A good tool for learning pronunciation – Spanish Phrasebook: Conversational Spanish Review

I recommend this app for the beginning learner who wants to practice pronunciation, and at the same time memorize a few hundred of the most common words and phrases in Spanish. I do not recommend this app as a phrasebook for the traveler who is not trying to learn Spanish, but wants an easy reference to common phrases used for ordering food, making reservations, and so forth. It doesn't contain that kind of material. In that respect, its characterization as a phrasebook isn't really accurate. The amount of content is a bit thin at this time. Perhaps that's because this is the first version, and more material will be added as the app is improved. I would have given it the top rating if it contained significantly more content. The audio offers high recording quality and exemplary Latin American pronunciation. A North American learner should probably focus on Latin American pronunciation. Spanish is very regular in its pronunciation and spelling. Learning the pronunciation system and rules is key to reaching an intermediate level. The choice of content is too conservative and formal. The words and phrases are definitely not street Spanish, and will not be much help in understanding how people speak Spanish in everyday situations. Nevertheless, there is value to studying formal Spanish, to learning word choices for formal situations. One way to improve the app would be to add more phrases and expressions from everyday Spanish. A few of the translations are too literal or do not really reflect how people speak English today. The creators of this app are obviously native Spanish speakers, and they occasionally get the English wrong. For example, I would translate the expression "como no" not as "naturally" but as "why not?" or "of course!". A better translation for "maybe" would be "quizas." For "en punto" I would say "exactly," not "on the dot" (which is a literal translation). Nobody actually says "on the dot" in English. In addition to some basic phrasebook sentences and word lists, the app contains some reference material such as verb conjugations. This treatment of grammar is too brief, so it simply shouldn't be a part of this app. The app could be improved by removing this material and replacing it with other content. The app should not try to be a comprehensive reference. The developers should focus instead on what the app does well, on teaching the Spanish pronunciation system for basic word lists and phrases.
Review by Howard9999 on Spanish Phrasebook: Conversational Spanish.