Rating: - Quick flash cards
These are very interesting flashcards. There are 50 of them and they're nice and colorful. The pictures are cute. For me, at least, it doesn't matter whether the pictures are 'real' or cartoons. The point is that you associate with pictures.

I like the fact that you're given the articles "la" or "el" before the word because there are many words in Spanish that you don't know their gender. So knowing the "la" or "el" you know whether the words are feminine or masculine. English on the other hand has no feminine and masculine words.

I even learned new words. What confused me was the word "el venado" for "deer". My dictionary word for it was different, and it didn't distinguish which country it was from so I don't know what country "el venado" is from. Venezuela, Bolivia, Spain, Mexico? One flash card says "la cometa" for kite. Unfortunately there are two kites, so shouldn't it have been "las cometas" to go along with another card for hands "las manos"?

The word for orange(the object/color) is "naranja" for most countries, but the flash card here for that is "anaranjado" which I believe is from Spain. "Naranja" is a lot shorter (remember that "j's" are like hard English "h's")The flash card "el gato" is the masculine form for "cat" in these flash cards. For reference, for a girl cat, it's "la gata". The flash card for turtle is "la tortuga" but the word also means "tortoise" and the picture can't really be distinguished. But for reference, "la tortuga" is for both.

Mom and dad can be "la madre" "el padre" which I first learned. I don't know whether the flash cards "la mama" and "el papa" (I'm unable to put the accents on the last "a's" on both, facing left)so I don't know if those are really for "mom" and "dad" or whether those are really Spanglish.

The flash card for dog was "el perro" for the masculine gender. Why they don't have "la perra" for a female dog is beyond me which defeats the purpose of being gender accurate. Call me picky but for those who do have a background in Spanish, it's annoying.

There are NO English translations on the front of these flash cards, but phonetic spelling for the word for those without a background in Spanish pronunciation. So complainers who don't know the difference between phonetic spelling and actual English can spoil these cards for others by claiming there's English in these cards other than the English translations on the back.

The flash card for "el carro" is used in some Latin American countries, whereas you can also use "el coche". But both are right. The "rr" flash card words "el carro" and "el perro", remember to roll your "r's" which takes practice. Too advanced? Perhaps. But Spanish is precise in pronunciation and you'll discover that if you're a Spanish learner whose trying to be better with listening comprehension and you have a non native speaker butcher words, you could be confused.

Many will be confused when they see the flash card "la jirafa" which is giraffe. The phonetic spelling is "la kheerahfah" on the card. To make it simple, ignore the "k" and start with the "h" and make it hard "h" to make the Spanish "j" sound or better still it would've been simpler to start with an "h" for the card's actual phonetic spelling.

These flash cards are a quick, good start and for me at least, the cartoons are colorful enough and whimsical enough in drawing to be easy to remember.

 

Rating: - From a teacher's perspective: Good selection, a few flaws...
These words are a good selection of words, (they go well with Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1) so I give them a star for that. I also like the phonetic spelling on the cards (missing in many other cards) so another star for that. They are also sturdy, and a good size, so a third star.

Here are the flaws: 1) the pictures are too small, and some are not very apparent - my students were wondering "what's that supposed to be?" on some of them. 2) the pictures should be on one side, and the Spanish and English on the other side - otherwise, the student isn't able to adequately quiz himself. Rather than seeing a picture and naming it, he is reading the English word, and then seeing the picture and the Spanish on the other side - not the way our brains learn a language. (I was quite surprised by this set up since Berlitz does so many other things so well.) 3) Personal preference, I like photos rather than drawings on cards, to make the practice more "real word."

Other than that, these are fine, and I'm glad more picture flashcards are on the market. It's a fair price for 50 cards. Just not the best method or setup. Trend makes some that are better.

Sra. Gose Author of Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1 & Flip Flop Spanish Flash Cards: Verde (Cards)

 

Rating: - LOVE THESE FLASH CARDS - WISH THERE WERE MORE
I am an older adult learning Spanish and the children's products are perfect for me. I wish there were more flash cards for me to study.

I've also used the Brainy Baby video for Spanish and other Children's products.

I'm very confused when I hear little Latino toddlers speaking better Spanish than me. How did that happen? Are Latino children smarter than old white ladies?
 

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