Here’s the official blurb: “A video instructional series in Spanish for college and high school classrooms and adult learners; 52 half-hour video programs divided into two parts (Part I programs 1-26, Part II programs 27-52), audiocassettes, music CD, video and audio scripts, and coordinated books.” Produced in 1992, it’s been updated to DVDs. There’s also a Nuevos Destinos that has a new “legal intrigue”, whatever that means. (It means that I haven’t seen the new one).
Sounds dull enough, doesn’t it? Well, Destinos is terrific. I first saw it being run as a series on PBS, and you can still see it occasionally on tv somewhere. Or you can buy the series on DVD, as well as the textbooks and workbooks, but they’re really expensive. Here’s a website: http://www.learner.org/catalog/series75.html. They’re meant for the classroom, of course, but…. Well, if you ever get the chance to check them out, you should. Destinos is terrific.
Basically it’s a telenova. Well… basically it’s a soap opera designed to teach Spanish. It follows the adventures of Raquel Rodriguez, an L.A. detective who is hired by a Mexican family to follow a mysterious letter to find a long lost love of the dying family patriarch. Her pursuits take her to Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Puerto Rico, so you get to hear native speakers in several countries (with their separate accents). Each episode ends with questions about what happens during that segment. It’s an interesting story line, done well. It’s also a very useful tool for improving your listening skills, and listening skills are among the hardest skills to develop.
Like all Spanish “programs”, whether audio or video, you won’t become fluent just watching Destinos, but it’s another way, an excellent way, to diversify your learning experience and keep from getting bored by doing the same old same old every day. But unless you’ve just got tons of cash, I don’t know that it’s worth the very hefty price, but if you can find it on tv, watch it. Or tivo it and watch it later. OR, if you have a group that is learning Spanish, maybe you could all share the cost. That would make it a little more palatable. Once in a while, you can find a used set on Ebay. Here’s a site where I’ve seen a full set for about $100 (without books), so check here to see what they have: http://www.entireseries.tv/destinos.htm
The books you can usually find used on Ebay for a few dollars.
Tags: Destinos · Learn Spanish · Spanish2 Comments
Learning Spanish is possible only with proper guide. I agree to your point that no one can become fluent just by watching the lessons. Practise is more important.
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