Puntos de Partida or other College Spanish Level 2 of 4 textbook

[Adriane]

Hi, guys.

I won't drag out the long, long story, but I want to take Spanish Levels 3 & 4 at the community college this summer and the last time I took a placement test it said I only passed out of 1, but not 2. I'm going to try and take the placement test again and hopefully qualify for Level 3 and I'm looking for a good textbook.

I have a freind ready to "coach" me who used to teach Spanish (Mr. Adriane is useless, he just keeps telling me that things are the way they are "because.":waiting:)

Anyway, my friend recommended the Puntos de Partida textbook to be our study guide. She told me to order it in Level 2. You can see it here: http://www.amazon.com/Puntos-partida-Invitation-Learning-Bind/dp/0072956445

On Amazon it seems to only appear as one book- no levels. It's quite expensive- over $100 new- and huge- over 650 pages, and also uses a lab manual, a workbook and CDs.

My question- Is this a book used for a whole 2 year course of study all crammed into one book? I can't really find any explanation of what level it is anywhere or if there are various levels and I am just a moron and unable to find them... it sounds good but I don't want to shell out $100 plus $20 each for the 'accessories' and then it's not the right level....

Anyone out there know?

[y14gemini]

Try this (http://search.half.ebay.com/puntos-de-partida_W0QQmZbooks)....

[nineten]

The one you passed, Level 1, are we considering that to be Beginning that your passed? How long has it been since you completed your Level 1 test?

I'm only trying to help and ask why you want to jump to level 3 if you didn't pass 2? I take it that you've been studying and are confident that you now have a strong foundation of both 1 and 2, correct?

When do you enroll for the summer class? This is a lot of money to pay for a book that is going to be used to take a test. A lot of information that is going to be crammed in before the test?

Call and ask if there's an instructor at the school that would speak with you about this. Having a conversation in Spanish with an instructor would indicate at what level you should be because, as you know, speaking a foreign lang. is more difficult than reading it.

The book is an 'invitation' and I feel your indecision. Barnes and Nobles can only order it and deliver to the home. Obviously they don't want it stuck on their shelf. I've seen a a few textbooks there that people declined after ordering. I doubt any bookstore has it on their shelf.

The link at the bottom is the second page of Amazon. I think if you register it will allow you to see inside the book (I'll also do it to check) and get an idea.

Maybe search ebay or any used text/book site and search for a used one. I bet there's one out there.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?ie=UTF8&nodeId=14061791

[nineten]

@14gemini I was typing while you were searching and posting!! Thanks for your search!!

@AdrianeThere won't be any remarkable difference between versions so I'd opt for the used one although you might not receive all the additional materials associated with the book.

[Glühbirne]

It's been so long that I can't remember which text book we used when I was in basic Spanish. I'll look at my old text books and see if I have it, though I doubt it. It's most likely in our storage.

[Dorothea]

Adriane, try half.com. Is that what y14 posted?
Elias is the same, can't learn Spanish from him... :innocent:

[Adriane]

I'm only trying to help and ask why you want to jump to level 3 if you didn't pass 2? I take it that you've been studying and are confident that you now have a strong foundation of both 1 and 2, correct?

When do you enroll for the summer class? This is a lot of money to pay for a book that is going to be used to take a test. A lot of information that is going to be crammed in before the test?

Nineten, you're sweet to be concerned. No, this is not an ideal way to learn a language. But things often happen in a less than ideal way.

The local community college offers courses 1& 3 and 2& 4 concurrently during their summer sessions. It looks like I may have an opportunity to stabilize my work schedule, which frequently varies from 8:am to 11:pm and all 7 days a week, for the summer months only which would allow me to take these courses through Level 4 if I can start with Level 3, and skip Level 2. If I can do that, I can apply for a degree which I abandoned almost 10 years ago- it's the last thing I need. If I can obtain that degree, it will really help me in my current job search and to get out of the rotten professional situation that 2 years in Mexico left me with. I've been waiting for over a year to get a semi-promise to keep me at any consistent schedule for 8 straight weeks so I could do this. It won't come around again.

