Buen Camino
Fun, interesting basic reader ~ I read Buen Camino in anticipation of incorporating it in the elementary Spanish classes that I teach. The text is great practice of basic vocabulary and language structures. The author does a wonderful job of introducing new vocabulary and variations and the story provides a personal introduction to the cultural experience of El Camino. I look forward to more readers from this author and hope to incorporate this one in my classes. ~ Review by Sarah E. Butler
Author Shares Techniques of Reading Spanish while Listening - From the Press Release:
Florida, October 12, 2014 – Author Mercedes Meier has released Volume 1 of the Buen Camino series on May of this year. According to the author, reading Spanish while listening is an effective method to learn the language. Volume 1 is designed for Elementary Spanish level. It features an easy to read adventure while readers can enhance their vocabulary and review grammar tenses.
Learning the language is made easier through easy Spanish reading as the audio is also played. This method is advisable for new students of the language as well as for heritage learners who are familiar with the words but don’t necessarily are knowledgeable writing it. The multimedia approach makes learning appealing while enhancing learning.
Volume 1 has 37 pages and 54 minutes of audio. The main character is an American student who wins a trip to Spain. It shows the student getting ready for the trip as well as the first experiences. Readers learn Spanish by reading while listening to Buen Camino. The vocabulary features common objects found in the classroom as well as things that the character needs for the trip to Spain.
Volume 1 of Buen Camino is recommended for students who have completed the Elementary level or are taking the intermediate Spanish level. The reader can easily repeat each chapter as the audios are segmented individually for each chapter. In order to be effective; it is advisable to be reading Spanish while listening. Reading Spanish while listening will allow the reader to comprehend the proper use of present tense regular verbs, reflexive verbs, vocabulary related to common learning objectives, and stem-changing verbs.
Readers can easily pick up the Spanish language through the engaging story. It makes the language easy to understand for beginners. Learn Spanish by reading while listening will keep the student interested in the language. Volume 2 will be out by the end of this fall and Volume 3 will be out on spring 2015. Buen Camino is available on paperback with the audio in a QR code that can be scanned and played in a device or computer. The book is also available in a Kindle edition.
About the Author
Mercedes Meier has been teaching to Heritage speakers as well as Spanish as Foreign Language for the past 12 years. She has earned a Doctorate in Linguistics applied to the Teaching of Spanish Language from the University of Salamanca. She is certified by the National board to teach Spanish and has been nominated as Teacher of the Year in 2004 and 2012. At present, she teaches Spanish at Miami Dade College. When she is not teaching, she enjoys travelling, watching movies, writing, video production, and the outdoors.
AUDIO BOOK in Audible and iTunes.
The audio book by itself is not effective, it has been created to use while reading. Even though all the audio is available when purchasing the printed book (with a QR code to scan or with a link to play online), it is very convenient to simply play the audio with audible and read from the book. The paper version is prettier, has a full design with pictures and tables that are lost in the Kindle formatting. When people get the printed or Kindle they are buying two in one: the reading AND the audio.
Buen Camino
