11/05/20072898972great course, still going back to it
11/05/20072898995I have previously tried to learn Maori and found it really hard, but with this methodology I am picking up Spanish really well. I do need a lot of repitition and this suits as I am commuting on my pushbike every day.
11/05/20072899111Synergy Spanish is a truly great language course. When I studied french at school I hated it because I never seemed to make progress and the thought of speaking to someone in French would have terrified me. After studying Synergy Spanish for 5 months I spent a week in Southern Spain and was able to speak to the Spanish people around me with no trouble. Marcus you have created a great success story.
11/05/20072899164I had to stop my lessons due an illness and then death in my family. I am ready to start again Do you have any suggestions? I was at about lesson 19.
11/05/20072899266keep up the great work
11/05/20072899233I will be leaving for Mexico in a month. I will be there for 3 months so i'll try using Spanish again. I think I am better equiped this year.
11/05/20072899342the course has been very helpful and I look forward to your next "snowball"
11/05/20072899409I now live in Mexico and your courses are giving me just the boost I need to get started learning the language fast. I anxiously await the release of your new Synergy Spanish course. Thank you!
11/05/20072899389I am still using the Synergy Spanish exercises. I use the tapes in the car as often as possible. I also g to sleep with the audio on hoping the info will seep into my unconcious:). I will be going to Spain next Spring (2008) and I hope to be able to communicate well. I'm looking forward to the new tools. Muchas gracias.
11/05/20072899482only thing i can say is what a brill course!!!
11/05/20072899451I thinkthe course is very good. I had very little problem completing the translations. My problem is convincing myself that I can speak Spanish with a native Spaniard.
11/05/20072899519Your materials have been a great help to me. Five years ago, I knew no Spanish but at that time began working with the "Spanish for Dummies" book. I also had a new opportunity to talk w/ Hispanic family members on a daily basis. Gradually, I have come to be fairly adept at conversation.... have few problems one-on-one although I still have great difficulty in listening to conversations between native Hispanic speakers..... they just talk too fast and use too much slang. But your materials are fantastic and have been the best materials of all that I have worked with.
11/05/20072899572Hola Marcus,

Would really like to start talking about the past. Is there anything in the pipeline? I should be a little more patient still digesting the shortcut to spanish word changes and got informal conversation to go. Can't wait :-)
11/05/20072899627I think the biggest pain was the sheer volume of pages I'd printed out. 8 1/2" x 11" an inch thick was too unwieldy to want to deal with a lot of the time, not to mention the expense of printing it out.

In retrospect, I would have liked to have purchased the written material in a smaller format, and I would have liked MORE audio. But the program is great - if only you could supply free time to study, then it would be even better!
11/05/20072899641Synergy Spanish blows away all other approaches I've tried. The best supporting tactics (if you'd like to pass this along) has been to also listen to latino radio stations and to watch movies in spanish. When I get spanish language movies, I watch them a few times, switching the subtitles from English to Spanish (so I can catch hard to hear words) to none. Really helps!
11/05/20072899713I am so looking forward to Synergy Spanish 2
11/05/20072899718Enjoyed Shortcut to Spanish 1. Working on Synergy Spanish and the Informal Conversations Level 1 now. I plan on working on Level 2 for both and any other courses you have afterwards. You have a good approach.
11/05/20072899817Is this the future "super course" I saw somewhere?
11/05/20072899816I TRIED CONTACTING YOU SEVERALL TIMES
ABOUT THE FOLLOW UP FOR SYNERGY SPANISH
BUT NO REPLY, BUT I AM VERY INTERESTED IN NEW SYNERGY PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED THANKS.
11/05/20072899918I'm curious if your next level will include present/past tense, etc.?
11/05/20072899908I downloaded the lessons onto C.D.'s and then i put them into my alarm clock. Every morning i wake up to spanish. I am not in a rush but am learning every day.
11/05/20072899941it helped me the most in having a conversation
11/05/20072899955I would like to have more business conversation as a tool for learning.
11/05/20072899939Your courses are quiet very good; a very good method to teach, i do really concratulate you for your work! (i wish if you could do the same for other languages like portuguese for example).
but unforunately they are not enough; i do still feel that their is still a lot missing, i don't feel really quiet confident about my self and i'm not really able to understand much stuff on Tv (even with sub) ...
any way i want to thank you for your useful courses!!!and to tell you continue!
Best regards
11/05/20072900087This is an amazing method of learning Spanish. I still want to know more about tenses, especially pasado. And "listening". I do not have a practiced ear, and it is hard for me to know what is being said.
11/05/20072900110I enjoyed the audio and the book,made it easier for me using both together.
11/05/20072900123Thought course was excellent.Personally have visual memory so need written work to make best use of audio.Would be nice to have a summary overview of the grammar covered in your courses as a reference.Loking forward to new courses which build on existing.
Am off to Mexico and will know better how I am going when I have been there a while.
11/05/20072900166I've gone through all of your programs a number of times and am happy with my progress but I thurst for more.
11/05/20072900188Your course is really awesome. If you have some talent for languages you pick things up very quickly. I am a teacher of English myself and I can only congratulate you on this outstanding course.
I will be looking forward to your 'snowball'.
11/05/20072899927I'have done other lessons of spanish, but never reached any ability of speaking in spanish. And now, I have done Synergy Spanish, I feel free to speak in spanish. I want to improve a lot, but now I have a good level to built on. I think synergy spanish is very good and I want my wife and son, who don't speak english, to do the lessons.
Just for them I make a Dutch - Spanish version. I am very anxious to see en do your next lessens of synergy.
11/05/20072900206excellent programme - I am looking forward to the next series.
11/05/20072900220Simply that the course exceeded my expectations and that I am able to converse easily with most Spanish people, for which I am very grateful.
11/05/20072900378I would like to see more than travel, restaurant, and shopping conversations.For example, how can I find a plummer,my roof is leaking, I need a repair person, Weather conversation.windy,rain, humidity, clouds, hurriacane,& etc.
I have learned more than with any other program I have tried. I need the audio part and yours is perfect.
11/05/20072900465I have learned more from your synergy spanish course thank anything I have tried..
11/05/20072900317I am 66 years old and learnt French the hard way to A level. I have been to lots of spanish lessons over the year and have very little time because I still work full-time. I find your lessons very very good and have passed you web site on to lots of young people who are now wanting to learn spanish because they can see result in one or two lesson and that makes a big difference to them carrying on learning. I can read quite a bit of spanish because I have a good grounding in latin which most kids these days do not have. But the spoken language is quite difficult, if in spain I have writen notes in the past. Your audio course has been magic. Useful language. When I went to South America in year 2000 (at 59) I used an accelerated language course from Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire which uses cartoons, audio and music and was amazed that I could shop in the Andean markets and talk to the Quechuan Indians. I am more of a visual person but I found your courses excellent. My friend who is an English teacher introduced me to your courses has come on this last year in leaps and bounds with her spanish. I think it is great that I can load your audio on to CD's and lay them at work at lunch times, just to keep my hand in. Most of the people I work with are speakers of other languages than english and have had a look and are quite enthusiastic. I have looked at lots of sites on the internet - free one for the kids and yours is the best introduction and value for money. Keep up the good work. I have always loved spanish and when I retire I hope to read some spanish literature from South America.
11/05/20072900749I like your way of teaching spanish, you sound like an Aussie, Correct??
11/05/20072900777As I've told you before, both my husband and I LOVE your lessons and have become rather fluent as a result. What a joy to be able to understand soooo much of what's said to us now and also to be able to put our two cents worth into conversations with the local Mexican people. You and your courses are terrific!!
11/05/20072900753I really enjoyed the course.
One thing that might be good is in the audio have a section where you are asked a question and have time to respond. Perhaps you would have had to have been told the situation you are in, for example - you are in a restaurant and want to order a coffee. The Cd could ask, what would you like to order (in spanish) and then you can make a reply. This would help with understanding other people speaking spanish and forming a reply quickly.
Thank you very much for your help.
I am definatly interested in the next course.
11/05/20072900858the synergy speanish course is excellent, I am looking forward to nivel dos.
11/05/20072900814I had Spanish in 5th grade, 60 years ago. We were given a book and memorized it. But we learned Spanish. I've tried since then to add more Spanish. Synergy is the only program that worked-no memorization, cases rules etc. Thank you.
11/05/20072900808I am working through lesson 7 right now. Maybe I will have a problem when I finish and have real conversations since my native language is Dutch and not English.
I have to repeat the audio lessons for upto 20 times...
keep up the good work
11/05/20072900832your courses were my intro to spanish. the problem was you didn't publish synergy spanish and shortcut to spanish volumes 3-20 fast enough!! When I was done with your courses, I could speak a good amount in present, a little in one form of the past, but that's about it... but I bought "Spanish Verb Tenses" and "Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions" by Dorothy Richmond and studied it voraciously and my communication ability went through the roof... I greater prefer how you present the information but my thirst for more took me elsewhere... like I said, i look forward to volumes 3-20. keep up the good work!!
11/05/20072900933I would like to see more activity or different exercises. I am a teacher and know making up lessons can be difficult. Other spanish programs have various exercises for learning and Synergy Spanish was very good but after 20 or so lessons with the same format got very repetitive. Maybe some fill in the blanks, matching, answering questions about a story, etc.
11/05/20072901006I'm still making my way through it. What would be useful to me is a recap of each lesson in writing! For the spelling as well as activating other memory sensors.

