experts came along and challenged the time honored and time proven fact that post adolescents really need to buckle down and study grammar. I know, I know: he does include grammar, but the cultural and touchy-feely aspects of his books eclipse the essentials and they just don't have enough exercises. Interestingly, I saw some recent research of his that supports the value of metacognition, so perhaps we may see a shift in his pedagogy. I don't know.

What I do know is that there is nothing really new in any pedagogical methods for teaching foreign language. Our toys have changed and obscured that reality, but it's still a fact that everything that can be done to teach a foreign language, has been done. What often happens is that some methods, even good ones, can get lost for a few generations and then rediscovered. That's why I collect old textbooks, some as old as the 18th century and I continue to study other languages (Latin and Farsi) because I like to experience the methodologies employed in learning them to see what might transfer to teaching Spanish. I've made some interesting discoveries -- or rather, rediscoveries.

After people hit puberty, they no longer can just be exposed to a language and learn it as they did their native one. Consider this too: it takes six or seven years to really learn your native language and college students have only one or two years -- and only a couple hours a day.

Nevertheless, dedicated students who will put in the time CAN learn a second language (in this case, Spanish), before they graduate from college! How? Effort, sustained, conscious effort and attention to detail -- grammar, vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, spelling, etc.

To them, I say that even the best textbooks can't give them enough exposure or exercises to reinforce the all important details they need to master if they really want to learn Spanish.

Sincerely,

Eric W. Vogt, Ph.D.

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I used Sabias Que my junior and senior years of college, and thought it was a very good textbook. There are lots of articles, interviews, photos, paintings and essays about Latin culture. The book, and accompanying workbook, take an easy pace, and the vocabulary (as well as verb conjugation) is provided in easy-to-use charts. I recommed this to anyone interested in learning Spanish.

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First off, if you are being forced to learn a second language for a math degree, then you would already be put out. But to have use this crappy book with crappy exercises is just too much. I used this book through 103 (becuase I HAD to) and I still can't speak Spanish. I get good grades (even in this class) but only because testing is done before memory lapses. I suspect by fall quarter I won't remember 1/10 of this [...].

I feel the problem lies in forcing students to take languages they either don't or won't need in the future, and then only offering an introduction. What a waste of time and money. And you school administrators have Phd.'s? If your only asset is teaching language, then go teach at a language school; keep out of out of the mainstream eduaction system so the rest of us can learn. And if you just HAVE to force foreign languages on us, can you at least use books that take into consideration we will never use the language? Something like Dick and Jane for Spanish?

Customer Rating: 

its a spanish book, i needed it for class, and it was much cheaper here than in the bookstore