Learning Spanish: The Ultimate Spanish Tool

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Real Diplomatic Spanish: Learning Spanish with Platiquemos

There are dozens if not hundreds of courses for learning Spanish. So why is this course any better? Platiquemos or "Let's Talk" is the premier Spanish series available anywhere. Why? Because I said so...Just Kidding.

Seriously, because the author isn't simply someone with theoretical teaching methods, but the product of someone with real Spanish experience.

Platiquemos (Let's Talk) was founded in 1992 by a retired Foreign Service officer who had spent over twenty years working in Latin American affairs, including tours of duty in Mexico, Argentina, and Ecuador.

As the Director of Counter-terrorism programs for the U.S. Government in Latin America, he also spent significant amounts of time in almost every Spanish-speaking country in the Americas.

Don Casteel: An Expert in the Foreign Service Institute

The Department of State's goal for Foreign Service officers is at least one Western European language at the "3" (full professional proficiency) level, and one "hard" language (most non-Western European languages) at least at the "2" level (partial professional proficiency).

Don has 4 Western European languages at the "3" level or above (Dutch, German, Swedish and Spanish), and one "hard" language (Finnish)! Don knows what he is talking about.

What does Platiquemos Consist of?

The Platiquemos series consists of 8 levels. Each level consists of 1 book and the equivalent of 5-8 audio CDs.

This program was prepared specifically to train officers of the Foreign Service and of other United States Government agencies who are involved in foreign affairs, and who need to learn to speak, read, and write, practical and effective Spanish.

But Platiquemos has also been modified and adapted its course for a wider audience, as well as to make it more "user friendly." Platiquemos contains the flexibility to make the program more useable for self-study or classroom use.

The Complete Spanish Program DVD

8 Levels of Spanish; 8 Bonus Courses

The Complete Spanish Program DVDDon Casteel's comprehensive Spanish course is based on the original Foreign Service Institute text. This DVD contains all eight levels of the Platiquemos course as PDF files (text) and MP3 files (audio).

The popular hardcopy version has sold for over $699 without the bonuses. This version contains the same exact content as the printed version, but the digital version allows us to reduce the cost substantially to only $185.

Learn to read, write, and speak - this course will take you far beyond most popular Spanish courses.

The DVD contains 3.51GB of material:

* the complete Platiquemos program (1400 pages of text and 54 hours of audio)

* Espanol Rapido (about 600 pages and 7 hours of audio)

* Cantemos, (73 traditional and modern songs with translations and notes of points of linguistic or cultural significance)

* Our new ebook with over 150 jokes and 50 cartoons, (likewise with translations and notes), false cognates [very important to learn], and a selection of colloquialisms and "cusswords" (the "cusswords are included not for you to learn to use, but because you will hear them and need to know what's being said).

Downloadable Bonuses:
Survival Spanish - The Course used and developed by the CIA for learning Spanish.
Programmatic Spanish Level 1
Programmatic Spanish Level 2
Spanish HeadStart for Spain
Spanish HeadStart Text for Latin America
(The DVD is a data disc for your computer, not a movie for your DVD player.)

For more information visit The Complete Spanish Program DVD.

Platiquemos Resources

Download a Free lesson or check out the complete line of Platiquemos products.
Complete Platiquemos Catalog
Check out the complete Platiquemos course offerings including Riamos, Cantemos, and Espanol Rapido!
Free Platiquemos Download
Take a Platiquemos test drive and download two complete lessons FREE!
Free Programmatic Spanish
Find out how to receive two complete courses (Programmatic Spanish level 1 & 2) free from Platiquemos!
FSI Courses for other languages
If you're interested in Foreign Service Institute Courses for other languages, then checkout our offering of FSI Text course downloads!

Vocabulary Builder Spanish Software

Perfect for Children and Adults

Vocabulary Builder SpanishVocabulary Builder Spanish

IF your child's face lights up when they see a brightly colored picture, cuddly toy animal or a game, then this is for them. Vocabulary Builder Spanish is designed for kids who like to be entertained. It has lots of brightly colored pictures and fun games to get your child hooked on learning. Adults love this program too!

Will it work for my child?

Vocabulary Builder Spanish is designed for children aged 4-12. It's a simple piece of educational software that they'll find easy to use. It's fun, engaging and encouraging - even for children who are easily distracted.

No reading required. Vocabulary Builder is all based on spoken language and pictures, so children don't have to be able to read in order to use it.

What will my child learn?

Vocabulary Builder covers some basic words and phrases. These have been chosen to be fun as well as useful. There are around 100 words in the program - just enough to get your child started without overloading them. The topics include colors, numbers, actions, professions and simple sentences with some prepositions.

How does it work?

There are three different sections:

Learn what the words mean with pictures accompanied by the spoken word.

Three exciting memory games that get progressively harder. It's this section where they really learn to recognise and remember words.

Record your own story. Browse through the pictures and record the words you want to appear. You can compare your recording with a native speaker if you want.

You can also string your story together with any words you want to put in, then watch your story played back on cinema screen followed by a big round of applause.

This really gets them talking in a foreign language and you'll be amazed how quickly they pick up the accent.

Notes for parents:

Biologically, the earlier a child is exposed to a second language the better - studies have proven that a young mind is more receptive than an older one. Learning Spanish will also improve your child's ability in other languages.

Memory is greatly improved when accompanied by fun and laughter. That's why we've included plenty of games for your child to enjoy.

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System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.2 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)

For more information visit Vocabulary Builder Spanish Software.

Talk Now Beginner Spanish Software

Learn 450 Basic Words and Phrases

Talk Now Beginner Spanish SoftwareTalk Now Spanish

IF you're new to Spanish, there are some basics you will have to learn, whether you're eight years old or 80, on business abroad or a tourist on holiday. Talk Now! Spanish offers a simple-to-use method for you to start learning the language, whoever you are.