Maybe you should do one similar course for spanish speaking people wanting to learn english?
11/05/20072900890I liked the audio lessons, good as it is. Sometimes the quality was poor, with cracks and noise, and the other track could be louder than another. Would have been nice to have more explaination to what especially we would learn. Of course there was explanation, but I found it strange that everything was formal spanish, and there was never a hint that in future or other programs there would be a very easy step to informal Spanish also.

In some way or antother, would be nice to have a nice overview of everything we learned, an easy to look up word-list / dictionary, to combine with synergy spanish II.

Was good that we could download complete cd`s, and not every track by itself, for that is way too slow.

I like also that if you would like to learn to write, you can also do it, and if you just want to learn with audio, that is, by my experience, also possible, if practiced together with the mnenomics.

Maybe this is a little bit too advanced, but in long programs/tracks, would be nice that there are chapters included, audio marks, so that it is easy for an ipod listener, to go back to hear something anew.

I left my e-mail for in case you have some more questions, for I know I have a sharp mind to give constructive feedback.
11/05/20072901099hey marcus, i am still waiting for some new levels, dont let your spanish children alone!! otherwise we will forget all our spanish knowledge and get disappointed and you know how difficult it is to start again!!:-(
11/05/20072901236hurry up and get this product out... I will definitely buy it if it's done in 7 days, otherwise, I'll try asimil
11/05/20072901222Looking forward to covering past tense next!
11/05/20072901280Very good way to learn basic spanish if you are not in a spanish speaking country
11/05/20072901374I have not finished the course, but I am really enjoying doing it.
11/05/20072901366In preparation for a trip to Spain, I finished the whole "Synergy Spanish" course. I'm 60 years old, and it was fun to find that I'm not too old to learn a new language! Thanks
11/05/20072901284I'm and old geezer of 86 and spend part of every winter in Mexico. My spanish has progressed to the point of near fluency and what I require is conversational practice and guidance in pronunciation. Synergy Spanish was good pratice for those from beginneers to intermediate, but there is a need for those of us who need to fine tune our speaking skills. I hope your new course will address this need.
11/05/20072901468Thank you. I'm looking forward to more Spanish from you.
11/05/20072901490I am using synergy spanish as an ongoing exercise. To embed everthing into memory, I repeat the course over and over until I can put it into practice with native spanish speakers.
11/05/20072901579I really enjoyed doing the last course.
Cheers
11/05/20072901714I recently recieved spanish course as a
gift(onlingo)its the level one first of 8 levels.It goes more for the grammaticals and compares the differences among central,south america and spain.too much confusion.I go through the written material from your course then audio while I drive much easier.My work schedule restricts my study time.I am on pg 155 of synergy spanish,I finished the first level and 2 late last year.Keep up the good work.
11/05/20072901769I am still waiting for Synergy Lv 3, 4 and so on. It has to be more than just what I learnt so far and I feel it's not enough just to stop here eventhough I can start making sentences from what I learnt.

