This set moves at what feels like a more rapid pace than the first series of lessons. Whereas the first series of lessons created a foundation of core vocabulary and speech patterns, those are expanded upon and reinforced with significantly more variety and depth.
The “listening skills” conversations initiating each lesson become progressively more involved.
Other tenses are introduced. The conversation becomes increasingly complex as time and change are introduced.
The more informal “tรบ” is introduced in addition to further exploration of “usted”. This is practiced quite a bit in various lessons.
Idiomatic use of verbs such as “tener” and “hacer” are explored in more depth.
“Beber”, which was used a good bit in the first series, mostly disappears. The very useful “tomar” comes into play.
Discussion of family and friend relationships becomes more involved. Business relationships are introduced and explored.
Travel-related discussion mostly revolves around vacation, business trips, and meetings. Terms related to each of these are introduced.
Common business terminology pertaining to documents, clients, punctuality, etc. are fairly normal.
Sentence structures expand to include more complex sentences, questions, and directives.
Directions to the student are increasingly stated in Spanish and become more wordy and challenging.
Conversations spanning past, present, future, and even hopes for how things will work out become the norm well before this series is done.
Adverbs, days of the week, months, fiestas, and numerous exclamations are among topics introduced.
The student learns to say that “it's expensive” (as opposed to simply “it costs too much” from series 1), “the client changed his mind,” “I have been here since yesterday morning,” “Hopefully not,” “I thought we could all play some tennis Wednesday morning,” “He shouldn't change his mind again. Now he won't finish school in June,” “You still haven't finished your work for the client's new building, so I'll bring lunch,” etc.
By the end of Pimsleur Spanish 2, most of the material covered in Hugo Latin-American Spanish in Three Months is quite familiar. If the student has used this or some similar educational material to look up terms covered in Pimsleur 1 & 2 in written form, he may find himself (as I did) reading at least some Spanish news articles with a gratifying amount of success.
The student should, by the end of Spanish 2, be able to converse with friends, acquaintances, and business associates in a somewhat more meaningful and varied way. He should be able to express basic needs and desires, wishes and hopes, a certain range of opinions and preferences, and a tiny bit of personal narrative.
The student should be able to initiate and terminate conversation with greater elegance than was possible at the end of the first series. He should be able to find out when the stores will open after the holiday and how best to arrive there.
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