New Book, Audiobook Team Up to Teach Conversational Spanish
Dog Ear Publishing has released a new edition and audiobook designed to help adult learners speak Spanish.
Eugene, OR, February 28, 2017 --(PR.com)-- Judith Noble is no stranger to the world of publishing and educational material. She and her husband, Jaime Lacasa, wrote some of the definitive works on Spanish language and customs that have appeared in the last 50 years. Her newest book, “Speak Some Spanish” and its accompanying audiobook version, was published in February by Dog Ear Publishing.
This is her sixth title and eighth book for speaking Spanish, although all of the others were written with her husband, who died in 2007. “It’s the first and only book I’ve done alone, so lots of emotions go with this,” said Noble, who publishes under her maiden name. “I started this long ago not knowing it would be published, so I’m excited to see the content come to fruition.”
She described “Speak Some Spanish” as having the basics for people to handle themselves in Spanish, with sections of the book that provide reference material such as different tenses and verb forms and uses. The audiobook features someone reading the model sentences in question-and-answer patterns.
“It’s designed to help people, the self-learners, to get a basic knowledge of the language to be able to get out and communicate,” she said. “They can tell where they are, where people are, where they’re going, what they’re going to do, when they’re going to do it, and then can tell what they have done and what they usually do.”
The book has extensive vocabulary to allow readers to personalize and adjust their learning to their topics of interest. Noble said it’s ideal for adult learners and informal classes such as those held at community centers. “It’s a good solid foundation,” she said. “It’s taught in a way not like the old days where people had to sit down and memorize vocabulary lists and hat to conjugate verbs. I don’t believe in that.”
Matt Murry, director of marketing at Dog Ear, is thrilled with the prospects for Noble’s latest work. “Judith and her late husband, Jaime, have authored and published a tremendous body of work over the last five decades. It’s an honor having this newest offering, ‘Speak Some Spanish,’ in Dog Ear Publishing’s line of educational texts.
“Geared to lifelong learners seeking a practical guide to the language, we’re simultaneously releasing a companion audio edition to maximize users’ experience with the material,” Murry said. “We’re excited to see what kind of traction it can gain through community centers and other casual learning environments.”
Noble and her husband both earned PhDs and were university professors in Iowa. They were inspired to write their books because they needed teaching material. “There were some (projects) where we’d start writing as soon as we got home from work on Friday and worked all weekend and would get up a 2 o’clock in the morning and make audiotapes when our children were asleep so we didn’t have background noise. Then we would start on Monday teaching the material.”
Their previous books include “Spanish: A Basic Course,” “Complete Handbook of Spanish Verbs,” “The Hispanic Way: Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs in the Spanish-Speaking World” and “Introduction to Quechua, Language of the Andes.”
Jaime died after they had finished writing a second edition of “Introduction to Quechua.” Noble moved to a retirement community in Eugene, Ore., and put the book away for a few years. She published it with Dog Ear Publishing in 2010.
She began revising “Speak Some Spanish” more than seven years ago and finished it in 2016. “I found what I thought was a happy medium between material for a full-year college course and material for the audience I was addressing and so decided ‘It’s time to publish.’ ”
Noble enjoys working with Dog Ear. “You have control over your manuscript. The time element is very good, too. … Dog Ear will help with anything that you need help with.” She also enjoys the company’s personal touch. “I recognize people’s voices on the phone. I’m beginning to feel I’m making friends over the phone,” she said. “I cannot imagine anybody wanting to go any other route. You have guidance, you have help, (and) the people are nice, supportive.”
The determined author is already thinking about her next project: another edition of their handbook of Spanish verbs that is no longer in print. “This is really the definitive work. It’s a very complex but simple-to-use book. … It can probably be scanned and republished. Because it needs to be out there.”
Speak Some Spanish
Judith Noble
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-145754-976-2 252 pages $19.95 US
Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.
