reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Habla Español is a language learning supplement tape that promises to be a fun, graphics-filled and easy way to learn Spanish.

It is graphics-filled. Otherwise we're treated to endless bad jokes and other gimmicks that supposedly help the Spanish lessons on view to stick.

There is a lot of good content here, but a shocking lack of the best thing such a multimedia presentation should have to offer: native speakers, and real conversation in Spanish. Most of the voices and personalities on view look like American college students with good Spanish skills hamming it up for the camera. Not all the pronunciation is good.

Obviously, no disc is going to teach you Spanish the way that real immersion in the culture will, and nothing can take the place of the firm application of a few weeks in a real language class taught by a dedicated professional. But this 'learning aide', although it has some good information, is nonetheless a gaudy collection of graphic gimmicks . It's taught from a totally 'rad' American student point of view, with mostly American-accented speakers doing the talking. And there was even one grievous (and for a textbook, fatal) instance of a gross grammatical error, a simple gender mistake no native would let pass.

This looks like a slick product produced en masse for various languages and subjects, for the fast sale to the uncritical.

Not particularly recommended, if some other kind of language DVD is available.