My name is Marcus Santamaria. That's me with my family in the picture above. After I met and married my wife, Elena, we decided to move to Mexico to be near her family. But I didn't speak a word of Spanish! I needed to learn the language so that I could interact with her family and friends.
But I had another motivation, too...
As an English teacher, I absolutely needed to learn the language so that I didn't feel like a fraud! I mean, how could I possibly teach English as a second language when I didn't even know one myself?
My shame drove me to search endlessly for a better way of learning and teaching. Believe me, learning Spanish was not easy for me...I struggled! Eventually I discovered what I had suspected all along: the problem was not me, but the methods I was using.
Once I discovered what's really important for communication, (you'll be amazed at how much of what is normally taught actually gets in the way of communication) and how to best use the mind for rapid learning, I became fluent in Spanish and very successful at teaching, too!
I am now a very successful language teacher - one of the most respected and highest paid in Latin America. But the main reason I have a lot to offer you as a Spanish teacher is simply this: I have been where you are now. If you have ever had a tough time learning a language, Synergy Spanish can help - and I'm here for you, too!
"My Spanish is now coming on very well with your course"
"Thanks for an excellent course. I live in Tenerife and have been to Spanish classes here but have found the grammar made it very difficult. I have found that my Spanish is now coming on very well with your course."
? Sheila Thomas - Tenerife
"My Spanish is coming along wonderfully. Investing in your course is the best investment I made. I have a few Spanish speaking friends (Latin Americans) and they were amazed at my progress."
? Ornell Bedasse - USA
"Me and my family are having much fun with the lessons you provide. I plan on speaking Spanish fluently in the next six months. Thanks to you and your incredible learning system. Thanks for making it so easy."
? Frank Burns - USA
"I LOVED YOUR SPANISH COURSE. I HAD BEEN STUDYING OTHER BOOKS, BUT YOUR COURSE MADE IT SOOOOO MUCH EASIER TO LEARN SPANISH.
LATER MELINDA WROTE TO ME AGAIN AND ADDED
I've been studying your course like crazy, because I knew I would be seeing my Spanish friend last week. I had dinner with 2 friends and they were amazed at how much Spanish I knew...I was communicating in Spanish with no difficulty... you make learning FUN!!!"
? Melinda - USA
"Your course has been so helpful and there are so many things that I can say but none would fit better than THANK YOU.
I am a Military Officer (Army) and I took the course to relate better with my Spanish speaking soldiers and I have learned more from this course than in two college course."
? Clifton D. Bass, CPT - US ARMY
"Your material is excellent, I think you are performing a valuable service in helping people understand Spanish."
? Roger Lamb - USA
"I have been in Cuernavaca for two days and am learning so much. Your instruction has allowed me to ask questions and have myself understood. After the conversation is initiated I am able to ask for help in my construction of words and am learning super fast.
What a wonderful world you have helped open up for me."
? Douglas (Diego) Miller - USA
"I'd just like to say you're a great teacher, I've had a look at your teaching style and it's so easy to follow. Thank you for all your help with my Spanish lessons!!"
? Jodi Willis - New Zealand
"Thank you for this wonderful course! I am delightfully surprised by your innovative approach to "actually" speaking another language.
Many of my friends are Spanish speaking people. Puerto Rico, others include Mexico, Panama, Cuba, Columbia, Venezuela and the list goes on. I wish to speak with them in their native tongue. These warm and loving people embrace me as one of their own and they fondly say I have a Latin soul! Being an American, I am honored.
I have gone through the first part of the course, and I am already speaking in coherent sentences to my friends."
? Suzanne Piazza - USA
"I'm a real basic beginner for Spanish Your lessons really do allow me to learn a lot faster than my books."
? Elizabeth Ballantyne - London, UK
"I started using your course and I must say it is brilliant. It does what you say . Although I have an excellent native Spanish teacher my rate of learning has vastly accelerated: particularly verbs where I had a blockage."
? John Rees - New Zealand
"I am really enjoying my Spanish course. I have approx. 1 hour each day and feel more comfortable all the time. You are a genius, this course is terrific."
? Joyce Misch - USA
"I have really enjoyed your course and feel much more confident in my Spanish. It is a lot easier than the text books I have been working on."
? Denise Todd UK
I have tried several "at home" methods of learning Spanish over a course of several months and was unsuccessful...the lessons did not hold my attention. With your lessons I have started communicating with my Hispanic friends within two weeks. My friends are very proud of me."
? Lisa Clausel - USA
"I am writing to you to thank you for the absolute best Spanish course around.
