I live in Mexico and the Spanish has helped me talk with plumbers, electricians, (something in the apartment I rent always needs fixing), and sales people.

I volunteer at a private school and help the students with their English. My Spanish helps me to understand their questions about English.

It's great fun

Bonnie Hotchkiss
Mexico

I love your teaching materials.

I practice with my co-workers at Disneyland all the time and hope to earn an "español" bilingual badge there a year from now.

Thanks for providing a breakthrough in my longtime wish to learn Spanish. Yours is the only course that I've been able to stick with and actually start using socially and professionally.

You are brilliant.

Michael Pollock
California, USA

Marcus,

I Just returned from spending 10 days in Mexico and my speaking skills have increased 50 fold.

While having a conversation (in Mexico) with a waitress that we have known for several years, she asked me to please speak to her in Spanish so that she could better understand our conversation.

What a complement!

Thanks to your course.

Bill Gore
Maryland, USA

My Spanish has improved greatly. I have gone from being a large dictionary of vocabulary words to actually being able to put that knowledge into action...!

My Spanish fluidity has really improved and reached an all time high, and is improving everyday. (Acabo de regresar de Panama y Costa Rica durante Las Pascuas...Tambien,espero ir a España en el verano que viene).

Muchas Gracias a usted, su esposa, Jose Luis, y todas las otras personas...

Estoy muy agradecido a usted y gracias a Dios por la oportunidad para aprender un nuevo idioma.

Kareem Cumberbatch
Bahamas

Great course. I love it.

You are going at the right pace, it is perfect for me. You are the best Spanish teacher in the world!

Fred Strickland
Florida, USA

Marcus,

Thanks for your Spanish courses - they are unique. They work! For the last forty years, on and off, I have been trying to learn this language. I have piles of books, tapes and disks to prove it. Yet, all I ever managed was some passive understanding of Spanish, I could not speak. Well, as you know well, there is not much opportunity to speak Spanish in Australian outback. Fortunately, I have discovered your Synergy courses and Apple iPod and things are starting to gel.

Last year we had a great holiday in Andalusia and finally I was able to speak "tourist" Spanish quite comfortably.

Once again thanks for your courses. There are the best in any language and I speak from experience (Czech, Russian, German, Spanish and finally English).

Good luck,

Jorge Tlaskal
(Outback) Australia

I have longed to learn Spanish all my life and finally I can understand and say things in Spanish. This would not have been possible without Bola de Nieve. EXCELLENT!

Love

Evelyn Cawthorn
UK

I absolutely LOVE Bola de Nieve!!!!!

I am sailing along great (I am amazing myself with how good I am going). I can now speak very well with Bola de Nieve. You have a really good idea of how to make it just seem to flow and I am excited at my progress!!

Please, please continue with the excellent course!!!

Once again, I LOVE Bola de Nieve. THANKS

Nelia Handley
Australia

Everything that you have done (Shortcut to Spanish 1 and 2, bola de Nieve, Spanish Ear Training etc) has helped me become almost bilingual in 2 - 3 years.

Can't thank you enough Marcus.

cheers and good luck

Dave Buckingham
UK

This course is wonderful!

Hearing the language spoken in conversational rhythm has helped my ability to distinguish words and common phrases the way they are blended together by native speakers of Spanish.

The teaching of colloquial expressions has greatly expanded my comprehension because these are difficult to locate in dictionaries or lists of idioms.

Lavon Chorba

I love the way its set up. I have always thought (and been told by others) that learning a new language was easy for me. Then I enrolled in a Spanish class, where my confidence suffered a blow! Residing verbs and learning grammar was really not my thing. In fact, I have never learned a language by learning the grammar first, I've always imitated native speakers which has been enough for me.

By following this course, my vocabulary builds up slowly but surely, and I love the feeling of mastering Spanish!

Thanks for creating all your courses, they're really appreciated.

