# Reccommend a spanish language audiobook, please.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccommend-a-spanish-language-audiobook-please/413422
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 27, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccommend-a-spanish-language-audiobook-please/413422 "2007-07-27T20:27:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccommend-a-spanish-language-audiobook-please/413422/1 "2007-07-27T20:27:11Z")
I’m interested in a very basic audoibook to learn conversational spanish, as spoken in Mexico. I’m not yet interested writing, or in Castilian or Catalan. I want to be able to talk to Mexican people I come accross in my (mostly USA) travels.
I need something I can load into my iPod. iTunes has a lot of downloads, but I can’t tell which might fit my needs.
Por favor, ninguna España, solamente México.
Gracias,
mangeorge
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### Author:  [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccommend-a-spanish-language-audiobook-please/413422/2 "2007-07-28T03:13:26Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge]
I’m interested in a very basic audoibook to learn conversational spanish, as spoken in Mexico. I’m not yet interested writing, or in Castilian or Catalan. I want to be able to talk to Mexican people I come accross in my (mostly USA) travels.
I need something I can load into my iPod. iTunes has a lot of downloads, but I can’t tell which might fit my needs.
Por favor, ninguna España, solamente México.
Gracias,
mangeorge
[/QUOTE]
Well, I think you misunderstand, if you think learning the Spanish of Spain would not help you in Mexico.
The best foreign-language teacher out there I’ve found is Michel Thomas. Mind you, I’m sure his Spanish is from España, although in point of fact it’s his 3rd or 4th or 5th (or I’m not sureth) language (his biography is utterly fascinating - his family died in a German death camp. He joined the French Maquis, fought the Germans, got captured, escaped, moved to the USA, joined the American Army, went _back_ to fight the Germans some more…)
Anyway, I’ve been using his ‘Learn German with Michel Thomas’ series. I highly recommend his _method_, and it’s as absurd to suggest that Spanish from Spain won’t let you talk in Mexico, as to say that you can’t go to New Zealand or South Africa or northern Scotland and talk, because you speak American English.
My husband had to copy it onto his computer, then change the files into something that could go on my iPod, but I have it there now.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccommend-a-spanish-language-audiobook-please/413422/3 "2007-07-28T03:37:05Z")
[QUOTE=Chotii]
Well, I think you misunderstand, if you think learning the Spanish of Spain would not help you in Mexico.
The best foreign-language teacher out there I’ve found is Michel Thomas. Mind you, I’m sure his Spanish is from España, although in point of fact it’s his 3rd or 4th or 5th (or I’m not sureth) language (his biography is utterly fascinating - his family died in a German death camp. He joined the French Maquis, fought the Germans, got captured, escaped, moved to the USA, joined the American Army, went _back_ to fight the Germans some more…)
Anyway, I’ve been using his ‘Learn German with Michel Thomas’ series. I highly recommend his _method_, and it’s as absurd to suggest that Spanish from Spain won’t let you talk in Mexico, as to say that you can’t go to New Zealand or South Africa or northern Scotland and talk, because you speak American English.
My husband had to copy it onto his computer, then change the files into something that could go on my iPod, but I have it there now.
[/QUOTE]
😕
Of course spanish from Spain would be understood in Mexico, and in the US by most spanish speakers. I did not say otherwise. But it is different, as is american english compared to one of the british englishes.
I thought I was clear that I want to speak with mexican people comfortably, and not have to clarify, or assume they will, which we would need to do if I was talking castilian. It’s enough that my spanish will be accented with english.
But I will look at what Michael Thomas has to offer. He spells his given name without the “a”?
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### Author:  [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccommend-a-spanish-language-audiobook-please/413422/4 "2007-07-28T03:51:33Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge]
… I will look at what Michael Thomas has to offer. He spells his given name without the “a”?
[/QUOTE]
Yes. It’s not the name he was born with, you understand. He had to change his name for protection during the war, because as a Jew in the Maquis, he could as easily have died in a concentration camp as his family did. It is ‘Michel’, I think French for ‘Michael’. Pronounced ‘mee-SHEL’.
I got mine through my local library.
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reccommend-a-spanish-language-audiobook-please/413422/5 "2007-07-30T14:27:52Z")
I looked at the Rosetta Stone system and they do have a South
America edition but it is very in-depth and expensive. I’m 62, and I fear my brains language center is somewhat athropied. 😉
Maybe I can find a used set somewhere.
There are also some ibooks on iTunes I’ll have a look at.
Muchas gracias