I recently returned from a two week "intensive Spanish" course in Costa Rica and I've learned more in five hours of your course than I learned in ten four-hour days of their course.
The course is fabulous and worth many times more than you charge."
? Bob LaFortune - USA
"The book with the CDs are wonderful. I am learning so fast to put actual sentences together.
I was able to make complete sentences within one hour of listening to your CD and my teenage son listened in the car also and was saying sentences."
? Marla Spring - USA
"I live 4 months a year in Spain and have bought every CD and book and just got tangled up in indigestible words and lessons - all totally unconnectable and disheartening. I have learnt more in 2 days with your course than I have learnt after 100's x ? and months of other courses. I love it. Great product."
? Colin Bond - UK
"I tried learning Spanish by reading books and listening to audio tapes but nothing compares to the method in your program.
Thanks for giving me a chance to learn a new language that I have wanted to learn for so long."
? Ron Stone - USA
"For about a year now I have tried to learn the basic rudiments of the Spanish language. I can only describe my efforts as an unmitigated disaster. However it is now almost six weeks since downloading your shortcut 2 Spanish, I have to say whilst skeptical at first I am amazed at how quickly things are changing."
? Ian Duffin - UK
"This course is by far is the best Spanish course that I have had and I have had several over the years. I will certainly recommend this course for anybody interested in learning Spanish. Now I am actually learning to speak Spanish."
? Brad Vigansky - USA
"I really enjoyed your lessons. I thought they were brilliant! I am a Australian girl travelling in Spain who loves to learn Spanish quickly and efficiently. Thank you so much for your time... Did I say I thought your lessons were brilliant? Yes I think they are brilliant."
? Keri Light - Australian in Spain
"Just wanted to let you know my Spanish is coming along great. I wish I had found you a few years ago when I first started taking holidays in Spain, I have battled with the language for so long, I just couldn't remember the words no matter how hard and long I studied them, with your course its so easy.
I recommend you to everyone."
? Doreen Parkhurst - Great Britain
"I have lived in Lanzarote in the Canary islands for the past 8 years and have tried many different ways of learning Spanish and found it very hard. I find your way so much fun and a lot easier."
? Dawn Harris - Canary Islands
"I knew como esta and gracias back in June, just 3 months ago. After using your program, I now am pulling sentences together.
My new "Novio" boyfriend, who is Spanish, is very impressed. He speaks very little English and we are communicating much more these days - Thanks to your program.
This has helped me to see how romantic the language is - I love the language!"
? Tina Sprayberry - USA
"I have studied Spanish some years ago, I went to evening classes & yes it wasn't easy & I found it all so confusing.
Just wanted to let you know how easy I have found your way of learning the Spanish language!
Thanks to you I now feel confident in speaking Spanish to the locals when I next visit Spain."
? Ann Robinson - England
"I have just completed your Short Cut to Spanish and think it is excellent and an easy way for this slow learner to learn the language.
I would also add that I can highly recommend your course to anyone who feels daunted at the prospect of learning a new language."
? Tom Carswell - UK
"Thanks for making Spanish so easy. What was a daunting task has now become fun.
I am so loving this course as you can manage it on your own. I can't wait to go Cuba now. I am now talking up a Spanish storm."
? Oswy Gayle - UK
"Your book is just the ticket to help me converse with my new Mexican friends at the Camino Real restaurant and others who I come into contact with."
? Harry Fanning - USA
"Let me congratulate you on the fantastic course. Short cut to Spanish was great.
Thanks again for a wonderful course."
? Neil Ellson - USA
"Thank you so much for your support with Spanish. I use it at work, and I found your lessons to be very well structured.
From a teacher's point of view I can add that your material is very comprehensible, easy to use, and rich in information."
? Simona Solomon - Romania
"I find that the audio files are most helpful to me because those who are speaking, (both in English and in Spanish) pronounce their words very clearly and there's no background music or any other noise to distract me from hearing and understanding what is being spoken. That is very important to me, because I have significant hearing loss, but it will benefit anyone!
As well, the way the material is presented makes it very easy to both learn and remember the words and to speak them right away, even in sentences!"
? Jane Rema - Canada
"You go to so much effort to prepare the lessons and additional help. I cannot thank you enough. I am learning at a fantastic rate."
? Ben Sheehan - Australia
"Your course is exciting and rewarding. I am really thrilled by it."
? Curt Ersson - Sweden
"The genius of your course is the ease with which we slide into conjugations. Instead of sitting and memorizing, you simply have us speaking, effortlessly. You have us using: I, you, she, he, we, they, through sentences, with no intimidation. It couldn't be better."
