Curso completo de inglés para latinos. (Complete English Course for Latinos)

This standalone book's 30 units cover essential language functions—e.g., greetings, shopping, health talk, and money—in the course of presenting a reasonably thorough survey of grammar and usage. Each section begins with an overview of the points to be covered. In each dialog, key words and phrases are highlighted, and a following box invites learners to write in words of their choosing. Important elements are then explained in Spanish, with additional examples that expand on what's in the dialog. Next comes the "Easy Grammar" section, which outlines rules behind usages seen in the dialog. The unit ends with a half-page of varied exercises with answers supplied. Clip art is sprinkled throughout. The appendix offers a couple pages of weights-and-measures vocabulary along with a page of phrasal verbs. This book would work best in a native Spanish-speaking classroom, supplemented by auxiliary activities; although the usage points are well chosen and explained, a self-directed student might find them rather rough going in the absence of relevant supplementary materials, listening practice, and teacher guidance. Recommended as an affordable text to anchor conversational English classes for native Spanish speakers.—Bruce Jensen, Rohrbach Lib., Kutztown Univ., PA