Total Spanish with the Michel Thomas Method (Michel Thomas Series) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

I'm hopeless with languages - always have been. I found them a nightmare at school and even after persevering with French and Spanish GCSEs, I still found myself on holiday in Spain and totally lacking the confidence to even ask for eggs in a supermarket. (I did once gird my loins and give it a shot, but I received such a blank look that I quickly reverted to useless hand gestures and that wonderful trick of English-with-a-Spanish-accent.)

I'd tried a course in Spanish before this one from a guy called Paul Noble. I couldn't get along with it at all, I found the aural learning incredibly taxing because I'd be trying to picture the spelling and shape of words in my head, as Noble never clarified them and insisted on a no note-taking or reading approach while listening. I was wrung out after just an hour and I cowardly avoided going any further. I just assumed that I couldn't learn anything by ear and I didn't have the brain for it.

So I approached Michel Thomas Total Spanish with a sense of resigned dread, fully prepared for an early defeat and a splitting headache to boot. This dread intensified when I found that, strangely, his initial introduction and pep talk were remarkably similar to that of Paul Noble. Given that MT came long before PN, I'm going to assume that the latter was heavily influenced by the former. It's baffling that although superficially similar, Paul Noble (for me) managed to completely miss the essence of what it is that makes the Michel Thomas method so special. MT is always at pains to reinforce your learning using a wide variety of techniques - it's very subtle and very clever. All types of mnemonics and quirky little tools are employed on an almost subconscious level; it's not remotely laboured or heavy-handed. You never feel like you're working or being fed too much information. MT's technique can be as subtle as just the emphasis of his voice in a memorable way or a funny little saying, and he always clarifies the spelling which is such a relief for people like me who need to be able to visualise the words to have any hope of remembering them.

It's been a bit sad to read a lot of quite negative reviews on Total Spanish because as soon as I felt the technique working for me, I rushed to Amazon kind of looking forward to sharing some evangelical happiness with what I imagined would be legions of awestruck fans. The popularity of the late Michel Thomas globally is a testament to his genius, I think, but it's still sad that people criticise his approach for reasons like 'he smacks his lips loudly,' or 'his accent is too heavily German/Polish.' I mean, if things like that truly get in the way of your learning, fair enough, but it just feels very mean-spirited to me to knock the man's wonderful gift to students, his entire technique, based on some superficial little personal preferences. Personally I loved his old voice - it has the texture of aged leather and the strength of his personality is tangible just on the CDs. He's patient, he's dry-humoured and comprehensive, he's amazingly wise. This is turning into a novel, but I have to mention one particular aspect that impressed me. Do you know how language-teaching can often hinge around technical terms to describe its structure such as 'conjunctives' or 'past participles' or words like that? If you're not entirely sure what these mean in English, it's another barrier for you when you're trying to learn an entirely different language. MT realises this and he cuts through any jargon. He actually introduces his own much simpler definitions of nouns, verbs, adjectives etc. He gives you explanations that fit with his entire approach - easily understood snippets that stick in your head because they make sense. Like he says from the outset, 'what you know, you remember.' How simple is that, and yet how true?!

I do accept that one shoe isn't going to fit all. And I know that the male student on the CDs, who's lucky enough to be having personal lessons with Michel himself, can be very, very slow to get things right, but I'm sure if I knew that my clumsy early lessons were being recorded then I'd be even slower than I am, too. Personally I found the guy rather endearing and it helped me feel like maybe I wasn't alone in being a bit of a linguistic blockhead. Misery does love company, after all.

Anyway, so far I've completed 5 of the 7 discs that form the Total lessons. I haven't even tried the vocabulary CDs as yet, but I just didn't want to hold back writing a review any longer because I feel like my entire thinking and outlook on languages has been transformed already. I only started the course last week and I find that I actively look forward to putting on a new CD and making progress. I'm excited because I feel it working and I know, I just -know- that I am going to make progress. Every minute I spend listening I move forward. That's nothing short of miraculous for me. I'm no longer terrified by the word 'grammar' or 'verbs' because I'm learning them without even consciously being aware of it. I can put together what feels like pretty complex sentences with confidence. The structure of the language is opening up to me and, honestly, it feels like sunlight has broken through what was previously one big impenetrable brick wall. I'm enjoying using the review CD rom and cementing what I've learned aurally with the video clips and the interactive exercises. I know it's early days and I have a long road ahead of me, but I'm planning on buying MT's Perfect Spanish course to follow on with, and I no longer feel any fear or doubt about learning the language. I know that, in time, I can get there, and that's a wonderful feeling.

