The Oxford Spanish Cartoon-strip
Vocabulary Builder
Great Supplement For Learning Spanish!
[SERIES COPY:] This informative, colorful, and fun-to-use series of guides
is perfect for anyone who wants to learn a second language quickly and
easily. Each volume employs the amusing and always true-to-life cartoon
strips of Claire Bretecher--an artist renowned in Europe for her witty and
controversial cartoons--to not simply explain but illustrate the words and
wording of a given foreign language in its common, everyday use. While
there are other cartoon dictionaries on the market, most of them provide
only single cartoons. This attractive series, on the other hand, provides
whole strips which tell a story and effectively bring context and other
memorable features to ones learning. And only this series offers cartoons
done in full color, and written by a popular cartoonist. These vocabulary-
builders are the perfect starting place for people who want to begin, or else
strengthen, their acquisition of French, German, or Spanish.

Personal Review: The Oxford Spanish Cartoon-strip Vocabulary
Builder
Nothing beats a good context for picking up foreign language vocabulary.
Many books simply push lists of words into the reader's head and hope
that something catches to make the words stick. Unfortunately, rote
memorization unaccompanied by usage typically results in horrificly low
retention rates. This book has none zip nada of those problems. True, it
includes lists of vocabulary words and lots of them. But the comics set it
apart from other books that claim to expand one's vocabulary. Instead of
sitting on a neuron impatiently waiting for an opportunity for use, the
comics give the words a context. The word lists then becomes more of a
map to help navigate the comics, and retention skyrockets.
The comics focus more on European Spanish (or Español Iberico) than
American Spanish. Nonetheless, the word and phrase lists also include
references and idioms unique to Latin American Spanish. Words and
phrases not used in Latin American Spanish get an asterisk next to them,
so it's easy to tell them apart. Regardless, this book will probably better
suit those wanting to speak Spanish in Spain. But anyone learning Spanish
can benefit greatly from it.
Probably the best way to get the most out of this book is to read all of the
vocabulary for a particular comic first, then read that same comic a few
times through to cement the words in memory. Repetition and context will
fuel retention, and returning to previously read comics will yield surprising
results. Some words will stick like paste on a first reading; others may take
a few times through. Nonetheless, many rewards await those who read
through the entire book more than a few times.
Lastly, this is not a beginner's Spanish book. It assumes much
foreknowledge from the reader. Basic grammar and very basic vocabulary
are not covered in any depth. Probably the best time to go through this
book would be after completing a basic Spanish class or book (i.e., know
more than just present indicative verb conjugation, sentence structure,
same basic vocabulary, pronouns, etc.). The level of learning can best be
described as beginner intermediate. Those in the advanced level will likely
breeze through it. So get going, read some comics, and learn a load of
Spanish words.
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