Recuerdo: Spanish for Intermediate and Advanced Learners

by Juan Fernández

Este libro es una Lectura Graduada dirigida a estudiantes adultos de Español como Lengua Extranjera, con un nivel intermedio alto o avanzado (B2 – C1) e interesados en conocer mejor la reciente historia de España.

En Recuerdo hacemos un repaso de los años de la transición de la dictadura a la democracia en España (1975 – 1982, aproximadamente) a través de mi propia experiencia personal.

Se trata, sobre todo, de contar cómo viví yo los acontecimientos más importantes que tuvieron lugar al final del franquismo y el inicio de la democracia, con la esperanza de que mi recuerdo sirva para entender mejor la España de hoy.

Juan Fernández

Genres: Spanish Literature

274 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2024

About the author

Juan Fernández is a Spanish teacher at University College London. He was born in the south of Spain, in Granada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In 1997 he moved to the UK, where he has been teaching Spanish for more than 15 years.
He is also the creator of 1001 Reasons To Learn Spanish, a website with games, videos, podcasts and many activities to help you learn Spanish in a pleasant way.

Reviews

[Myron Lezak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una buena explicación

Esta historia me dio una buena percepción de los años depues la muerte de Franco y como Espańa es hoy en día. La perspectiva de un joven pasando estos años es muy interesante. También agradezco por la sencillez de la escritura para un estudiante de español.

[Steve Yung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple story but great experience

You feel like you witness all these with Juan. Excellent writing that all Spanish learners can enjoy and learn a lot about the vocabulary and grammar too.

[Revati · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting personal account of living through turbulent, complicated times and what it feels like now in retrospect - I couldn't expect more from a graded reader. This is what makes language learning so interesting!

[Harold Gao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta un poco aburrido para mi.

[Ignacio Javier Berri Sosegar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like previous readers, I came to know Spanish through Juan and a bit of the person himself. However, let’s move into why and how this particular book is so very important. Let's say that SEX isn’t a part of your Spanish experience with Spaniards. You'll be reduced to mere mortal status, like the rest of us, of ¨getting to know¨a Spaniard. Good luck with that!! Whereas Latinos have zero challenge, almost regrettably, if your desire, like mine, is to become a Spaniard, or at least specialize in the Spanish of Spain exclusively, you're in for a VERY difficult path!
Spaniards are several locks with unpublished keys. Understanding what it means to be a Spaniard, while you were disco dancing in the late seventies, as they were going through social chaos and repercussions of a 40-year dictatorship suffering British and American tyranny is not a match made in heaven. While I was enjoy what I consider the greatest years of my life (1976-1990) Spain was literally, in hell.
Couple all this with the sheer fact that Spaniards are the best-looking, the best educated, the most de buena forma of all Europe and in every way, their government has demanded the most of them as people and screwed them out of every hope and dream a person can host. Everything costs the same in Spain, and the wages are half of Europe and a third of America. Then, there's the disregard and disrespect of the British in Spain, which Spain is finally handling! You can cut yourself and bleed to prove your loyalty but, if you don’t know their experience, what’s it like to BE a Spaniard, you have zero chance. This book gives you some hope of that goal! I have two Spaniard brothers. It was worth the fight! The book would have helped!!