Maggy Bjorgvinsdottir
Norway

I find this the best most immediately useful conversational course I've taken for practical Spanish. I'm always eager to receive the next installment.

Bill Montanary
California, USA

Like all of your courses Marcus (and I have done all of them!) Bola de Nieve helps me with my fluency and sentence construction.

I also find the level of language and the collocations for example very useful.

I communicate by email with Spanish speaking friends and I write in Spanish and they have noticed a big difference in the way that I construct my sentences and my use of more everyday language so please please keep it coming.

Many thanks to you, Elena & Jose you are doing a great job!!

Rachel
(last name withheld as requested)

Thanks for creating this system of learning. I love it.

What started out as an inquisitive "toe-dipping" into the Spanish language has now developed into what I know will be a lifelong learning quest!...

Not only with the language but with the culture and country of Spain; and is doesn't stop with Spain there's the a whole other continent across "the pond" to discover. Bola de Nieve in particular for me is like one of those books that once you start to can't put down; admittedly I am running a little behind but that's how things are with 3 young daughters a full time job AND a wife to keep happy!!

Thanks again for all your time and effort and PLEASE keep it going.

Scott Hitchman
UK

Loving the course Marcus, I like the fact that it is doled out in regular doses as this keeps me on my toes, making sure I keep up to date. All this regular practice is not only improving my fluency but is also a great confidence booster.

Jo Madle
UK

I can now say just about any thing I want in Spanish.

Jerroll Fry
USA

I'm doing great; Bola de Nieve is the best Spanish course available. I have learnt so much better than the class I was attending. The way you present the work is exactly the best way that I learn. I look forward to studying my Spanish every day, it's a pleasure to learn.

Thanks so much to you and all involved in its creation.

Alison (first name only as requested by Alison)
New Zealand

My wife and I have just moved to Costa Rica and I am finally getting to practice my Spanish on a daily basis. I feel THE COURSE has helped me greatly.

The people in Costa Rica are very helpful and appreciate my efforts to speak to them in their own language. I have had numerous comments that I am speaking very well and my pronunciation is good! I am sure that is partly because the people here are very kind but also thanks to the excellent audio and practice provided by the course.

Kenneth Spencer
Costa Rica

This course is well thought out and practical. I appreciate your direct approach that focuses on conversation as opposed to language rules. Without your method of instruction, I would have lost the motivation to learn due to the boredom and frustration built into traditional teaching methods.

Thanks for your assistance Marcus.

John Knapp
Arizona, USA

I love the course and have recommended it to my friends. I was getting nowhere fast at the local language school - that was all about conjugating verbs etc. There was a lot I didn't understand but no-one answered my questions satisfactorily (not even about the personal 'a', which you explained in an instant). I lost my confidence. Now, with Bola de Nieve, I am enjoying learning and am regaining the confidence I need to speak with my neighbours (I live in Spain).

I want to continue learning until I am mistaken for a Spaniard!

Aileen Jayes
Spain

Hi

I joined your course as I hadn't gained the fluency in speaking Spanish the way I would have liked it to be. Since joining I have improved considerably by following your "simple way" of doing it.

Felicitaciones con un curso que funciona tan bueno. ¡Qué tenga un buen verano!

Ansgar Haakonsen
Norway

I've been studying Spanish for about 2 years now (I was 59 when I started), and very soon discovered your Shortcut to Spanish and Synergy courses, so of course I jumped at the chance to enroll on your Bola de Nieve! I like your step by step approach building on previous lessons and it's very convenient on my MP3 player as I can dip into it at all sorts of odd times, but most of all I like the way you present the lessons sharing bits of your life with us.

Best Regards from

Brian Heselden,
Herne Bay, Kent UK

It is helping me heaps. Living in a country where it is not easy to find Spanish speakers it isn't always easy to practice. However, I now visit with my new friend, who is from Mexico, once a week usually and we speak Spanish.

She speaks way fast but last time I was there she said she understood everything that I said to her.

