Many times when we are somewhat fluent in a language we will find ourselves having both strengths and weaknesses when putting our skills to use. It’s a very common situation to feel blocked or suddenly have a tricky question (related to grammar) in mind at a moment’s notice. For such a situation the handy pocket book Buscalo could be your best tool.
Buscalo is a book that helps explain some of the most important grammar structures in the Spanish language in a very straightforward fashion. When you open the book you will come across a table of contents which organizes all of the book’s information in alphabetical order. Rather than organizing its information by topics, chapters, and page sequence, this book takes a different approach. If for example you want to look up the translation for the preposition “for” you may simply look under the prepositions section or even go to a more specific topic labeled “por vs. para” where the translation of this preposition is explained in a more in depth manner .This alphabetical reference is a unique feature which makes this book very practical and efficient.
!Buscalo! (Look It Up!) gives you remarkably quick, concise, and reliable answers to common problems of grammar and usage. It is a unique one-stop reference that is perfect for both casual and serious students." - William M. Clarkson (Author)
All the grammar structures and rules that you would find in any beginner to pre intermediate Spanish course are found in this book. The subjects are organized into “mini lessons” and the grammar structures and rules are explained in a quick and no fuss manner, in most cases each topic is explained in just a page or two. Aside from providing useful information on grammar, the book also has a section which focuses on proper pronunciation and phonetics.
What I enjoyed about this book is that every topic provides the reader with easy to understand explanations and clear examples. I even noticed that most if not all of the common questions or doubts Spanish students have are listed in this book. Questions such as “what is the difference between gran and grande?” “What is the past tense of hay” “When is the accent mark used?” can all be answered with the help of this book.
This book is not meant for the typical Spanish teacher or even students who want to learn the language on their own. This book is more appropriate for someone who is already taking part in a Spanish course and needs something else to complement their learning. I’ve also found this book to be very useful when studying for exams or level tests since it gives such in depth examples of Spanish language structures.
If you are looking for a book to help you improve your listening and speaking skills, this book is definitely not for you. You will not find any audio exercises or engaging topics to help you practice your conversation skills. The book also does not have any reading activities, in a sense you could say this book is strictly grammar oriented. Personally, I find the information in this book extremely useful, but it would have been great if the book also offered activities that students could work on.
This book is practical enough that you will find your answer in less time than you would usually spend flipping through a lengthy grammar book. Although you will not find information on obscure grammar points there is still a lot of important information contained in this book. Buscalo is a great reference guide and I would highly recommend it to both teachers and students.
