Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #807222 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-28
• Original language: Spanish
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 449 pages

Customer Reviews

Not so hot
I don't have much time, so I'll try to be concise. This text book's division of each chapter's 2 sections into 3 separate sections of vocabulary, grammar and culture, is highly flawed. First of all, this division undermines any contextualization of material, and as any teacher of languages knows, contextualized learning is the only way to go these days. For example, the chapter starts off with a bunch of vocabulary, and some phrases to use the vocabulary. But, then, the following pages do not refer back to the original context. So, in actuality there is no sustained context that Ven Conmigo did have. In Ven Conmigo, context is carried out through each "paso", and there are plenty of exercises to practice the vocab and the embedded grammar.

In Expresate there are hardly any exercises in the book to aid in the learning and acquisition of the material. I am forced to photocopy exercises from Ven Conmigo whenever I can in order to have something for the students to practice the phrases and vocab and grammar modes.

So, if you were to follow the text page-by-page you would start with a load of vocab, then sequence into dry grammar explanations and then into culture. In Ven Conmigo, vocab usually starts the chapter, but the grammar is introduced within the chapter's contextualized vocab phrases and mini-readings and exercises.

Teaching Expresate I have to do a lot more planning and re-sequencing of the chapter's elements if I want to keep my students from utter boredom. This is very time-consuming and frustrating.

Also, Expresate does not have sufficient listening exercises. There are fewer embedded in the chapter than Ven Conmigo, and there are no (count them, none) "additional listening activities". This is very inconvenient because listening comprehension is a critical skill and I have to supplement listening activities in order to include the amount of listening that I feel is necessary.

There are positive aspects, however. The inclusion of a video mystery that continues through the chapters I think has a lot of potential. The increased emphasis on culture is nice and instructive.