I really appreciate what you are doing

Cheers and thanks again

Christine Buckley
from NZ

Bola de Nieve is great. I've tried other methods and they don't work for me.

Thanks!

Cynthia Stemple
New Jersey, USA

I really like to Bola de Nieve. I find it very easy to learn from this course.

Right now I can communicate with my Peruvian friends fairly well, even by phone.

I love it!

Thanks

Debbie Blair
Washington, DC

I think the course is great.

Dianne Dilnot
Canada

The course is excellent.

Keep it up.

Many Thanks

Jacqueline Walsh
Spain

I am learning much more than ever I did with formal Spanish course and exam. I am very happy with this method. I feel much more confident now.

THE ENTENSIVE Audio is my favourite part as I feel this is very lacking in many other more courses.

Please keep it up.

John McKay
UK

It is so easy for me to learn in this format. Learning is such a pleasure with this teaching concept.

I wasn't afraid to use some of my new skills on my vacation in Mexico earlier this year. I feel like I can actually communicate.

Please stay inspired to continue.

Thanks.

Mary Dailey
North Carolina, USA

I think it is the best course I've taken, and I taken several - both self-study and conversational.

My wife, a bi-lingual Mexicana commented, "You are getting some great stuff."

Thanks,

Thomas McNear
Mexico

The course has been great to keep talking and thinking in Spanish.

I wish I could go back to Peru again since my Spanish is so much better now - thanks to your courses. Now I could really have a true conversation with the family members, especially the little girl in the blue sweater who so much wanted to talk to me and get me dancing at the fiesta.

As I've told you in the past, getting the words from my brain to my mouth was a major barrier, not so much for fear of saying it wrong but the inability to string it all together. The combination of oral practice and reading the words plus your clear explanations has completely removed that obstacle and I really enjoy being able to chat with people on a wide variety of subjects.

Helen Middleditch
Canada

Its helped tremendously. Your teaching method is so simple to follow. Each new module I think, 'this is going to get beyond me' and it doesn't!

Thank you.

Lesley Kew
UK

I love your course very very much.

Pauline De Champlain

What I have learned is phenomenal to say the least and native speakers are blown away that I speak with the degree of fluency I have achieved and speak "like them".

The greatest compliment for me is are you from Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and this from Central Americans...so thanks for getting me there / here.

M Anderson
USA

Dear Mr. Santamaria,

Your program is an awesome one and I have learned so much.

I have taken so many courses and have always walked away more confused than before I walked in. With your course, I have been able to learn far more than I ever expected.

It is far easier than I ever expected and owe it all to you. When I go to Mexico, I know that with your course I will be able to fully communicate.

Thank you so much!

Lori-Ann Wojcik
Georgia, USA

I LOVE YOUR COURSES! They are the best way to learn Spanish out there! And I have tried many.

Linda Sappington
California, USA

Marcus,

I just returned from Honduras where I provide technical support to a medical mission team. After using your courses for the past few months I was hoping that my Spanish would be better than last year and after a few hours of getting used to the Honduran way of speaking I was delighted to find that I could communicate with our Spanish only drivers and others, at the stores, restaurants, and churches where we worked. (Your system works!)

I am now the guy who rides up front in the "micro bus" since "I speak Spanish" better than other team members. I have found your approach to be very effective. (Bola de Neive) I will continue to study in anticipation of another trip later this year.

Thanks!

Arnold LeMay
Kentucky, USA

My Spanish lessons are an important part of my day--we live in Costa Rica for 3 months of the year, and I am now able to communicate in an area where little English is spoken. I've never had such a dramatic success in my life.

Thank you so much!

Helene Hauser
Costa Rica

Hi Marcus,

I now live in Spain for most of the time, and your course has given me more confidence to speak the Spanish.

I realize your work is a labour of love, so please, please keep up the good work!!

Best wishes,

Barbara Deards
Spain

I think the sequence of Bola de Nieve is outstanding, and the Advanced Concepts puts the course way over the top. Great Job!!!

