Cassell's Contemporary Spanish: A Handbook of Grammar, Current Usage, and Word Power

Book Description

A handbook of grammar, current usage, and word power, this book allows readers to develop a working knowledge of contemporary Spanish.

Customer Reviews:

A great supplementary study aid.......2003-05-23

This is a very helpful study aid for Spanish speakers at most levels. I consider it a study aid only because it uniquely covers grammatical points that are geared towards the Intermediate and Advanced speaker but it certainly does not go into depth and definitely does not cover any complex structures. I found it to be very practical, with clear and concise explanations and examples provided. It's not a workbook so don't expect any practice exercises. The back of book serves as a handy reference and covers subject matters outside of the grammatical realm such business writing, idiomatic expressions, thematic vocabulary etc. This book is an excellent complement to a good grammar book. It definitely is handy for clarifying doubts from time to time and the grammar topics cover are the most typical reoccurring grammar points that present difficulty for learners of the Spanish language. The lessons are in English with relevant examples in Spanish.

Now printed as Langenscheidt Pocket Grammar.......2003-02-03

Too bad the Cassell's Contemporary Italian/French/Spanish/German series are now out of print. I have them all the they are the best grammar books I own. I am a language buff and own several grammars and these can't be beat! I had been looking for the Cassell's Contemporary Italian recently and discovered the Langenscheidt Pocket Grammars are the Cassell's Contemporary series in new editions. They are identical.

Very Helpful.......2000-08-08

This book is very helpful if you need help on Spanish grammar, but it is mainly only good for that. With supplemental books (or other teaching tools) on the language, this book is great. A must for anyone trying to increase their competency in Spanish.

Cassell's Colloquial Spanish: A Handbook of Idiomatic Usage

Average customer rating:

Invaluable tool
buy 1st edition for $6.50
Helpful publishing info
A Great Break -- And You Still Learn A Lot
A great book

Cassell's Colloquial Spanish: A Handbook of Idiomatic Usage
Arthur Bryson Gerrard
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0020794304

Book Description

Cassell's Colloquial Spanish is one of a newly revised series of handbooks which provide convenient and fascinating coverage of modern languages, and of the pitfalls and difficulties inherent in colloquial, colourful, or idiomatic usage. Written with knowledge and enthusiasm, each book is not only a valuable source of reference but also an entertaining and absorbing portrait of the current state of the language. Among the areas covered are:

common words with no exact equivalent in English: detailed guidance is given false friends: the dangerous words which look similar to an English word but mean something slightly—or very—different spoken language: common usage which differs from the written forms levels of meaning: including guidance on words you may hear but should only use with care—or not at all! special language: including the idiom of polite formalities and telephones, and special vocabularies

Customer Reviews:

Invaluable tool.......2006-09-18

This book is a gem for the student of Spanish, providing the various colloquial meanings of a good many useful Spanish words. The author's various first-hand anecdotes about the situations in which he heard the words used in a particular way will amuse even the casual monolingual reader. Some of his warnings about linguistic etiquette might be a little out of date in the more modern, and Americanized, parts of the Spanish-speaking world, but it's always better to err on the side of propriety. Your command of colloquial Spanish will break down barriers that mere conversational proficiency cannot overcome , and this book has proven to be an excellent teacher for me.

buy 1st edition for $6.50.......2006-07-20

first edition half this size by same author for $6.50
'beyond the dictionary in spanish'

Helpful publishing info.......2005-07-15

In an earlier commentary about this book, a reviewer wondered how a $7 paperback could be going for upwards of $140. Well, the answer is: scarcity. This is where you have to be careful. The book listed under the title "Cassell's Colloquial Spanish" is said to be the third revised edition, published in 1981. That edition is indeed quite rare, which accounts for its fetching big bucks. However, that's not the end of the story. A couple of other reviewers lamented that there isn't an updated version of this book. It turns out there is, but with a different subtitle.

Which leads me to my story. After seeing the book offered from one of the online sellers at a "bargain basement" (compared to all the others, that is) price, I ordered what I thought to be the 1981 edition. When the book arrived, though, I noticed some differences from the picture and publication info I'd seen at Amazon. So I went back and compared ISBN numbers. The book I'd ordered was not the 1981 edition; the ISBN number for that one is 0020794304. The ISBN number on the one I received is 030407943X. Confused, I typed in that number and was startled by the result. The title of the book with that ISBN number was listed as "Spanish Colloquial", and no author's name was listed anywhere (BTW, Amazon has corrected the title and added the author's name). What's more, the publisher was listed as Orion Publishing Company, not Cassell's. The particularly strange thing about that is the name Orion appears nowhere in the book I have, while the name Cassell's appears several times (I found out later that Orion owned the printing rights to the Cassell's line for several years, but no longer). In addition, the book's cataloging info indicates that the 1981 edition was reprinted three times: 1985, 1988 and 1993. The copy I have is the 1993 reprint, even though the concluding words of the introduction are "Abingdon, 1980, A. Bryson Gerrard." My guess is the 1993 reprint is far less rare than the 1981 third edition. To top it all off, several sellers were offering the 1993 printing at prices lower than what I paid.