What else can I say? What a magnificent legacy for any human being to leave behind. Michel Thomas was a remarkable man.

Having previously used the Michel Thomas method to brush up on my French, I was interested to try the same system for Spanish, a language with which I'm less familiar. This is a comprehensive set consisting of 7 learning CDs together with an additional 2 vocabulary CDs and the emphasis is very much on learning to speak a language. These courses may not be for you if you need to learn a written language. It is emphasised from the start that you should not attempt to memorise what you learn but gradually let your mind absorb it. Michel Thomas begins by making learning a language like Spanish seem very accessible by pointing out the number of words it has in common with English and also pointing out that the number of words most people use in their day to day lives is actually very small. The actual lessons take the form of Michel Thomas as the teacher with two students. The listener makes up the third in the group. Michel Thomas will explain something about the language, then ask a question which requires the students to apply what they have just heard. The CD beeps at that point to enable the listener to work out what the answer is before resuming and hearing what the students have to say. Because you need to keep stopping and starting the audio, this isn't ideal to listen to in the car, and I would say that you definitely do need to pause and think if you are going to get the most out of this method.
I've found this to be a good method of learning a language whether it's something you're just brushing up on, or starting pretty much from scratch as I was with Spanish. There is quite a steep learning curve, and as you progress through the CDs you'll be putting together quite complex sentences and feeling pretty pleased with yourself.

I was hopeless at languages at school and dreaded going to class. I was lucky to get the odd pass mark. Eventually I scraped a pass mark in my Gaelic Irish and a fail in my French at GCSE. I hoped that would be the last of my languages though I envied those who could speak a foreign language. However now in my 50's my daughter has a Spanish boyfriend of five years and lives and works in Spain. Needless to say she is fluent in Spanish. I have met her boyfriends family on various occasions and at family gatherings and as they do not speak English I have felt powerless and constantly required my daughter or her boyfriend to be at my side to translate for me.

Faced with the awkwardness and stress of these family occasions and now facing an invite to their daughters wedding in July I decided that it is never to late to prove that you can learn a language, especially with the possibility that my daughter may decide to have a family (my future grandchildren) and I would have the opportunity to spend more time in Spain when I retire.

On my return home from spending Christmas 2011 with my daughters boyfriends family I decided my New years resolution for 2012 was to learn Spanish. Luckily a gentleman (a retired lecturer) who attends a Tai Chi class with me enquired why I was unable to attend our Tai Chi Christmas gathering (as I was going in Spain)- told me about the Michel Thomas Series. On my return home after Christmas it was the first thing I purchased. I have to say it has changed my whole attitude to learning a language compared to the negative experiences I had as a young school girl who struggled with languages.
Michel encourages the listener to be relaxed while learning and for years I was already half frozen before I would go into class for fear the teacher would pick on me to speak in front of the class or to correct my many mistakes.
I have never used any of my spare time to purposely learn Michel's Spanish as I only learn it while driving the car which would normally be wasted time anyhow. His voice is friendly and empathetic as he converses with his two students who stumble and struggle and he takes time to point out little nuances that help you to remember or prevent confusion.
If I am tired after a long day at work I simply either listen to a revision track which makes for easy listening or simply just travel in silence knowing there will be another day. Even on a good day when I am alert- if I feel after 1/2 an hour I have had enough I switch it off. In this way I never get tired of the series and sometimes even just 10 mins. is a real positive learning experience. I am surprised how much I have learned and find what is taught to me is very practical Spanish - the sort of phrases I will require for my Spanish wedding in July. I feel comfortable and confident learning the language as unlike my school day experiences,
I do not have to stay until the end of class until my brain is frazzled and confused with too much info.I learn at my own pace.
I do not have to sit in a class frozen with fear that the teacher will pounce on me in front of others. I simply chat away to Michel.
I can simply replay the track if I need extra work especially if my concentration goes to have it repeated by Michel's soft friendly encouraging voice.
Like a good song I often find Michel's voice and Spanish phrases going around in my head as I go about my everyday duties and find myself repeating them unknowingly to myself either out loud or in my head.
I will be moving on to my second CD at the beginning of Feb so at this rate I will be through the complete set of 6 cds in time for July's wedding. July also sees my birthday when I will be 57 but this year I hope to celebrate it with conversational Spanish Ole Ole Ole !!