Come on, give me more!!

11/05/20072901766You are a great man, an inspirational teacher and a great example of how to simplify learning per se! Learning is always achievable if digestible. Too much at once creates indigestion...
11/05/20072901809I'm only on lesson 11 at this point. As the lessons progress it takes me several passes to absorb before moving forward. Steady goes the pace.
11/05/20072901836I have tried many different Spanish language classes and yours really is something I was able to connect with right from the start.

I will be a "snowball"...
11/05/20072901891I've only been at it for a little less than a week and I can surprisingly read Spanish quite well, the speaking is coming as well the transition from the brain to the lips is taking a little longer but that too is coming along.
11/05/20072901939Maybe more flash cards,I think they are a fun part of the course.
11/05/20072901975I loved synergy! Epecially the translation exercises. I leave for Morelia 11/18 for 4 weeks to live with a family and study at the university. This really has help me tremendously. I now more confident about my arrival.
Gracias!
11/05/20072901997Has been great learning Spanish using all your courses. Am looking forward to the new addition
11/05/20072902046It is fun to read the lessons both ways but now I have done it enough that I can remember the sentence when starting and the challange is gone in some cases.
11/05/20072902138Waiting for the past tense.
11/05/20072902204Hi Marcus,
I think you are the best teacher of language i Have ever come across. I have done your Synergy Spanish, Shortcut to Spanish 1&2 as well as Informal Spanish Audio. At the moment I am revising the lot and frankly, it is quite easy now. I am looking forward to Synergy Spanish II.
Thank`s a lot.
11/05/20072902271I am up to lesson 19 and your course has helped me to become comfortable with the material we have covered. However, my comprhension of every day spoken Spanish has not improved significantly. I have been trying LoMass TV. I hope that I can grow to understand the conversation but, right now, I need something simpler and slower.
11/05/20072902693I really enjoyed your method, it got me up and running...I really like the Flashcards
11/05/20072902790I have found all your courses beneficial but for me the place I need most help is with the verbs. Your vocabulary sections are great and work great
11/05/20072902770Great program because it's very easy to follow along. The pronunciation is clear and I especially like the way one step builds on another. I'm definitely interested in learning more. Thanks for all your hard work.
11/05/20072902882I am living in Chile and had taken about a year of Spanish lessons before starting your course. You're course finally put it all together for me. Spanish seemed very difficult and now it doesn't. Thank you
11/05/20072902901I enjoy the lessons. I'm currently on exercise 18B. When I finish Synergy Spanish I'll start on Shortcut to Dpanish and informal Spanish conversations
11/05/20072902975I have tried many spanish lessons and liked synergy spanish the best. Very well done. thanks
11/05/20072902993EAsily the best system for learning spanish I have ever used.....and I have tried a few!!
11/05/20072902938I enjoyed Synergy Spanish and have been waiting for more. I also have Shortcut to Spanish 1 that I purchased after Synergy. I haven't quite made it all the way through Shortcut yet however. My biggest problem is trying to understand native speakers who talk fast. I don't have any native speakers to practice with, so I watch Spanish TV channels and use the Spanish language feature on some of the DVD's I watch, but I have not caught up to the speed yet.
11/05/20072902470Dear Marcus,
I have been wanting to tell you for a long time that your Synergy Spanish is great. This is how I feel it helps me, I knew a quite a good number of Spanish words which helped me with exercises. But until I started your program that's all they where just words. The words I knew plus the loads of new words I have learned have come to life I can now use them in everyday conversation. Before I found your program I could hardly put two words together now I can both translate from English to Spanish and vice versa with anything from Two to Twenty word sentences. This is the part I like for me because writing the words down ingrains then better in my mind, also I like the way you show how best to pronounce the Spanish words.
11/05/20072903145It is a great course as far as it goes, but it definately needs a second phase. I would have included the verb hacer and it's different conjugations, but maybe that's for the next lessons.
11/05/20072903225I have tried several courses and this is the most practical I have found.
11/05/20072903233Can't wait for the new course!
11/05/20072903214Would have liked to have used Mnemonics but just didn't "get it!!"
I've tried it before & I didn't get it then either!
11/05/20072903267i loved synergy spanish, out of all the courses that i have purchased, thios one i learned more and was able to speak more and it was fun and kept me wanting more. i am so glad that you are coming with a second part because i have been waiting and waiting. PLEASE HURRY!!!!!
11/05/20072903429I loved your lessons. They were very easy to understand. Thanks so much.
11/05/20072903571The only time I really have is when I am driving in the car. That's why the audio lessons suit me the best.
11/05/20072903822I really liked your course. It was a lot more useable than any other course I took. I keep practicing with it, but I need to go to some advanced course in MP3, which was extremely helpful.
11/05/20072903826This program is great. Anytime I have time to kill at my computer, I will play one of the review g
11/05/20072903823I am so eager for your next course of study! I especially need practice with past tense conversation...preterite and imperfect. I LOVE THE AUDIO SESSIONS!!!
11/05/20072903843I LOVE everything you have done. It is the best I have ever encountered. I had Spanish in high school, college and with a private tutor. I learned more from you in 3 months than all of that together. Please let me know ANYTIME you have something else.
11/05/20072903849I love your methodology. I was in the Army Special Forces and I've learned Thai and Tagalog, both courses were very painful. I have since retired and am now working for the State Department and learning Spanish. Your program has put me way ahead in my Spanish program and I credit it with my rapid learning of the language. I think you have a very sound methodology, which is a 1,000 times better than Rossetta Stone. Please let me know when you release the new program because I want to buy it right away. I also like your audio, but you don't give enough time to answer... my recommendation would be to tell people to pause the CD or better yet in the initial lessons allow more time. I use what I learn in your lessons every day and I am very thankful that I came across you on the internet.. Keep up the great work!
11/05/20072903957I think Synergy Spanish is an excellent resource to get students speaking and using the Spanish language. I'm looking forward to your follow-up course.

I have studied Spanish at the college level for almost 2 years now. Although I’ve received top grades in all my classes, I still struggle with understanding Spanish when spoken. Typically I find myself quickly trying to translate what was said into English – that’s assuming that I even heard everything correctly. Obviously, this is not a good system for communication. Can you provide me with insight on what I can do to improve my ability to hear and understand spoken Spanish?

