Henry N. Raymond

This is not the best language course I've encountered. It uses the "translation" method, which means the English words and phrases are given with the Spanish translation. Most people find it more difficult to learn this way as it is not the natural way one learns language. It is not completely ineffective, however, most especially if you have a basic understanding of Spanish.

I specifically went looking for a Spanish language audio vocabulary trainer, and Learn In Your Car Spanish was more or less what I needed. I don't recommend it if you're just starting out, but once you've got some basics down this is a useful supplement.

The format is simple: the speaker says the word or phrase in English, and then another speaker says the Spanish translation twice. There's enough time to say the answer before the speaker does, or to pause the program which I often did. And show more any words I didn't recognize I wrote them down for vocabulary practice later. show less

Level 3 continues to build on what was previously covered in the first two levels, and like before, you're expected to do most of the practice on your own. The grammar and verb conjugations are the most difficult here. About half the time the translations were beyond my level, and the best I could hope for was to get at least the verb infinitive correct.

My only criticism, for Level 3 as well as the others, is the lack of context for the translations. Phrases out of nowhere can be useful for show more learning though none of us speak or read or listen to others in this way. This is why speaking with another person in real time is the best way to learn. show less

Much more advanced than Learn In Your Car Spanish, Level 1. There's some good grammar and speaking practice here, but you had better do your homework. Like Level 1, it's a continuous stream of English phrases followed by Spanish translations—no formal lessons. This program won't teach you how to speak Spanish any more than a pop quiz would so be prepared to look up anything that doesn't make sense. And then rinse and repeat where needed.