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Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| IansDad Newbie United States Joined 5712 days ago 28 posts - 41 votes Studies: French, English | Message 1 of 12 02 June 2010 at 6:33pm | IP Logged |
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Hello Everyone,
I just picked up "Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish", it looks interesting: one of the exercises in each chapter has you combine words or phrases from 3 different columns to form sentences (quite a few if you do all combinations). So I have two questions: Has anyone found this helpful? And, are the formed sentences "natural" sounding to a Spanish speaker? Thanks in advance. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| BartoG Diglot Senior Member United States confession Joined 5445 days ago 292 posts - 818 votes  Speaks: English*, French Studies: Italian, Spanish, Latin, Uzbek | Message 2 of 12 02 June 2010 at 9:33pm | IP Logged |
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I love Madrigal's book. There are a lot of places where it reminds me of Michel Thomas on paper. That said, I found the exercises to be pretty mindless. But I think that may be the point. Knowing your verb tables is useless; being able to come up with the form that goes with ella without first thinking of the forms that go with yo and tu is priceless.
I did not learn Spanish from Madrigal; I skimmed bits of it to review my verbs, especially the preterite forms. As such, I can't speak to its value for a beginner. However, with respect to the exercises, there is value in them. Especially if you're finding them difficult, they're worth working through to make sure you can put together the language pieces correctly and get used to doing so more quickly. If they're easy but boring, on the other hand, I'd use the book more for its memory tricks and tips than as an exercise book. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |
| datsunking1 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5583 days ago 1014 posts - 1533 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Russian, Dutch, French | Message 3 of 12 02 June 2010 at 11:04pm | IP Logged |
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I've read several places that Madrigal's book has some of the highest reviews possible. Personally, I haven't used it, but I've heard MANY great reviews.
After you're done with it, I would pick up "Breaking out of Beginner's Spanish" which is a fantastic follow up resource. -Best of luck to you! Jordan 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| alang Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 7219 days ago 563 posts - 757 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish | Message 4 of 12 03 June 2010 at 4:13am | IP Logged |
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Personally, I find the method of the book absolutely brilliant. Especially the relation to English and using the concept of transferring patterns. Example a lot of words in English end in -phy and in Spanish -fía. This made it easier to converse with such ideas. I even suggested it to Spanish students at a University. I said it will be more helpful in a shorter amount of time in comparison to the first year Spanish textbook. Unfortunately, maybe only one person out of fifteen students that I talked to looked for it and was not disappointed. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| psy88 Senior Member United States Joined 5589 days ago 469 posts - 882 votes Studies: Spanish*, Japanese, Latin, French | Message 5 of 12 03 June 2010 at 4:26am | IP Logged |
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I have used it and found it to be a great resource. It has a lot of useful information,can really help increase your vocabulary, and has plenty of simple substitution exercises or drills. The only possible drawback is a relatively minor one:it focuses on the formal or polite "you" and not the familiar. Otherwise, well worth the price.
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 newyorkeric Diglot Moderator Singapore Joined 6377 days ago 1598 posts - 2174 votes Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Mandarin, Malay Personal Language Map | Message 6 of 12 03 June 2010 at 5:42am | IP Logged |
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Has anyone tried Madrigal's See It and Say It in Spanish? Are the two books redundant?
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| alang Diglot Senior Member Canada Joined 7219 days ago 563 posts - 757 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish | Message 7 of 12 03 June 2010 at 3:53pm | IP Logged |
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Well, not only would it be redundant. See it and Say it in Spanish does not even come close to what information Magic Key covers. IMO it is just a quick introduction to the tourist with more illustrations for vocabulary. A getting your feet wet type of book. I do have both books and would not buy anymore See it and Say it in X language, in place of the Magic Key books. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |
| newyorkeric Diglot Moderator Singapore Joined 6377 days ago 1598 posts - 2174 votes Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Mandarin, Malay Personal Language Map | Message 8 of 12 03 June 2010 at 6:09pm | IP Logged |
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OK, thanks, that's good to know.
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