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you may have.
11/05/20072903901I like your program a lot, I enjoy the e-book am just finishing shortcuts to Spanish, and I will go thought Synergy again. One thing I would like to see more is the past tenses and how to use it in the sentence. Your method I believe is very good and Roselle in comparing to your program although more expensive its not even close to yours. I hope to see the new e-book soon (and audio) :)
11/05/20072903987Would it help to have more exercises to have the verbs for the six possibilities ...? I-you he etc..?
11/05/20072904093I would loved if you'd do this for the different tenses of the verbs too.
11/05/20072904041I found the audio the most helpful because you could hear the sounding out of the spanish. I also think it would be most helpful if during the audio that if the words could appear on the screen then you you could check the spelling of them on the spot.
11/05/20072904101I am only about 2/3rds of the way through Synergy and, overall, I am quite pleased. I have learned more from your product than the two "real classroom" courses I am taking at the same time at the local community college.

That being said, I am extremely disappointed in the audio aspects of the program. I find it uniquely un-useful to listen to people with British accents speaking Spanish very slowly when what I need to learn is how to understand people with a strong Hispanic accent speaking very quickly.
11/05/20072904051I'm did Shortcuts and am now about half way through Synergy. Much of the dialogue sounds like it's appropriate for young daters. That's OK but I find it a little tedious. (Are you going to call her? I want to invite him to the party!) Good stuff but it doesn't help me learn how to rent a car, etc. At this point, I would hesitate to recommend it to my friends (older folks) because it fails to reflect our interests adequately. I like the method but the content is lacking.
11/05/20072904208looking forward to snowball
11/05/20072904272The repetition and building sentences made me feel very successful, and enthusiastic to keep learning and not to be afraid to string words together and to "try"..
11/05/20072904310You have really dialed in on the best way to learn a language, Marcus. Cudos for your inspiration.
11/05/20072904305i think the translation exercises could be broken up into smaller chunks maybe two sets of 10 instead of 20. Its a presentataion thing and makes it look a bit less daunting for Spainish newbies like me, apart from that your method is the best I have come across.
11/05/20072904442my library gave me intermediate pimsleur B before it gave me intermediate A. I was able to understand intermediate B Spanish before intermediate A thanks to your course, Marcus. many thanks
11/05/20072904537I can't wait to start the new course. I was still waiting to join your class that filled up in May.
11/05/20072904638I have enjoyed your courses in Short cut to Spanish 1 and 2 as well as Synergy, but I feel that I would not have had any trouble going from short cut 1 to 2 whether or not I took the synergy course, but it did reinforce what I had taken and maybe I'm not being fair beacause I already had shortcut 2 on order so possibly I looked at it in a different light. I am ready for another short cut to spanish 3 or 4 it would be nice to have more words in sentences to become more familiar with them. The audio I have found helps me a great deal but my husband who has a hearing loss dosn't hear womens voices well so perhaps you might consider this as an option for recording because I am sure that there are a lot of us who like to travel who are a little older with hearing problems. It is difficult to learn another language and you do make it so easy but when pronunciation is so important it is a shame that my husband always has to ask me for the repetition. I am assuming that you will have a couple of chapters of this new course available to look at I would be very interested in seeing this. When I pick up a spanish book or paper I can translate a good portion and guess quite a bit but there is still that little bit that is missing. Because my husband has decided to learn spanish as well I have as yet not had the time to go on line to the site you recommended exchanging with someone else english for spanish speaking over the computer but I am looking forward to getting there. Since taking your course I have been to Puerto Vallarta and found that your course enabled me to read, understand and converse which is wonderful when you are not in your home country. We are going to Costa Rica in February and hope to have perfected our spanish a lot more by then.

Thank you so much for making this experience seem so easy.
11/05/20072904781I always wanted to go farther.
11/05/20072904945The more Spanish spoken on the tape the better in order to get used to the spoken word. (Too much English doesn't help much) Mention pneumonics whenever possible.
11/05/20072905053I quit because you weren't teaching past tense.
11/05/20072905077Empecé con usted. Es genial. Usted tomó tanto tiempo para llegar a algo nuevo, que siguió adelante sin ti.
11/05/20072905055I loved every hour I spent with your courses. I did not like the audio tapes so I didn't use them. I was sad when I finished the courses. I am having trouble finding more Spanish classes that start where yours left off. My Spanish friends are amazed at how much Spanish I have learned. I amaze myself. I am happy there are going to be more lessons.
11/05/20072905119Can't wait for the next leval. I rave about your course to my friends who want to learn. You have a good product. Mil gracias!
11/05/20072905102What an elegant definition: fine wine. I'll try to remember it....
I need to confess that I have not worked much on Synergy. I went with you through all the audio lessons, but haven't done much exercises. Don't use me as an example. I liked the idea very much, but was too lazy. My vocabulary is not bad, and my grammar was at a higher level. So it was not very stimulating for me. But I learned from it in any case. I planned to go back to it, but naturally, I haven't. I do like your ear training classes and all that go with them. I need the pattern phrases and practice.
I believe that I'll enjoy your new project. Thank you.
11/05/20072905683Your lessons make it so simple to read and understand the written spanish. The only problem I'm having is trying to understand spoken spanish. Some spanish speaking people like to chop off parts of the words. I'm hoping with time I'll start to understand better. Anyhow, I loved the first synergy spanish lessons and can hardly wait for your next set.
Muchas gracias
11/05/20072905903Excellent approach. Builds confidence, vocabulary and tenses easily. But needs daily application. Your friendly tone in communication is also good!
11/05/20072905927Good course. Well worth the money.
11/05/20072906015keep up the great work!! I enjoy your lessons very much, and I also enjoy your e-mails, updates and encouragement. I can't wait for your next level of lessons to be ready!! muchas gracias.
11/05/20072906103Your synergy course is Fantastico!!, I am looking forward to the next level. The course is very easy to follow, I like the way you have constructed it, lets have more and more. I cant get enough. Thankyou Marcus.
11/05/20072906153I have completed synergy spanish and also shortcut to spanish level 1 and I am about two third through level 2 at the moment. When I have finished I will go through and do them again but my friends who I work with who are all spanish are very impressed with how much I have learned in the past 2-4 months and I feel I have made very good progress with speaking. I feel a little more confident now instead of going into a blind panic, which is my biggest problem. I like the layout of all the lessons I find them easy to understand and because of that it sinks in better. I also find that by speaking more I understand a little better but still need alot of practice on that!
11/05/20072906246Thank you for turning the entire learning experience into a source of great pleasure!
11/06/20072906528I've tried all methods, and this is the one I have stuck at, and really enjoy the learning part.
11/06/20072906729Hola

All very good I need all the help I can get..
I find it works best for me to go through maybe two or three lessons then go back and do the previous two or three (if that makes sense.)

