Conversational Spanish in 30 Days

You don't need years of classes to start speaking Spanish. You need the right words, a clear explanation of how they fit together, and 20 focused minutes a day. This book gives you all three.

Conversational Spanish in 30 Days is a day-by-day plan for English speakers who want to order dinner, check into a hotel, ask for directions, talk to coworkers and make friends in Spanish. Each of the 29 lessons gives you 30 to 40 key words and phrases in easy-to-scan tables, every one with a simple pronunciation guide written for American ears (¿Dónde está el baño? = DOHN-deh ehs-TAH ehl BAH-nyoh). You also get one grammar point explained in plain English, a realistic dialogue and a 5-question self-check with answers.

The grammar comes in small, useful pieces: ser vs. estar, the present tense, the key irregular verbs, gustar, the easy future with ir a, the past tense, questions, numbers, time and dates. The dialogues cover the situations you'll actually face: restaurants, hotels, taxis and trains, shopping, the pharmacy, phone calls, small talk at work, parties and emergencies.

The Spanish is natural, neutral Latin American Spanish, the kind you'll hear most in the US and across the Americas, with clear notes on how Spain is different, including vosotros, vocabulary swaps and the one common verb you should never use in Mexico.

Day 30 pulls it all together with a full review, a 10-question final check, a table of the 100 most useful verbs, a survival-phrase cheat sheet and a 90-day plan to keep improving.

More than 1,000 words and phrases. Twenty minutes a day. Real conversations by the end of the month.

What you get:

• A 30-day plan built on a simple 20-minute daily routine
• 1,000+ essential words and phrases in clear Spanish | English | pronunciation tables
• A complete pronunciation guide for English speakers, with stress rules and a sound table
• 29 plain-English grammar lessons, from ser vs. estar to the past tense
• Realistic dialogues for restaurants, hotels, directions, shopping, doctors, work and emergencies
• 145+ self-check questions with answers, plus a 10-question final review
• The 100 most useful verbs and a printable survival-phrase cheat sheet
• Clear notes on Latin American vs. Spain Spanish, so nothing catches you off guard

Instant PDF download. Read on any phone, tablet or computer.