Customer Reviews
Kinda Dry 
2008-07-30
This would be a pretty good tool but it's hard to learn from.
I have the print and audio versions.
The format and information are both good, but for me it is like reading a dictionary... you read and understand it, see how the info is useful, but in the end it is hard to retain.
Probably great as a supplement to formal coursework, but on its own it collects dust on my shelf (or in my computer).
Not good 
2008-05-14
I purchased this to try and learn some basic Spanish because I have a trip to Mexico coming up. This is NOT a good program. I guess it assumes you know some Spanish, because it doesn't teach you what the words mean! And it goes fast. After many other purchases, I have now started the Rosetta Stone program, and it is by far the best and worth the investment.
Given little opportunity to learn due to speed of CD. 2008-04-06
If you're planning on learning Spanish from the tiny book, forget it.
The CD is spoken so rapidly that one does not have time to write the phrase down phonetically. It was a waste of money for me and I've had 12 semister hours of college Spanish.
Not for the beginner! 2008-03-29
For the price, you can't beat it. I purchased both of her CDs.
But you better have a good understanding of Spanish (i.e., be comfortable speaking and listening). I would leave out the word "most powerful" in the title. It is sort of misleading, but I would still purchase it again.
I would have preferred to listen to Anna Rivera's voice.
Excellent product that will add lots of words to your vocabulary, and best of all, at a bargain price 
2008-02-16
I think this product is excellent, especially for just a few bucks. It is almost impossible to find a Spanish learning AUDIO product for under fourteen dollars. So at five bucks I must say this is truly a bargain. I know some people may be disappointed that they do not have enough time to repeat a line before the recorded speaker begins a new phrase. But if someone is using the product that way, I think that they are missing the boat on this one. This is not a self-study course. It is an audio phrase book designed to increase your vocabulary and improve your listening skills in Spanish.
If I had purchased a phrase book (with no audio) with 800 phrases for this price, it would have still been a bargain. But to also get an audio CD with it makes it an even greater bargain. I am also a Spanish instructor and the next time one of my students asks me how to increase their vocabulary, I am going to recommend Anna Rivera's product.
Demasiado rapido para mi 2008-02-13
This product is designed to teach you basic Spanish vocabulary, including the words, phrases and sentences that you will need to know in order to communicate with Spanish speakers throughout the entire Spanish-speaking world, including Spanish-speakers in the United States. This product is not intended to be a grammar book. Unlike many Spanish phrase books that were developed in the past, this book is not limited to the needs of a typical traveler. In designing this book, special attention was given to the fact that the Spanish speaking population in the United States is rapidly increasing. With this in mind vocabulary is included that the typical traveler may never have to use. For example, this product includes vocabulary for technology, home appliances, and car parts among other vocabulary topics. This entire audio CD is in Spanish. However, the publisher provides the listener with a link to download a pdf transcript that has a complete English and Spanish translation of the entire audio CD.
Phrases review 
2008-02-08
I have just listened to and read Anna Rivera's 800 plus most powerful spanish phrases. The product is average at best. There are numerous phrases that have little or no relevance for the typical spanish learner or for the typical traveler. I understand that the product isn't only for the traveler. However, I do believe that the phrases should be high frequency use.
Ana, great listening comprehension product but we would've liked to have heard your voice on the CD 2007-12-08
I really like this method. I too bought both of the audio products by this author after learning about her products from her site and her learning-Spanish newsletter. And I have also purchased several learning-Spanish products based on the recommendations that she makes in her reviews both here at Amazon and on her site.
In the past, I have used several phrases books to pick up more vocabulary. But I like this more than the conventional phrase books because it comes with a CD with the audio. By listening to the CD over and over again the Spanish words and phrases are reinforced and they really stick to my memory. The phrases are only said in Spanish so if you want to know what a phrase means in English you have to go and download the transcript from her site. I personally did not find that it was an inconvenience to have to download the transcript from her site but I think that I would have found it little more convenient if the audio CD also had the English phrases spoken. But then if she did that I guess it would not have helped my Spanish listening comprehension as much as this method with Spanish audio only.
I think that I would have also preferred if she was the speaker on the CD. She has a male speaker doing the phrases. I was expecting to hear her voice.
Very good immersion technique for picking up some new words and phrases in Spanish 
2007-11-22
I bought both of Anna Rivera's products. This one and the other one. I would say they are pretty good for learning some new words and phrases in Spanish. What I like most about her two products is that they are completey in Spanish. That way I am forced to develop my ability to hear Spanish when I hear it spoken.
Even though the audio is completely in Spanish, she gives you a link on her web site where you can download a transcript of all the words and phrases in her course. The transcript is both in English and Spanish. I would recommend initially going through the words and prhases two or three times with the transcript so that you learn the words and phrases. After that try only listening to the Spanish audio without using the transcript. That should really help you to understand Spanish when you hear people speak it. One more thing. This is not a stand alone course. You will have to buy one of the other Spanish courses sold here on Amazon first if you are a complete beginner. This is just a supplemental tool to help you learn some new words and phrases in Spanish after you have already mastered the fundamentals.