Adios y gracias
11/06/20072906792I enjoyed this cou. I hope to use my spanish in Spain next year when I go for 9 weeksrse very much, has given me a very good grounding, I now find the other course quite easy. I hope to now be able to use my Spanish in Spain next year when I go for 9 weeks. Thank you
very much for all your hard work
11/06/20072906841I'm very satisfied with the course except for two reasons:

1. It didn't teach conjugations, and partially because of that I feel it's too shallow. I would like a more in depth course.

2. I emailed you for help twice, but got no response. I understand you have a lot to do, but in your website and elsewhere you promised help if needed. I'm a person that needs lots of help and feedback, so getting a response from an email if important to me.

Aside from those two things I'm satisfied, I think it's a very good course and I learned a lot.
11/06/20072906873I tryed other systems before, None gave as much as yours. WOULD RATE YOUR SYSTEM AS THE BEST OF THE BEST
Keep up your good work
ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN
Best Regards
11/06/20072906941One of the best audio courses around, and I have listened to it loads of times. Can't wait for the next course! I like the way you integrate grammar into the sentences without producing complicated tables (pronouns for example). Pleas hurry with the next course.
11/06/20072906946Marcus - When you askeed how long I have spent on Synergy Spanish I am including time spent right back to your first Synergy lessons. Not sure if this is what you meant? I am about 2/3 way through the current Level 2 version. I tend to listen more than study the "written word" as, my eyesight is very limited.
11/06/20072906963Feel this has been the most effective form of tuition that my wife and I have used
11/06/20072907018Looking forward to the snowballfor yet more progress. Harry
11/06/20072906925The audio lessons are very special, there is nothing like this available.
11/06/20072907098What I love about synergy spanish is that it helped me to learn verbs (and vocab) without realising.I think it would be great if a greater selection of verbs were used in Snowball because as my spanish improves I want to express myself with different verbs instead of just using the same verbs all the time.I realise the synergy spanish system is very helpful for beginners, myself included, but as the sequel I think Snowball should focus on widening the field of expression for the student.Anyway I'm sure you've included all of this already.Cheers.
11/06/20072907120although i have only got as far as chapter 11 I have found it to be the best Spanish learning course I have ever tried & will continue with enthusiasm until I finish. GREAT STUFF!!!
11/06/20072907138Really finding the course useful, thank you.
11/06/20072907269I have already sent emails praising the course and how it has helped me.
11/06/20072907465I found the course very helpful but i now really need help with indirect object pronouns and use of reflexive verbs also i need some insight into the way words are used in Spain as direct translation does not always work eg in English we might say 'I get on well with Maria' whereas I understand that 'get on' is not translated to coger rather it translates to llevar.
11/06/20072907468As man of 65 I need more mnemonics.
Since years I work with Spanish, but I must admit that the words I'm learning now, don't stay as long in my memory, as they used to do earlier.
Perhaps you can suggest other methods to help my memory?
I wait for them. English is not my mother tongue, that's not the problem.
11/06/20072907538I have been trying to learn spanish for years through different books and audio lessons but found I learnt more in the first week with your method then in the last few years that I have been trying. I am still not confident talking, and still find it hard listening as spanish is spoken so quickly, but I am very confident in reading and translating that way. How do increase my ability to converse?
11/06/20072907573su programa ha sido excelente
gracias
11/06/20072907580I found the course very useful and easy to understand.Last year I attended a an evening class in college and found myself getting bogged down in grammatical excercises.After only a few weeks I found it much easier to converse in Spanish on a recent holiday.
11/06/20072907690Dear Marcus,

I finished Synergy Spanish and enjoyed it so much. Thank you very much for your support and genial idea doing such a nice language course.
I want to have the same course that it is in the past time, passive and with other times.

Muchas gracias
11/06/20072907750Dear Marcus,

I finished the Synergy Spanish and enjoyed it so much. Thank you so much for doing increadable course. Your idea and support are great.
I want to have the same course with past, future and passive times.

Muchas gracias
11/06/20072907774I have used Shortcut 1 & 2 plus Synergy, all are excellent. I think that it would be very helpful for occasional revision to create a short version of all your Spanish courses with just the dialogs and remove all the repetitive practise.
11/06/20072907869Thank you so much for such a helpful way of learning. My biggest problem is dialect now and the speed that they come at you ... like a machine gun even though you ask them to slow down they usually dont. I am still using the course as my memory is still finding it hard to recall the words in the moment.. so repetition is the name of the game.. many thanks
11/06/20072907888I found the mnemonics too long and vague to be of much use.
I would like the conversation pieces to be more widespread, i.e. bigger range of subjects.
11/06/20072908015your way of working around the words to use and putting them to everyday use i feel is unique and it really works too so keep it up and we will be be looking for your next work of art
11/06/20072908231Having the lessons packages for CD is a great service.
I liked the callback reinforcement, where in a later lesson, you refer to words learned earlier.
The true value of your immense work is almost impossible to fathom in this day and age. Everywhere you go, you seem to get much less than you bargain for. With your course, it is the exact opposite. You deliver so much true value, you begin to wonder, "What's the catch"? Now we find out...the Snowball course! Count me in. Brilliant marketing...Deliver more than the client expects! You are a true marketer when you can deliver that, and you have done exactly that. Bravo y Brava!
11/06/20072908341My greatest delight is to use your e-book lessons. I am saturated with MP3 formats and find that looking at my screen and digesting the lesson is just fine. Please offer the e-books as separate purchase.
11/06/20072908651Learning a concept word or phrase and then applying it to so many different ways to communicate ideas is great. I still find myself translating rather than thinking in the language though.
11/06/20072908675I liked the teaching concept and methodology but I thought the quality of the audio was very poor and unprofessional.
11/06/20072909135your course was the catalyst to what I already knew (which was not a great deal)I knew quite a few words and phrases but could not write,speak or BEST OF ALL, actually make up sentences. You get nothing for nothing and really need to practice but this course was fun because within a week of listening for about an hour a day I really felt like the penny had dropped and I was at last up and running.Next step is a big trip to Spain!
11/06/20072909789because i burn the lessons onto cd to use in the car and home I need that to be as easy as possible.
El chispas script is 101-201,while eartraining to go with it is 501.Would be easier for them to correspond.
Subjects..Although i found uvas y mangos interesting I can't see it being as worthwhile as other topics.
I use sentances like, la invite al cine ..etc far more useful.
Keep up the good work, I've spent 6 hours with my Cds this morning already.
Saludos
11/06/20072909980Thanks for putting me in the youngsters group. Audios are great, and workbook excersises essential. I especially like the boxes where you explain nuances and details of the language structure. "Clear, Concise Spanish." Those help a lot.

