In loving memory of
Dorothy June McClelland

• September 28, 1923
• -
• June 14, 2011

This is James from James Spanish (the learning Spanish blog). This book is a great txoobetk for Spanish students who find grammar a little overwhelming. Each lessons clearly focuses on a single grammar element and explains it thoroughly before offering examples and plenty of practice exercises to help you get to grips with the concept. Although each element is covered in depth, the lessons are deliberately kept short to prevent frustration, and you should be able to fully understand each element with under thirty minutes of study.Ideal for beginners, the lessons walk through some of the key building blocks of Spanish grammar, such as how to conjugate common verbs in the present tense, when to use the verbs ser and estar as well as covering many adjectives, pronouns and other essential parts of sentence structure. Having a concrete understanding of these elements will give you confidence as you progress through your Spanish learning experience.There is plenty of everyday vocabulary presented in the lessons, covering clothing, family, animals, food and drink, days of the week, emotions and other basic topics that are good for new students. Some of the verbs covered are also the most commonly used, for example hacer , poder and saber . Combined, the book presents a strong basic introduction to Spanish grammar and the language in general. A clear index lets you find and revise specific topics and grammar elements as needed.As the title suggests, there are lots of exercises included for each lesson, encouraging you to practice, practice, practice what you have learned in order for it to sink in. Each exercise is presented clearly, with spaces to fill in the answers, letting you work through the book at your own pace and record your progress. Although not an in depth study text by any means, this is a great introductory book for new learners.Great for revision of key concepts as well as initial learning, Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Spanish is a good choice for students looking to strengthen their grasp of the basic grammatical elements of the Spanish language.In closing my review of this product, I'd like to share with you the three Amazon products that I have found most helpful in my pursuit to learn Spanish. If you are truly serious about achieving fluency, I'd recommend getting all 3 of them if you can afford it. 1. Lights, Camera, Spanish (Book + DVD): Learn Conversational Spanish by Watching a Romantic Adventure This is actually a 90 minute movie for Spanish-language learners. It gives the option to watch the movie with subtitles but I'd recommend not using them to improve your Spanish. This movie also includes a workbook so that you can reinforce the Spanish vocabulary words and phrases from the film. The workbook also has lots of exercises to keep you engaged in the film. But be prepared to hear Chilean accents. Although pleasant to the ear, the accents from Chile are very different from most Latin American accents. 2. Verbarrator Version 1.1 (Windows Version) This software replaces the traditional verb conjugation books and makes learning how to conjugate Spanish verbs an interactive and fun activity. This should be a required resource for anyone who wants to improve their ability to conjugate Spanish verbs. Especially anyone who is challenged by the drudgery of learning how to conjugate Spanish verbs and who is looking for a new way to make learning how to conjugate Spanish verbs an easy and fun activity 3. Diccionario esencial de la lengua espanola de la Real Academia Espanola (Spanish Edition) If you are really serious about speaking the language fluently, then at some point you will need to replace your Spanish-English dictionary and get a pure Spanish dictionary with both the vocabulary words and the definitions entirely in Spanish. I use this one mainly because it was highly-recommended by a friend from Spain who teaches Spanish. According to him, this is the standard among university level Spanish professors.

I will miss you. I love you.
suzanne

Grandma, Im sorry we werent closer but you will always be in my heart. I will miss you. Love, Kristie

Although I did not know Dorothy I have been blessed to know her son Gary who I love like my own. You did something to be proud of Dorothy in raising a wonderful young man. May you rest in peace.

I'm very happy that my mom and I were able to reconnect over the last several years. We had a great relationship right to the end.... I love you mom..... Gary