Will it work for me?

Lots of people have difficulty learning languages. Why? Most have been put off at school, don't have time to learn, or think they are too lazy to do it.

Talk Now! Spanish answers these problems:

It lifts the language off the page. There are no dull exercises; just encouraging games that award you points for progress.

It fits easily into short ten-minute sessions. But if you want to push yourself you can learn the basics in a weekend.

if you think you're lazy, think again! You'll be amazed how motivated you can be when you enjoy the experience of learning!

What will I learn?

To speak and understand enough to "get by".

You're just starting, so we won't drop you in at the deep end. There are some things you'll want to say in any language: you'll want to say 'hello', order a drink, ask for directions and so on.

This beginners program gets straight to the point. It covers food, colors, shopping, parts of the body, numbers, telling the time, countries, greetings and essential phrases.

How does it work?

Talk Now! Spanish gives you easy-to-achieve goals. Learning a new language is far too big a task to tackle all at once, so we have broken it down into a series of rewarding challenges.

Play interactive language games. Talk Now! feeds you new words, along with pictures to reinforce your memory. It then tests your knowledge with fun quizzes. As soon as you start playing you start learning.

Earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You will hear Spanish all of the time and, using the recording games, you can start speaking straight away, then compare your voice to a native speaker.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or the ferry without a computer. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you, or upload the program's sound files onto an iPod.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
You can also upload words onto your iPod

For more information visit Talk Now Beginner Spanish Software.

World Talk Intermediate Spanish Software

Learn Spanish at an Intermediate Level

World Talk Intermediate Spanish SoftwareWorld Talk Spanish

IT'S easy to be fazed when you start a conversation in Spanish and the person you're talking to replies using lots of words that you haven't learned yet. World Talk prepares you for these real-life situations with addictive listening games. It will teach you to recognise key words in everyday situations and broaden your vocabulary.

Will it work for me?

If your Spanish is good enough to follow basic conversations, but you still need to practice, World Talk is for you.

Everything you'll hear in the program is in Spanish, but you don't need to know every word before you start. Listen for key words that you already know, then pick up new words in the same way you would when talking to a native speaker.

What will I learn?

To keep on listening. When a word comes up that we don't recognise, we often stop listening because we're focusing on that one word and nothing else. This program lets you grasp the gist of what someone's saying without getting hung up on the words you don't understand.

You will develop your practical knowledge of Spanish. There are 10 different games covering numbers, conversations, descriptions, sentence building, directions and dictation practice. These activities cover a wide range of subjects and give you important practical skills that you can use immediately.

How does it work?

Play interactive language games and earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

Speak and write in Spanish. Record yourself and compare your pronunciation with a native speaker, then test your written Spanish with four dictation exercises.

You'll start to think in Spanish! World Talk is an 'immersive' experience: in this program you will only hear Spanish. You'll learn to associate the language with memorable images - not just the equivalent words in your own language. This means you'll start thinking in Spanish, which will make you quicker at understanding and recalling words.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)

For more information visit World Talk Intermediate Spanish Software.

Learning Spanish Videos

Learn Spanish 1.1 - Greetings and Introductions
by SpanishDict | video info

2,590 ratings | 837,276 views
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A Pimsleur Spanish Review

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Real Diplomatic Spanish iTunes

Track Artist Album  
Learn Spanish 5 Learning Spanish Like Crazy Learn Spanish: Learning Spanish Like Crazy (Super Light)
Learn Spanish 1 Learning Spanish Like Crazy Learn Spanish: Learning Spanish Like Crazy (Super Light)
Learn Spanish 7 Learning Spanish Like Crazy Learn Spanish: Learning Spanish Like Crazy (Super Light)
Learn Spanish 2 Learning Spanish Like Crazy Learn Spanish: Learning Spanish Like Crazy (Super Light)
Learn Spanish 3 Learning Spanish Like Crazy Learn Spanish: Learning Spanish Like Crazy (Super Light)
Learn Spanish 4 Learning Spanish Like Crazy Learn Spanish: Learning Spanish Like Crazy (Super Light)
Cabeza y Hombros (Head, Shoulders) Whistlefritz: Jorge Anaya ¡A Bailar! Let's Dance! (Spanish Learning Songs for Kids/Canciones Infantiles)
Los Pollitos (The Little Chicks) Whistlefritz: Jorge Anaya ¡A Bailar! Let's Dance! (Spanish Learning Songs for Kids/Canciones Infantiles)
El Baile de las Manos (The Hand Dance) Whistlefritz: Jorge Anaya ¡A Bailar! Let's Dance! (Spanish Learning Songs for Kids/Canciones Infantiles)
Baila, Baila, Baila (Dance, Dance, Dance) Whistlefritz: Jorge Anaya ¡A Bailar! Let's Dance! (Spanish Learning Songs for Kids/Canciones Infantiles)
Ojos, Orejas (Eyes, Ears) Whistlefritz: Jorge Anaya ¡A Bailar! Let's Dance! (Spanish Learning Songs for Kids/Canciones Infantiles)

Learning Spanish Spotlight

Rosetta Stone Homeschool Spanish (Latin America) Level 1-5 Set including Audio Companion

Amazon Price: $479.00 (as of 05/27/2012)Buy Now
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Release Date: 08/15/2009

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Real Diplomatic Spanish Reader Feedback

  • nick16 Sep 25, 2009 @ 1:45 am | delete
    Wow!
    Really this is coolest way to learn Spanish easily.Thanks for sharing this. I was always searching for a site like yours to learn Spanish, you have made it possible for me thanks.

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