Are you still sending the flashcards? Those are great too. I got 1-9 and none since. Thanks Marcus!
11/06/20072910278 I (41 y.o. mother) used this program with my 15 y.o. son. We both enjoyed it immensely!
11/06/20072909512Marcus: I firmly believe that your courses are the best value for the money. I say this based on completing Pimsleur (which is very good, by the way), Synergy and your other courses, a couple of standard CD courses, and almost 3 years of group lessons. My particular problem seems to be confidence, not in speaking, but in understanding what comes back at me after I have spoken. The public broadcasting series, "Destinos" has been a big help, especially since I purchased the text of the dialog.

I have also found that making up conversations using a lot of the common words and idioms helps a lot. I just wrote one using almost all of the conjugations of the verb "hacer" because it is so important and common in Spanish. I read it over and over. Hearing it embeds "hizo" and "haciendo," etc. in my head so that I don't have to translate the words when I hear them. I simply "know" them!!!

Another thing that I do is to make up conversations for places that I go to often. For example, I have one where I go to Popeye's Chicken to order lunch (It is run by Spanish speakers). That is vocabulary and grammar that I can really use and, more importantly, that I will use over and over again, thereby gaining confidence in speaking and "knowing" the vocabulary rather than memorizing it (I have a bad memory).

What I would really like to see would be typical everyday conversations, say, at a Chipotle's or Tippy's Taco House, the airport, getting a cab, etc., that is, situations that I am most likely to encounter. It would be something like your Ear Training, but a complete dialog with the Spanish speaker saying one part, then a pause for me to answer. You could even do two versions, one at full speed and one with longer pauses. There could be a set response and also variations created by you. For example, after getting the price of something, I would say "Tenga" or "Aquí tiene" and other responses that you can tell me about. It doesn't do me much good to hear about situations that I most likely will NOT encounter or vocabulary that I will seldom use, at least at this stage of the game.

I know that this is a long response to your request for comments, but I really want to learn Spanish and learn it well. The above thoughts have helped me to go from knowing nothing to speaking and understanding at an elementary level. Unfortunately, I am 68 years old and don't have a lot of time to accomplish my goal. Keep up the good work and thank you for all your effort.
11/06/20072910618Yes, thankyou for making this so simple, so much fun, interesting and enjoyable. No one can match this at all.
11/06/20072911034We used synergy spanish on a recent trip to Spain and were amazed how well we were able to communicate. Please keep us abreast of new additions.
11/06/20072911808This is a excellent learning tool.
11/06/20072912027I loved the way Synergy Spanish got me speaking in full sentences so early and with such confidence. I'm looking for more, but want it to work with the monthly Spanish audio exercises also. I just don't want to get overloaded and end up leaving it for another few years again! The bite size component of the Synergy Spanish worked really well also!
11/06/20072912074I don't know if it where you who thaught me "groupings", informacion, direcsion, and all the other cion how they are like english tion and so forth. I have studied anything I can get my hands on and it has all helped. Keep up the good work, thanks
11/06/20072912369Excellent introduction to spanish. I am ready for more...
11/06/20072912579I'm finding this course to be excellent. Eventhough I'm not going at a very fast pace, I'm finding that I retain what I study because of the repetition of things throughout the chapters. Studying in school in general does not include repetition. Which means that if you want to review older chapters, you have to do this on your own...which for me is not very appealing. However, with your course, I'm finding that I don't need to go back to the older chapters as there is repetition in every chapter. I'm on chapter 8 right now and I feel I already know somewhat to the degree where I can compose some sentences on my own, which is great!
11/06/20072912710This is a fantastic resource. i have purchased yet another course and will continue to purchase those that you write. After trying to understand verb conjugation and sentence structure i now feel more confident to actually speak spanish with others.
11/06/20072913672This is a very good system to dive straight into learning spanish.From the very first syergy verb you will begin to speak and understand spanish without trying.Well done Marcus!
11/06/20072914342I like to use your method when I walk and improve my conversation and some vocabulary. It's just challenging enough to multi-task when I walk or run.
11/06/20072914529I enjoyed all parts of the course - looking forward to the next.
11/06/20072914646Excellent way of learning. I just need to spend more time on it. I have passed your address on to several friends and some have taken up the course. Will continue to spread the good news on how to easily learn to spean spanish with your course.

