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Foreword

Welcome, Friends "Bienvenidos, amigos."  You have taken the first step in becoming a Spanish speaker.  Over the past two decades Spanish-speaking people within the United States have grown exponentially.  Today, the stress on Law Enforcement personnel, dispatchers, EMTs, Fire Fighters and Jail Officers to be able to communicate with non-English speaking people is immense.  Many times, and in many situation, there is no time to find someone to assist in Spanish translation.  Therefore, the need to have a good working knowledge of the Spanish language is paramount.  Wherever you may live or work, you will encounter a Spanish-speaking person.  Spanish in the United States of America is the fastest second language.  Spanish and English are in a virtual dead heat to the be the second most spoken language in the world.  As of 1999, Spanish had 332 million speakers, while English had 322 million (source:  Ethnologue).

This book will instruct, guide and train anyone who has never studied the Spanish Language and will better assist people who already have a basic knowledge of Spanish; the authors hope that this will help them in their day-to-day jobs.  This book is written as a self-teaching guide.  With this in mind, the authors have presented the teaching of essentials of the Spanish language at the beginning level and in a practical and pleasant manner.

Features Contained Within This Book

• Pronunciations of the alphabet, vowels, and how to break down any word in Spanish and pronounce the word with a moderate degree of proficiency.
• Basic Spanish grammar presented in a logical and specific manner of instruction.
• Vocabulary of words used specifically in law enforcement, unique to situations encountered in fieldwork and narcotic investigations.
• A thorough explanation of how Spanish verbs work, and shortcuts to conjugations.
• Words and phrases demonstrated through the use of phonics to help the student pronounce these words.
• Cultural explanations of the Spanish household to include the hierarchy of the family unit, the dynamics of machismo in today's society, and celebrations specific to the Latino culture.

This book offers an exciting alternative to the methodology of most Spanish language text books in the United States today.  We welcome you to the beauty of the Spanish language, so let's get started Vamos a comenzar!