Eamon McColgan

I live in Panama. I studied several other courses and have found this is the only one that has helped me to actually communicate, so thank you!

Harreson Mayers
Panama

Bola de Nieve is by far the best Spanish learning method I've experienced.

Reg Jackson
UK

I love it I love it I love it,

We just built a house in Mexico I would have been lost without your course our architect walked off the job and I was able to take it over right to the finished casa.

Carol Romain
Mexico

When I came to Honduras to teach at a bilingual school, I didn't speak any Spanish. I was very uncomfortable when I would go to town to go shopping. The language barrier really prevented me from having an impact in the lives of the people around me. But, after about a year of studying under you, I can communicate quite comfortably in this Spanish culture.

A turning point for me was conducting my 2nd quarter report card meetings with the parents of my 23 2nd grade students all in Spanish. It feels so good to understand and be understood.

Golden Preciado
Honduras

Bola de Nieve is the best course I have ever found, and I'm doing extremely well.

Mikael Eriksson
sweden

This course is helping me enormously.

Learning another language was something I had always wanted to do, and even though we moved to Spain, I still didn't think I could at my age. But with your method it doesn't matter how old you are, any one of any age can learn a language.

I love how it makes Spanish so much easier to learn, I can at last go out with confidence and speak to my neighbours in Spain.

Thank you.

Sandra Mitchell
UK

Bola de Nieve has helped me to react quicker in Spanish. I often do not have to consciously think of the words or phrases in Spanish - many of them are becoming instinctive.

Brian Murray
UK

I have been going to Tenerife on holiday for many years but have never really had much knowledge or confidence to try speaking Spanish.

After completing Synergy Spanish and now working through Bola de Nieve I was eager to put my Spanish to the test!

On holiday in Tenerife earlier this month, I was delighted that I could order food and drinks in restaurants and converse with the locals, asking them questions about their lives and answering questions about my life. I even asked a local man for directions one day in the street - and was able to understand the reply!

I was complimented many times by Spanish-speaking people on my ability to speak Spanish! The Spanish people were delighted that I was making an effort to talk to them in their language and were eager to offer me advice when I went wrong.

In return, they were grateful to learn some Scottish colloquialisms which they could use to impress in their English conversations!

Thank you for giving me the confidence to just go for it! Muchas gracias

Saludos

Rhona McWalter
Scotland

Hi Marcus,

The methodology must have recoded my brain. I'm hearing and decoding the Spanish - and able to respond 85% quicker than I could at the beginning of December. Now, January 28, I converse with my Mexican neighbors and friends. By the end of March, I expect to be fluent enough to join Spanish speaking organizations, clubs and a Fashion Design Course.

You have a terrific system that works.

Luiza en La Paz,
Baja California Sur, Mexico

Marcus,

Bola de Nieve is a great course and I am not only enjoying it, but cannot believe how much Spanish I can now speak!

Thanks again!

Aundria Humphrey
NY, USA

Me gustaría decir que he disfrutado de sus cursos muchísimo; Mi español se ha mejorado enormemente, gracias a ellos y usted. Ahora puedo visitar a mis amigos en Costa Rica, y sentirme mucho más confiado en mis conversaciones con ellos.

I would like to say that I have enjoyed your courses very much. Mi Spanish has improved enormously. Now I can visit my friends in Costa Rica, and feel much more confident in my conversations with them

Eddie Simpson
UK

Eddie later added

I would also like to say that in a couple of weeks I shall be 74 years old...so don't let anyone think age is any sort of a barrier to learning another language....especially with your unique method of teaching.

Many, many years ago I left grammar school with a GCE certificate "O" level in French, but I have never been able to hold a conversation in French; ..... as I now can in Spanish!!

My Spanish tutor is amazed at how my command of spoken Spanish has come on in leaps and bounds ( I have kept you a secret :) )and I thoroughly enjoy the confidence the course has given me.