All the best
11/06/20072915050Ít´s been a brillient course,with a new neighbour moving in next week whom I am told is Spanish I can´t wait to show off & practice my new language!!
11/06/20072915577I wish I had more time to do the lessons, but I know that the lessons are paying off as I now sometines have difficulty remembering the English words as the spanish comes to mind quicker.
11/06/20072915710i love it all
11/06/20072915998An excellent concept, whereby the use of only a few words can be multiplied to give you a broad outline and appreciation of a beautiful language
11/06/20072916918Your course are amazing, I would never have learned Spanish without you, keep up the good work. Maybe a few more word exercises like fill in the blanks.
11/06/20072917063I have found your straightforward approach to learning Spanish invaluable. Yes you need a knowledge of grammar/verbs etc but learning a little then using it with Spanish speakers and not worrying if you don't get it quite right worked for me. It's always good to have something to refer back to so having it downloaded on my laptop is excellent. Thanks and I've recommended you to friends.
11/06/20072917231just love your program
11/06/20072917341All my life I was a poor student when it came to sitting at a desk and studying. However the audio lessons work well for me. I am now on my fourth time going through Synergy Spanish and my goal is to complete it without making any mistakes. I am only in Mexico once a year so in between it is great to go through my classes again. I am currently doing Shortcut to Spanish level 2 and really enjoying it. Looking forward to your new course. Hopefully before xmas so I can take the cd's with me.
11/06/20072917417Want to learn more about tenses,especially past tense!!!
11/06/20072917455Please continue to provide this wonderful service.
11/06/20072917471your shortcut to spanish, synergy spanish and level 2 courses have been a great help to me. I took spanish over 30 years ago in high school and now am a substitute teacher in high school and often fill in for spanish teachers. it is always great to be able to help the kids with their learning.
11/06/20072917819We will once again be using the spanish we have learned to do mission work in El Salvador. I look forward to what you have coming in the future.
11/06/20072918473I have found your method the best for encouraging fast, fluent speech. (After trying many others.)However, I feel it is fair to say that one does require a little prior knowledge.
11/06/20072918702Thanks so much for a great product. I've been inconsistent about using it but when I do, I definitely feel a great surge in my progress. Looking forward to the new product.
11/06/20072918859I wish you had the same course for Brazilian Portugese.

11/06/20072919440You should put a little more work into the orginization of the worksheets- the layout and the order of the excersizes. They can be a bit confusing. They should all follow a similar format, which they don't always do. Otherwise good work.
11/06/20072919653I really liked synergy spanish.I lliked systematic approch of building vocabulary.
11/06/20072920049This is the best way to learn a foreign language
11/06/20072920215This is a very enjoyable course with well coordinated audio and text. I will continue to listen for review periodically. I didn't seem to hit the plateaus and get discouraged with this course, as with some others, and the examples seem to be about relavent situations and conversations that I will actually use. Thank You!
11/06/20072920468I find I know most of the words I hear but as a sentence they don't make sense to me.
11/06/20072921177This is a very good way to learn Spanish!!! It is a lot of fun because you learn very fast which makes you very happy and confident.
11/06/20072921397Marcu, I really enjoy working with you and your programs. Lately I have been very busy and have not put in any time for Spanish study but I hope to get back to it soon. I live in California and there are many signs all around thqat I can read now en Espanol. I love it. Look forward to new classes from you.
11/06/20072922127I am surrounded by Spanish-speaking persons in my work area. Synergy Spanish gave me the confidence to forge ahead and speak in Spanish (even with mistakes) and had the courage to ask them to correct me every time I made an error. I thought it was a very meaningful way of learning the language. Thank you!
11/06/20072922288I wish that I could print them out so that I can look at them off line too
11/06/20072922762I love this programe Marcus and even though I am not able to do it every day I look forward to getting back to it. Thanks
11/06/20072922887THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS TO PUT THIS COURSE TOGETHER. LIKE YOUR HISTORY OF TRYING TO LEARN SPANISH, I HAVE TRIED A LOT OF THESE METHODS. I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO LEARN SPANISH ALL MY LIFE. YOU KNOW JUST KNOWING A LITTLE SPANISH IS KNOWING A LOT. I REALIZE THAT I WILL NEVER KNOW THE ENTIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SO I'M EXPECTING TO MUCH FROM MYSELF TO THINK I NEED TO LEARN THE ENTIRE SPANISH LANGUAGE. I RUN ACROSS WORDS NEW TO ME EVERYDAY. ALSO NEW WORDS ARE FORMED EVERYDAY IN ALL LANGUAGES. I CAN'T WAIT TO USE WHAT I HAVE LEARNED. YOUR APPROACH TO LEARNING IS THE BEST I HAVE RUN ACROSS. LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW LEARNING MATERIAL THAT YOU HAVE IN STORE.
THANKS
11/06/20072923245I found the synergy system excellent, I also used it to teach my mother she picked it up and retained her knowledge very quickly, we have tried several other approaches and they have never worked for her. Well done.
11/06/20072923473I found your course brilliant!! Thanks, it took me from nada to being able to communicate with my fiance's family in one month. I am still going over it, and using other resources to become more fluent.
The biggest help though, would be to expand the simple sentences and phrases beyond the "I need", "I want" etc. to past tense conversation and make it a little more interactive conversationally.
I have also been using a Book & CD rom course "Instant Spanish - 6 weeks to Spanish" which I found incredible teamed up with your course as well!!
Hope this feedback helps.
11/07/20072923998Your method is very effective for someone with little spare time but a desire to respond to the friendly Spanish people. I combine rowing exercises with the mp3 audio - its a real winner, dont even realise I'm learning, it just comes naturally - thank you so much. Goodluck with the new course!
11/07/20072924208I love your course and look forward to playing it each morning when I walk the dog for an hour. I am so excited by how much I AM learning.Actually I've only had the course less than a month so didn't know which answer to press. Still learning!
11/07/20072924359I went through the course a couple of times and will go through it again prior to the next level.
11/07/20072924930I do Synergy Spanish in fits and starts, not the best way, I know. I use the audio most because I can multitask.
11/07/20072925055Thank you for the wonderful course. I have found it very interesting and "easy" to follow and want to continue.
11/07/20072925015Not sure about the audio lessons how to get use out of them. Very good approach to learning spanish a bit of a break through.
11/07/20072925411Your courses rock! I need help speaking in the past tense in spanish and verb conjugations,any suggestions?
11/07/20072925477As I'm not an English native speaker (Dutch) the mnemonics were no option.
11/07/20072926835I enjoy your interesting course very well and every day I'm learning more and more. I can only say "good wine needs no bush". The rest I will tell you later when I've finished this courese.
11/07/20072927606I have used this course concurrently with a class that I am taking. It helps me to be able to speak and not just read.
11/07/20072928789I am a rather slow learner but found
your methods very stimulating which kept me going. Very much looking forward to your follow on course.Thanks
11/07/20072930378sorry but i had a heart attack and have been in hospital and while there my computer crashed and i lost all the spanish lessons i bought. they were fantastic and i was doing really well but i am now at a standstill. but will definetly but the latest when it comes out.
11/07/20072930417I found the Synegy Spanish lessons very useful and helpful in my A level study at college. Yes even at the grand age of 67 years I am still going to college. Keep up the good work
11/07/20072931300Your program would help us even more by including more verb tense practice. Being able to conjugate the major verbs easily is a key to mastery.
11/07/20072931495My Spanish ias more at an intermediate level for reading and writing but my spoken Spanish was infantile! Synergy Spanish has given me more confidence with my spoken spanish and I'm looking forward to the formation of a course that will help me speak in the past tense - thank you SO MUCH - Synergy Spanish is brilliant
11/07/20072932898Great, great course. I would have liked you to give a little more explanation regarding pronunciation. B verse V, S versus TH etc. The speaker on the CD seemed to mix these with no apparent reason. Coverage of past tense would be fantastic.
But that's my wish list. As I said earlier, great course. Well done. Muchas gracias.
11/07/20072933831I am delighted with your program and intend to continue using it. I find it easy to make quite complex sentences.
11/07/20072934274I like the course overall. Sometimes "v" sound like "b" on the audio which I find a bit confusing. I hope I can communicate a bit in the near future. Right now I really can't speak...but I'm patient. I'm nearing completion of the synergy spanish course and completed the shortcut to spanish course audio lessons for synergery course). I appreciate your responses to questions which I'm sure is not easy for you because of many "students." Muchas gracias
11/07/20072934596Great course. Built on the basic spanish I already knew.
11/07/20072934953 Hola Marcus,
me gustaria decir que,yo gozo tu producto muy mucho, y no puedo esperar hasta te aflojas el nuevo Synergy Spanish. Tengo mucho entusiasmo. No obstante,solo necesitas incluir a Synergy Spanish mas espanol a espanol,(en unas lecciones,sin ingles!)Ademas, mas facil a comunicar y practicar en espanol. Gracias muy mucho. Yo deseo que he ayudado con tu busqueda.Hasta mas tarde,kareem.Adios.