So although I want my Spanish to improve, at the moment, all I'm worried about is the credits.

Has anyone used Puntos de Partida?

Thanks for the links, y14gemeni, I'm going to order some of those now- if they aren't exactly right, I can always re-ebay them!

[nineten]

@Adriane Now I have the rest of the story!! I understand your predicament.

I think you are going to be okay with this book since you are at a community colllege. Advanced would be getting into compostition and that would be at a four-year college.

*Mosaic* is now being used for the first level of Spanish and other levels are still using the Puntos de but it's in the process of being phased out after only one year.

** When you go to the second level you'll see what pages the instructors have assigned out of Punto de P.

Therefore their school year is Sept - June and Level 1 is fall, 2 is winter, and 3 is spring and that's Levels 1,2,3 of what the Puntos was used for as *Beginning.*

Then you'll see what part of the book was used for the Intermediate Levels 4,5.

http://www.spanport.ucla.edu/content/view/158/108/

I have a name and number of a Spanish dept. co-ordinator. She could tell you which specifics and pages *out of assigned pages* that would be crucial for your placement test. You could contact before, or more preferably, when you have the book in your hand. PM me if you want name/number.

[Adriane]

Anyone else?

Well, I figured out that this Puntos de Partida book is what they use at the Univ. of Texas at Austin which is where I went to school (although I didn't take Spanish there) so I am guessing it's somewhat standard but I still can't figure out if the four semester course of study in Spanish is all included in this one book or if there is a Puntos de Partida Level 1-4 as with most foreign language series. It's on it's way to me, regardless, but I am trying to break down exactly what I need to study to get ready for this test.

Does anyone who has taken college-level Spanish recently recall what topics they covered in their second semester of Spanish instruction? It would be a great help.

Glu, do you remember what you covered in your second semester? Even just vaguely?

[Laura]

Yikes. Sorry, Puntos de Partida sounds awfully familiar but I know I don't have those books anymore.

I would have suggest half.com as well. I was just looking for some pre-law school books and they were way cheaper there.

Best of luck!

[Adriane]

Well I went ahead and ordered it- I only have about 15 days to get ready for this exam so I'm trying to figure out where to start & stop once they arrive (the book, the workbook & the CD....)

Do you recall what you covered in Spanish 2, Laura?

[NYCwife]

http://www.hispanicosnebrija.com/spanishcourses/index.htm
INTERMEDIATE 1:

If you have studied the basic structure of Spanish and know some basic vocabulary that allows you to communicate a little with just one interlocutor about everyday life and about other people, but you feel very insecure and you would like to have a translator beside you, you are an intermediate 1.
If you can talk to more than one interlocutor about present, past and future events, and can describe people, places and situations, but you have problems expressing your ideas and feelings and you don´t feel capable of solving a problem in Spanish, you are an intermediate 2.
If you can communicate in Spanish with two or three interlocutors in an informal context to express your opinions, offer or refuse proposals, and to express agreement and disagreement, although you have some doubts about the use of structures and you feel that you lack some vocabulary, you are an intermediate 3.

This is where I went.

I Intermediate 1 here (Spanish 201 and 202).

I have to tell you, my grammar still sucks. I still use the book I bought for this class, though.....Como conjugar los verbos en Espanol.....btw, that was 18 years ago.

nycgrrl

[Laura]

Ehh... that was like 10 years ago!

Actually, come to think of it, I took Spanish 2 as a high school student and later got college credit for it. So... no I don't remember.

Probably a lot of different verb tenses though...

[ratito921]

Have you tried your local library? There might be something there you can use.

[Nepthys]

I have my old Spanish 1 and 2 books in the basement. I will see what they are when I get home. I just took Spanish 2 last year and it was a new book so it is a new version.