Amazon.co.uk Review
Subtitled "El Misterio Del Castillo Precioso",
The Times Education Series GCSE Spanish is an electronic personal tutor designed to help students practice their reading, listening, grammar and comprehension skills.
Set in the eponymous mysterious house it's essentially a simple point-and-click problem-solving game where the object is to help a youthful detective--Luisa Lalupa--to gather nine clues hidden somewhere in the five downstairs rooms, which, when matched to her computerised criminal database, will enable you to unmask the infamous thief--Sombra. Naturally because the aim is to encourage players to habla Espanyol, all of the problems are in Spanish and are a good mix of grammatical conundrums (placing accents in the correct place with the mouse, correctly identifying masculine, feminine, singular and plural words against the clock) memory and comprehension (can you retype the sentence perfectly without referring to it?) as well as straight vocabulary tests.
You can get general help at any time (in English) and there's a built-in dictionary which lists the trickier words used in the program; once you've guessed the identity of the crook, you can re-start the game with a new set of clues, questions and answers which should ensure that it has staying power. The disc also makes good use of various multimedia elements--particularly Spanish voice-overs--ensuring that it delivers a different kind of experience from a text book.
Described by the authors as a "fun CD" GCSE Spanish isn't the kind of hardcore revision product you'd associate with students cramming for a final exam. Rather its purpose is to provide a series of relaxed refresher courses for those who want to brush up on their GCSE-level Spanish. Like most good language titles the emphasis is on fun, but backed up with long-lasting game play and good linguistic exercises. It's a combination that makes this product easy to recommend. --Rob Beattie
Manufacturer's Description
The Spanish CD, "El Misterio del Castillo Precioso", is designed to help students develop confidence in using their Spanish language skills. The product, set entirely in Spanish (with a brief introduction in English) immerses the student in various linguistic activities, which provide excellent practice. Access to essential English vocabulary is provided when needed. The activities have been constructed to follow the learning objectives of the National Curriculum at GCSE level. Comprehension, spelling, grammar, listening skills, descriptive skills and writing skills are covered, using both interactive exercises and challenging educational games.