Hello Marcus,
I would like to say that, i enjoy your product very much, and I can not wait until you release the new Synergy Spanish. I am excited.However,you just need to include more Spanish to Spanish (conversation between Narrator and Listener-without English) to Synergy Spanish. Additionally,it would be easier to communicate and practice in Spanish(right away).Thankyou very much,I wish that I have helped with your search.
11/07/20072935544Synergy has given me the confidence to have a go. I would like some audio/written prose and questions using the words/phrases from the lessons. I am going to S America soon so I'll see how "good" I am. Thank you
11/08/20072935897is latin american spanish completly different to spanish
11/08/20072936375Only really just begun, upto Leccion Siete, but I am finding it very good, however Istill feel its difficult to speak, although I understand alot.
11/08/20072936404Generally I liked the approach and it was very useful regarding how to structure sentances - so firstly, thanks! However, not learning any past tense is very restrictive and really doesn't enable you to communicate effectively. Also, the audio tapes are just to slow. They are very easy to understand, but really don't prepare you for the rapid fire speech you encounter when in the country.
11/08/20072936489I like your approach very much and at the same time as I am learning Spanish (I am not in a big hurry just now) I am looking at the ways your approach will help me work with English learners. I have been working with adult ESL students for many years, but now that I have moved back to Texas, I expect that when I start to teach again most of the students will be Spanish speakers and understanding how Spanish "works" will help me plan lessons.

My experience with language learning has taught me that my biggest challenge is developing my listening skills so I am also logging on to Spanish.com and doing their exercises. I am not trying to learn great long lists of vocabulary, but it does give me the chance to try and match what I am hearing with how I think it would be spelled. How can you tell if a word has a b or a v in it anyway???

I am glad to hear that there will be another Synergy course available. I may try the Shortcut course but find that while in general the idea is good, in a practical sense one cannot learn tons of words one does not actually need. The exposure to them does not hurt, and something is bound to sink in, but the Synergy model is the way to go for me!

Gracias! Voy a aprender mucho mas espanol con Synergy Spanish!
11/08/20072936619I love this program and have referred it to everyone! This month's Augusta MAgazine(Augusta, Georgia) even lists you! I think it's available at AugustaMagazine.com. Thanks so much for your program, I'm really looking forward to the next level.
11/08/20072936968Very uselful learning tool. Just wish I had spent more time on it. My partner liked it too.
11/08/20072937139The easiest way to learn Spanish that I have come across.
11/08/20072938292I like the product and would like to purchase shortcut to Spanish in the future. My wife has it on her MP3 player as well as I. I live in South Texas and it is essential. Thank you very much.
11/08/20072943095I LOVE your methods..I just need someone around me to give me the 'push' I need to keep speaking so I can become more fluent in the practicing..I lost my enthusiasm when my husband died..he used to help me
11/08/20072947289I have loved and learned from your lessons. My heart lifts when I see 'marcus santamaria' in my inbox. I am learning now from spanish ear training. You have certainly advanced my speech, which is a minor miracle. Keep going PLEASE!
11/08/20072947954Super way to learn having already done written exams and passd but unable to speak true Spanish with any ease this course and Sapnish for beginners wa superb and practical
11/08/20072950530I really like the way you teach grammar. By learning as you go and before you know it you have learned several conjagations.
Also the slower method using the material in the audio lessons.
Great course , i have all your recordings , synergy,shortcut,informal
etc.
11/08/20072952210We have found these lessons far superior to others we have done. Simple and interesting.
11/09/20072954885I never thought i would retain what i have learned for so long as i was dissapointed there was no follow up course to keep learning.I am really looking forward to the next synergy course as the first one worked for me.
hasta luego
11/09/20072963980I completely digested Synergy Spanish in 10days for a mission trip to Panama and was able to communicate fairly well with the people....I loved it and can't wait for the next course of Synergy Spanish so I can speak like it is my native tonge...I have recommended it to all of our missionaries.

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