So was I duped? It appears that way. But I'm not going to send the book back, because it does contain everything I was hoping to find in the first place. And I concur wholeheartedly with all of the other reviewers. Gerrard has done a tremendous service to English speakers who are passionate about learning Spanish. Some of the information in Gerrard's book is a bit dated, though, which obviously can't be blamed on him. Just try to recall the state of the Internet in 1980 and you'll understand. I don't know if Mr. Gerrard is dead now, but don't let the passage of two and a half decades dissuade you from enjoying his fine work. However, taking into account the need for a more contemporary reference, I would also recommend "Streetwise Spanish" -- both volumes, the dialogue book and the dictionary/thesaurus.

A Great Break -- And You Still Learn A Lot.......2004-09-14

I'm an intermediate Spanish learner, and when I get sick of grinding memorization, etc, I pick up this book. It's enjoyable, and you really can read it straight through.

Here's a representative entry that shows how many examples the author gives from various countries --

carpeta: A Friend of unusual Falsity since not only does it not mean "carpet" but has very diverse meanings within the Hispanic world. In Spain and Mexico it means a "file," of the sort used in offices. In Peru it means a "desk" of the sort used in schools (elsewhere usually pupitre) and in Colombia it means a "table-cloth" (ornamental; not for meals). I have also heard it used for a "brief-case."

A carpet, as you know, is una alfombra. Wall-to-wall carpet is hecha a medida, "made to measure," but is often referred to as moqueta, "moquette" (carpet-material).

A great book.......2004-05-09

As a speaker of fluent Spanish, this book was invaluable in getting subtle nuances, learning false cognates and distinguishing between meanings from one country to another. It's a fun read as well. I have about 5 copies for my own references and to give away given how valuable and well-written it is.
What I don't understand is how a $7 paperback is going for $40 to $140 on the Internet!

Cassell's Spanish/ English, English/ Spanish Dictionary

Average customer rating:

A teacher at home
Very poor lexicographic technique
can get by on it, in the early stages
may be good but type is almost unreadable
A wonderful resource for any student of Spanish

Cassell's Spanish/ English, English/ Spanish Dictionary
Anthony Gooch
Manufacturer: Hungry Minds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0025229109

Book Description

This is the thoroughly revised and updated edition of Cassells internationally known Spanish dictionary. Special features of this new edition include

New socio-political, economic and colloquial Spanish vocabulary brought into use by recent changes.
New comprehensive verb tables.
New bibliography of Spanish and English dictionaries.
Latin-American usage as well as Castilian and regional dialects of Spain.
New-wave socio-political, economic and colloquial Spanish vocabulary brought into use by recent changes.
New comprehensive verb tables, bibliography of Spanish and English dictionaries.
Incorporates modern scientific, technical, political and industrial terms.
Embodies Latin-American terms with local usages in South and Central America as well as the Castilian and regional dialects of Spain.
Contains proper names, grammatical information and irregular plural forms.

Customer Reviews:

A teacher at home.......2007-10-11

This boock helped me a lot when I was a studient.
Ful of information and very easy to comprehend.

Very poor lexicographic technique.......2006-08-12

A dictionary should demonstrate good lexicographic technique and have an up-to-date-vocabulary. The Cassell's dictionary does neither.

Take a word with multiple meanings each of which which has a different translation, for example, the English word "loop. Cassells gives, "lazo, gaza, nudo; ojal, presilla, alamar; anillo; recodo, comba, curva, vuelta," etc. For the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary provides no clue as to which translation to use in which situation. For a Spanish speaker reading in English, this is enough, as the reader can look over the potential translations and choose the one which fits the context. But for the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary gives no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.

Compare the treatment of such a word, loop, for example, in the far superior American Heritage Spanish Dictionary. "(length of line) lazo; (coil) vuelta; (bend) curva; (circular path) vuelta, circuito; (fastener) presilla" etc. Here, the user is given glosses in the native language to assist in identifying the right word for the context. Example sentences are also a tremendous help.

Adequate treatment of words takes a tremendous amount of space. For example, in the Collins Spanish dictionary, a complex word like "get" takes up 730 lines. But in the Cassell's, the same word receives a mere 55 lines.

