Saying what you want to do
Asking for things
Talking about yourself
Saying what you prefer
Asking for advice
Making arrangements
Talking about your plans
Listen out for
Lifestyle Tips
Ouch!
¡Que te mejores! Get well soon!
Explaining the problem
Saying what happened
Asking for information
Asking for things
Saying what you want to do
Making suggestions
Listen out for
Lifestyle Tips
Help!
¡No pasa nada! Dont worry about it!
Explaining the problem
Saying whats happened
Describing people and things
Asking for information
Asking for things
Saying what you want to do
Saying what you have to do
Making suggestions
Talking about your plans
Listen out for
Lifestyle Tips
Getting in touch
¡Dígame! Hello!
Making a telephone call
When the number youre calling answers
Saying why youre calling
Giving information
Answering the telephone
Ending a telephone call
Listen out for
Writing emails and letters
Addressing an envelope
Texting
Social media
Lifestyle Tips
Time, numbers, date
¡Uno, dos, tres, ya! One, two, three, go!
Los números Numbers
La hora The time
Listen out for
Saying how long
Las estaciones The seasons
Los meses del año The months of the year
Las fechas Dates
Los días de la semana The days of the week
El alfabeto The alphabet
Listen out for
Interesting days and dates
In summary
Bueno, resumiendo So, to sum up
Apologizing
Asking for and giving explanations
Asking for information
Asking for permission
Asking for things
Complaining
Describing people and things
Explaining a problem
Expressing opinions
Making suggestions
Saying whats happened
Saying what you have to do
Saying what you like, dislike, prefer
Saying what you want to do
Talking about your plans
One-stop phrase shop
¡Mucho gusto! Pleased to meet you!
Hellos and goodbyes
Please and thank you
Attracting someones attention
Making sure youve understood
Checking facts
Wishing someone something
Apologizing
Reassuring someone
Opinions
Agreeing, disagreeing and declining
Congratulating someone
Reacting to good and bad news
Exclamations
Surprise
Encouraging someone
Handing someone something
Dangers and emergencies
Speaking your mind
Conversational words
Grammar
Nouns
Articles
Pronouns
Adjectives
Adjectives
Questions
Negatives
Some common translation difficulties
Verbs
Verb tenses
Verb tables
Hablar: to speak, to talk
Deber: to have to, to owe
Vivir: to live
Lavarse: to wash (oneself)
Dar: to give
Decir: to say, to tell
Entender: to understand
Estar: to be
Haber: to have
Hacer: to do, to make
Ir: to go
Oír: to hear
Pensar: to think
Poder: to be able (to)
Poner: to put
Querer: to want, to love
Saber: to know
Sentir: to feel, to be sorry about
Ser: to be
Tener: to have
Traer: to bring
Ver: to see
Vocabulary builder
About the publisher
Introduction
What is it?
Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation is a book for learners of Spanish of all ages. It will increase your confidence in holding a conversation in Spanish, whether you are just starting to learn Spanish, studying at school or at an evening class, or brushing up your language skills. You may be going on holiday or planning to go travelling in a Spanish-speaking country, go there on business, or live there. Whatever your situation, youll want to be able to communicate effectively and naturally in Spanish.
Why do you need it?
Becoming proficient in a foreign language means being able to use and understand a number of different aspects vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and so on. However, it takes a while to be able to put all these elements together and be sure that what you are saying sounds like natural Spanish. The Easy Learning Spanish Conversation has been carefully designed to bring these aspects together and give you language structures which you can use in conversation with confidence, knowing that you will be speaking Spanish as spoken by Spanish speakers.
How is it structured?
Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation is made up of 12 units, each illustrating the language used in a particular situation, followed by a summary which brings together the key phrases covered throughout the units. Youll also find the One-stop phrase shop a unit which contains all the important expressions and turns of phrase that help you to sound more natural in Spanish.
A short grammar and verbs supplement gives you additional language support, ensuring that you have everything at your fingertips. Finally, the English-Spanish glossary covers the most important vocabulary you may need to personalize your conversation.
How does it work?
Language allows us to express ourselves and interact with others. In any given situation, we perform different language tasks, such as asking for information, agreeing and disagreeing, complaining, making suggestions and so forth. To do this, we use linguistic structures (How?, When?, Could I?, Id like and so on) which can be used in a variety of contexts. Each unit in Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation gives you all the phrases you might need in a given situation, grouped by structure. English headings help you navigate through the structures to enable you to find what you want quickly and easily. Throughout the units, there are also tips headed ¿Lo sabías? which highlight important differences in the way English and Spanish work.
A conversation, by definition, is a two-way process. It is as important to understand what is being said to you as it is to be able to respond. At the end of each unit, there is a section headed Listen out for. Each of these sections gives you a variety of the most typical phrases which you might hear in a given situation. Becoming familiar with these will allow you to have a successful conversation with a Spanish speaker. For further help with pronunciation, a free download with all the important structures recorded is available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources.
Communicating effectively in Spanish isnt just about linguistic competence its also about cultural knowledge. For you to feel confident in a Spanish-speaking country, it is also useful to know more about Spanish culture and lifestyle. At the end of each unit, the Lifestyle Tips will give you the information you need to gain a deeper insight into the language, the country and its people.
Why choose Collins Easy Learning Spanish Conversation?
easy to use all the key language structures you need to give you the confidence to hold a conversation in natural Spanish
easy to read a clear, modern layout which allows you to find what you need quickly and easily
easy to understand the language you may hear from Spanish speakers in a given situation
easy to speak free audio download available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources