Product Description

The philosophy of this best-selling introductory text is to emphasize communicative proficiency. Based on the Natural Approach, the text stresses the use of activities in a natural and spontaneous classroom atmosphere. In this comprehension-based approach, the development of receptive skills --listening and reading-- precedes and forms the basis for the development of the productive skills --speaking and writing. Dos mundos is designed so that class time can be devoted to exposing students to Spanish through the abundant activities and readings in the text, allowing the grammar explanations and exercises to be studied outside of class.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #581849 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 640 pages

Language Notes
Text: English, Spanish

About the Author
Tracy D. Terrell (late) received his Ph.D. in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin and published extensively in the area of Spanish dialectology. Professor Terrell’s publications on second-language acquisition are widely known in the United States and abroad.

Magdalena Andrade received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine. She has taught elementary and intermediate Spanish at San Diego State, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside, where she worked as a coordinator of the Teaching Assistant program. She is currently teaching language and literature at CSU, Long Beach.

Jeanne Egasse received her BA and MA in Spanish Linguistics from the University of California, Irvine. She has taught foreign language methodology courses and supervised teachers in training of foreign language methodology courses and ESOL at UC Irvine. She also serves as a consultant for local schools and universities on implementing the Natural Approach in the language classroom.

Customer Reviews

Best Classroom Text on the Market
I have been teaching University level introductory Spanish for over 10 years. This text is the best that I have ever used. The layout and coloring is great. There are excellent unit divisions. The latest edition has meaningfull cultural readings included within the chapters. Grammar explainations are clear and concise with good exercises. This is not a text for home study as the methodology incorporated is the Communicative Approach; briefy stated, study grammar and vocab at home and come to class and use it. Great classromm text for any Basic Language Program.

An excellent Spanish classroom program
I used this textbook as part of an intensive Spanish language program at my local junior college. Part of the reason I was excited by the program is that I have used the natural language method before, in the French in Action series, and found it excellent.

The Dos Mundos program is intended to be used in a classroom setting and I would not recommend it for home study. Unlike the French in Action series, it does not include extensive home video material that can take the place of an instructor. An instructor comfortable with the book and the natural language method is critical to success with this program.

I find that the natural language method, presenting all of the material in the new language and explaining in the language, prevents early language errors caused by translation and gives immediate satisfaction of being able to speak more than rote phrases. Dos Mundos is the only complete natural language program currently available for Spanish.

The Best Spanish Resource I've ever Come Across
I think that "Dos Mundos" is an excellent resource for both teachers AND students. I disagree that study of the book needs to be accompanied by teacher instruction and supervision. The beauty of the text, in my opinion, is that it makes self-teaching very easy. The grammar section at the back of each chapter is clearly explained in English, and there is a complete vocabulary list at the end of each chapter.

The other beauty of the book is that it creates the closest thing to language immerson that you can get out of a book. There are many articles from Spanish-speakers, written in very natural Spanish.

As for the person upset about the Mexican Spanish, I can't say that I agree with you. I was pleasantly surprised because the book actually has samplings of the language from all over the Spanish world. But in order to avoid confusion (which would make sense), they stuck to one main form of Spanish - Spain Spanish.

I recommend this book for ANYONE - teacher and students (from beginner level write up to the advanced learner)