A good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "hostile takeover," "software," "hard drive." But the compilers of the Cassell's have totally neglected this aspect; the lexicon of the work is even more outdated than its ancient publishing date in the 1970s would suggest.

Based on the research I did for my Master's thesis, I would recommend Oxford, Larousse, and HarperCollins instead.

can get by on it, in the early stages.......2006-05-31

This dictionary has a pretty limited vocabulary, in both Sp-Eng and Eng-Sp. Good enough for the first year student who dutifully sticks to the prescribed texts, as most Am students do. However, if you're aiming to read anything interesting or go anywhere other than a northern Spanish (Spain) MacDonalds, you'll find it lacking. Will have to get another dictionary, in fact.
Particularly irritating are the faux amis, words that resemble English Latinate words but really mean something quite different. This is a problem with lazy lexicography between Eng and all Romance languages. This Cassell's is BAAD in this respect. Look for Anglosaxon when you choose an Eng word for a plain Sp word. But in this book you'll find a lot pale Latinate. That is NOT what the Sp means or feels like.
Fortunately, I got mine when a lazy Spanish college student just abandoned it in a cloak room. Maybe you didn't need a dictionary for that class anyway! You know how it goes. Look at the immigration debate - speaking Spanish is a real outrage, you know. People should speak English, including in Spanish class.

may be good but type is almost unreadable.......2005-10-03

I was browsing a copy of Cassells in a book store when trying to decide which Spanish Dict. to buy. This one came recommened to me, but the type is so blurry and badly printed--at least in the copy I was looking at--it was pretty much unuseable. Don't know if this is true for all copies of this book however.

A wonderful resource for any student of Spanish.......2000-07-01

Cassell's Spanish Dictionary has been a tremendous resource for me throughout my years of studying the Spanish language. It has suited me perfectly from middle school all the way through high school. With a variety of conjugations and a list of common expressions provided for each entry word, the dictionary is very easy to use. It is particularly important that the Spanish-English and English-Spanish portions are equally detailed. This dictionary is a wonderful tool for anyone involved with the Spanish language in any way. ¡Buena suerte!

Cassell's Spanish Dictionary: Spanish-English, English-Spanish

Average customer rating:

A dinosaur--forget it

Cassell's Spanish Dictionary: Spanish-English, English-Spanish
Edgar A. Peers
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

A dinosaur--forget it.......2006-10-03

If you think you are getting a bargain by buying an old dictionary to save money, think again. Dictionaries have gotten drastically better in the last few decades. What follows is a review of the 1978 edition. The 1968 edition is even more outdated, packed with archaic words and meanings. Don't take any Cassell's dictionary as a gift, even the latest ones. Much better dictionaries are mentioned at the end of this review.

"A dictionary should demonstrate good lexicographic technique and have an up-to-date-vocabulary. The Cassell's dictionary does neither.

"Take a word with multiple meanings each of which which has a different translation, for example, the English word loop. Cassell's gives, "lazo, gaza, nudo; ojal, presilla, alamar; anillo; recodo, comba, curva, vuelta," etc. For the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary provides no clue as to which translation to use in which situation. For a Spanish speaker reading in English, this is enough, as the reader can look over the potential translations and choose the one which fits the context. But for the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary gives no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.

"Compare the treatment of such a word, loop, for example, in the far superior American Heritage Spanish Dictionary. "(length of line) lazo; (coil) vuelta; (bend) curva; (circular path) vuelta, circuito; (fastener) presilla" etc. Here, the user is given glosses in the native language to assist in identifying the right word for the context. Example sentences are also a tremendous help.

"Adequate treatment of words takes a tremendous amount of space. For example, in the Collins Spanish dictionary, a complex word like "get" takes up 730 lines. But in the Cassell's, the same word receives a mere 55 lines.

"A good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "hostile takeover," "software," "hard drive." But the compilers of the Cassell's have totally neglected this aspect; the lexicon of the work is even more outdated than its ancient publishing date in the 1970s would suggest.

"Based on the research I did for my Master's thesis, I would recommend Oxford, Larousse, and HarperCollins instead."

Average customer rating:

Not recommended
Excellent source for its price, but lacking content.

Cassell's Spanish & English Dictionary
Brian Dutton
Manufacturer: Hungry Minds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0020136900

Book Description

The greatest name in foreign language dictionaries is Cassell, the preeminent publisher of dictionaries for over 120 years.

For fast, easy reference and comprehensive coverage, Cassell's is unbeatable. With entries covering daily conversation as well as technical and professional terms, this handy pocket-sized dictionary is the only reference you need while traveling, studying, or working.