Charlotte Hodgson
UK

I had been learning Spanish online for a year; I had even walked the Camino de Santiago for two months in Spain. My survival Spanish served me well and I could make myself understood, but I couldn't TALK Spanish.

That's when I discovered Synergy Spanish. It was a refreshing new window on learning. I worked my way through, I think, all the Synergy products and onto Bola de Nieve. I thank you for how you taught me to speak.

By the way, I'm 78. I hadn't heard a word of Spanish until I turned 75. I could have, should have written this in Spanish. But it is, after all, our mutual idioma materna and I wanted to be sure that you understood just how happy I have been with all you have done for me.

Barry Seedsman
Australia

Thank you for you fantastic methods. I haven’t gone wrong since I started.

Lawrie Norton
UK

Me encanta las lecciones de español.

Todos los días, paso 1 hora aprendiendo con Marcus. Las lecciones son muy interesantes. Cada mes es muy agradable recibir nuevas lecciones. También me gusta el precio, es justo.

Solo tengo 5 meses y ahora puedo hablar, leer el periódico y comprender más y más cuando escucho la radio.

Estoy muy contenta con este curso.  El método de  enseñanza de Marcus es definitivamente superior a cualquier otro.

Everyday I spend 1 hour learning with Marcus. The lessons are very interesting. Each month it is very enjoyable to receive new lessons. Also, I like the price, it is very fair.

I only have 5 months(studying) and now I can speak, read the newspaper and understand more and more when I listen to the radio.

I am very happy with this course. Marcus' teaching method is superior to any other.

Muchas gracias Marcus.

Daniella Kennedy
Canada

Your Synergy Spanish and Bola de Nieve systems have been Godsends. I've had my mother in law home with us from Colombia and unlike last time she was here, we are communicating and laughing together!

Muchas Gracias mi amigo! Tu eres el mejor!

Dr Tom Rifai
Michigan, USA

I've been living in Spain now for 18 months albeit in a area populated by British ex-pats so don't get to hear Spanish consistently as I would like. But I am already speaking much more Spanish then many people who have been here for many years.

The course not only makes Spanish much easier but it is enjoyable as well.

Derek Blevins
Spain

I want to use this opportunity to tell you how very much I LOVE this program. I had some Spanish speaking friends over this past weekend and I was amazed at my ability to communicate with them.

Carole Liantonio
USA

Your system is amazing! It is so wonderful to be able to ENJOY Spanish, and not have to keep trying to wade through every fine point of the grammar, and pages and pages of verbs and tenses that are just totally overwhelming.

Many thanks for rescuing us ordinary people who just want to speak the language fluently, - not do a university degree on the finer points of it!

Yvonne

Today I had to call my phone company. The woman who responded began speaking to me in Spanish. I was able to keep up for awhile, and then told her I was still learning. She was amazed that I had no accent and that I had learned off of the net.

Marcus, I can't tell you the thrill it gave me. And her assessment that I was correct and without noticeable accent is a tribute to your method.

Thanks, for opening a world to me, and for making it possible for me to let others know that some Americans want to share their Hispanic language and heritage.

Gratefully,

Bob Carnes
New York, USA

After ten years of lessons with many different teachers and twelve years of living in Spain, your course is the only one that has enabled me to speak with some confidence. I am very much looking forward to starting Advanced Concepts Intensive after completing Bola de Nieve.

Alison Morgans
Spain

I signed up 7 months ago and I am currently working on lesson 7 in Bola de Nieve. Every once in a while I feel like I made a breakthrough and this week it happened again with the advanced concepts. I can speak in the past now.

Keep up the good work! I'm so thrilled to have found your site completely by accident.

David Schroeder
Canada

I am currently doing the Bola de Nieve course, which I must say is an absolutely superb course. I have been living in Colombia for 5 months now and the course has helped me immensely.

John Hynd
Colombia