Dog Ear Publishing partners with authors to shape content that resonates with readers as diverse as the books we publish. Our mission is to leverage expertise, technology and relationships to form a meaningful and lasting bond between creators, content and culture as a whole. Dog Ear Publishing is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and can be contacted by phone at (317) 228-3656 or through our website, www.dogearpublishing.net.
This is her sixth title and eighth book for speaking Spanish, although all of the others were written with her husband, who died in 2007. “It’s the first and only book I’ve done alone, so lots of emotions go with this,” said Noble, who publishes under her maiden name. “I started this long ago not knowing it would be published, so I’m excited to see the content come to fruition.”
She described “Speak Some Spanish” as having the basics for people to handle themselves in Spanish, with sections of the book that provide reference material such as different tenses and verb forms and uses. The audiobook features someone reading the model sentences in question-and-answer patterns.
“It’s designed to help people, the self-learners, to get a basic knowledge of the language to be able to get out and communicate,” she said. “They can tell where they are, where people are, where they’re going, what they’re going to do, when they’re going to do it, and then can tell what they have done and what they usually do.”
The book has extensive vocabulary to allow readers to personalize and adjust their learning to their topics of interest. Noble said it’s ideal for adult learners and informal classes such as those held at community centers. “It’s a good solid foundation,” she said. “It’s taught in a way not like the old days where people had to sit down and memorize vocabulary lists and hat to conjugate verbs. I don’t believe in that.”
Matt Murry, director of marketing at Dog Ear, is thrilled with the prospects for Noble’s latest work. “Judith and her late husband, Jaime, have authored and published a tremendous body of work over the last five decades. It’s an honor having this newest offering, ‘Speak Some Spanish,’ in Dog Ear Publishing’s line of educational texts.
“Geared to lifelong learners seeking a practical guide to the language, we’re simultaneously releasing a companion audio edition to maximize users’ experience with the material,” Murry said. “We’re excited to see what kind of traction it can gain through community centers and other casual learning environments.”
Noble and her husband both earned PhDs and were university professors in Iowa. They were inspired to write their books because they needed teaching material. “There were some (projects) where we’d start writing as soon as we got home from work on Friday and worked all weekend and would get up a 2 o’clock in the morning and make audiotapes when our children were asleep so we didn’t have background noise. Then we would start on Monday teaching the material.”
Their previous books include “Spanish: A Basic Course,” “Complete Handbook of Spanish Verbs,” “The Hispanic Way: Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs in the Spanish-Speaking World” and “Introduction to Quechua, Language of the Andes.”
Jaime died after they had finished writing a second edition of “Introduction to Quechua.” Noble moved to a retirement community in Eugene, Ore., and put the book away for a few years. She published it with Dog Ear Publishing in 2010.
She began revising “Speak Some Spanish” more than seven years ago and finished it in 2016. “I found what I thought was a happy medium between material for a full-year college course and material for the audience I was addressing and so decided ‘It’s time to publish.’ ”
Noble enjoys working with Dog Ear. “You have control over your manuscript. The time element is very good, too. … Dog Ear will help with anything that you need help with.” She also enjoys the company’s personal touch. “I recognize people’s voices on the phone. I’m beginning to feel I’m making friends over the phone,” she said. “I cannot imagine anybody wanting to go any other route. You have guidance, you have help, (and) the people are nice, supportive.”
The determined author is already thinking about her next project: another edition of their handbook of Spanish verbs that is no longer in print. “This is really the definitive work. It’s a very complex but simple-to-use book. … It can probably be scanned and republished. Because it needs to be out there.”
Speak Some Spanish
Judith Noble
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-145754-976-2 252 pages $19.95 US
Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.
Dog Ear Publishing partners with authors to shape content that resonates with readers as diverse as the books we publish. Our mission is to leverage expertise, technology and relationships to form a meaningful and lasting bond between creators, content and culture as a whole. Dog Ear Publishing is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and can be contacted by phone at (317) 228-3656 or through our website, www.dogearpublishing.net.
Contact
Dog Ear Publishing
Ray Robinson
317-228-3656
www.DogEarPublishing.net
Ray Robinson
317-228-3656
www.DogEarPublishing.net
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