Cassell's is portable, easy to read and full of helpful usage information that's simple to access. This invaluable volume, backed by the world's foremost language authority, is the best pocket guide available to the Spanish language.

Customer Reviews:

Not recommended.......2006-09-10

A dictionary should demonstrate good lexicographic technique and have an up-to-date-vocabulary. The Cassell's dictionary does neither.

Take a word with multiple meanings each of which which has a different translation, for example, the English word loop: "lazo, gaza, nudo; ojal, presilla, alamar; anillo; recodo, comba, curva, vuelta," etc. (This quote is from the hardcover version, but this version has the same fault) For the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary provides no clue as to which translation to use in which situation. For a Spanish speaker reading in English, this is enough, as the reader can look over the potential translations and choose the one which fits the context. But for the English reader writing in Spanish, this is hopelessly inadequate, as the dictionary gives no clue as to which translation to use in which situation.

Compare the treatment of such a word, loop, for example, in the far superior American Heritage Spanish Dictionary. "(length of line) lazo; (coil) vuelta; (bend) curva; (circular path) vuelta, circuito; (fastener) presilla" etc. Here, the user is given glosses in the native language to assist in identifying the right word for the context. Example sentences are also a tremendous help.

A good dictionary should maintain an up-to-date lexicon, including such cultural and technological additions to the language as "baby sitter," "hostile takeover," "software," "hard drive." But the compilers of the Cassell's have totally neglected this aspect; the lexicon of the work is severely outdated.

Based on the research I did for my Master's thesis, I would recommend Oxford, Larousse, and HarperCollins instead.

Excellent source for its price, but lacking content........1999-05-22

For the price, this is a good source. If you are a more advanced spanish-speaker, or speak in a more colloquial form, you won't find many of the words you are looking for. For beginners, it is great.

Cassell's Spanish-English, English-Spanish Standard Dictionary

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Cassell's Spanish-English, English-Spanish Standard Dictionary

Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0304522902

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The Cassell Dictionary & Thesaurus

Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Cassell's Compact Spanish-English English-Spanish Dictionary

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Cassell's Compact Spanish-English English-Spanish Dictionary
Brian Dutton , and L. P. Harvey
Manufacturer: Dell Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Cassell's Concise Spanish-English English-Spanish Dictionary

Average customer rating:

needs updating , but still the best I've found
Outdated, I don't recommend it.

Cassell's Concise Spanish-English English-Spanish Dictionary
Brian Dutton , L. P. Harvey , and Roger M. Walker
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0304316180

Book Description

A WORD ABOUT THIS CONCISE EDITION...

The eminence of Cassell dictionaries has been established over a period of more than 120 years of dictionary publishing.

Cassell's accumulated experience in such a highly specialized field has been accompanied by unceasing vigilance to maintain the high standard for which it is world-famous.

Cassell's Concise Spanish Dictionary has been specially compiled to provide in compact form the words most frequently used in normal speech and contemporary literature, and incorporates literary and poetical terms recurrent in classical, literary Spanish. It embodies common idiomatic expressions and new words that have recently become accepted usage, and includes Latin-American terms. Verb tables are provided in both languages.

Customer Reviews:

needs updating , but still the best I've found.......1999-01-19

It's true that this dictionary could benefit very much from an updating, and I have (very rarely) found inaccuracies (such as "be wary of" for percatarse de), but overall, I find it to be the best available in mass-market paperback format. I have been using it for nineteen years, and I have also found it to be superior to many others I've consulted, such as Harrap's, Larousse, Webster's New World, University of Chicago, and Bantam. Perhaps the reason I like it is that it has served me well for Spanish literature. Not only have I found more of the words I need, but I find the definitions to be clearer and more nuanced. The main weak points I have noticed are in the area of foods (the dictionary earns about one star in this respect) and technical terms. It is also worth noting that the dictionary has a clear bias in favor of British English and Penninsular Spanish. Notwithstanding these shortcomings, I would bet that most readers will experience much less frustration using this dicitonary than with others in its class. I still swear by it.

Outdated, I don't recommend it........1998-12-28

Well.... this dictionary needs an update badly. The volume of vocabulary is sufficient enough, but it needs a major overhaul in words, definitions. Cassells has a vast series of dictionaries; I don't know about other ones, but I don't recommend this Spanish dictionary. Try to choose another from the listings at this Amazon site.

Cassell's New Compact Spanish-English English-Spenish Dictionary

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Cassell's New Compact Spanish-English English-Spenish Dictionary
Brian; Harvey, L P; Walker, Roger M (compilers) Dutton
Manufacturer: Laurel Edition/ Dell Publishing Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000J2AXJM

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