? Harriet Raitano - Tampa, Florida USA
"Thank you for your guidance and info on this fantastic way of learning Espa?ol. So far I have been amazed at what I have been able to learn and more importantly remember in such a short time. I think these methods you have discovered are truly fantastic."
? Surika Lott - Perth, Western Australia
"I very much enjoy this course and I am learning far more from doing it than any other courses I have tried."
? Jeanine Honour - USA
"Your course has been very valuable. I have been advancing rapidly thanks to your teaching."
? Timo Holkeri - Finland
"I think your course in Spanish is great. I've learned more Spanish in a few short days than in three month of other courses."
? Mark Denton - USA
"Your course is terrific. I have learnt more in 7 weeks than in the previous 5 years. Can't wait to know where to go next!"
? Yvonne Harvey - Australia
"I just finished lesson 31. It is one easy way to learn a language."
? Dr Al Standen - USA
"Excellent program. I'm learning a lot of Spanish and it's fun."
? Marlon Mark Khan USA
"Anyone who is looking to learn Spanish need not look any further this course gets 110% from me. the course is easy to follow , you WILL learn fast. This is the best course I have seen its superb."
? Billy Clark - USA
"I just finished your course, and really feel that it was a good way to learn a lot of Spanish. The grammar is taught in a clear way that is not at all painful to study nor difficult to learn."
? Phyllis McBride - Canada
"I have had the desire to learn Spanish for two years, but most methods I looked into did not fit my casual learning approach. I found the repetition of audio lessons to be boring, while the books tended to be complicated and somewhat intimidating for a beginner. Even the simpler programs focused too much on the tourist and had little value.
Your program has been ideal, it is exactly what I was looking for.
Your method goes beyond simply translating and memorizing, it teaches how to think. When you are able to think of how the words are made, you can master the language.
My only disappointment is that I finished the lessons. I wish all study material could be this easy and rewarding."
? Tom Gugel - USA
"I spent two semesters in a college level Spanish class here in Davis - and couldn't write or speak at all! I made A's in the class but couldn't put a sentence together - incredible!
I think I'm on ~leccion 11.
I can tell you that I'm amazed how I can write Spanish sentences already."
? Sheryl Flocchini - USA
"Everything looks great and I'm very excited to use your product. I've already learned way faster than when I used other programs."
? Bob Grove - USA
"I must tell you that after downloading the Audio lessons I found your teaching style to be easy and sooo effective.
My most difficult part of learning Spanish has been the verbs and conjugation which at times, I've simply ignored or given up. But after listening to your recordings, it seems effortless.
Muchas Gracias, for an incredible teaching tool."
? Laura Rigoni - USA
"The short audio lessons are especially good- not too time consuming, no boring grammar and very interactive."
? Ian Lancaster - Suffolk, UK
"You are such a Blessing, and we mean that very much! We Thank God for your assistance in teaching us Spanish in an easy to learn way."
? Kelly King - USA
"I thank you and your wife very much for making your easy to understand conversational Spanish courses. I am enjoying them immensely."
? Shelly Davis - USA
"I just wanted to say a quick thank you for creating your course. Already I'm finding it effective and useful!! The mnemonics are a very useful way to remember the words and phrases.
I'm glad to have finally found something that doesn't cost ridiculous amounts of money that I can't afford to pay for at my age!"
? Kimberley Low - UK
"Let me say that your course is really very good indeed. All of the resources you provide are really useful and I am continuing to improve daily.
A fantastically easy and intuitive course."
? Tim Finch - UK
"Learning Spanish through this program has been very helpful. I am learning well with this Spanish program.
1. It is set up very well with the lessons #1 to 31 sessions to learn and know the written words and their use.
2. The flash cards help me become familiar with the Spanish words, with the English equivalent.
3. The audio lessons are an essential part in learning to hear and understand to be able to speak the language.
I am making a trip to Columbia later this year and I want to be able to communicate in Spanish. I am learning more each day."
? Len Johnson - Canada
"I thank you for the hard work and effort that you put into developing this user friendly guide to real world Spanish.
I agree with your approach to using real world/practical Spanish versus what is taught in most courses."
? Antonio Lucas
"I read in one of your mails that you spent the last six months putting what you have together. That was a short time for such a program. Good work!"
? Jonathan Koh - USA
"Thanks for the Spanish lessons. They are much easier than other lessons I have tried."
? John Herring - UK
"Your program is the best I have tried. Thank you so much for your efforts in putting this together. I must say I am immensely impressed with your response time to questions problems."
? Linda E Wagner - USA
"Your course is working well for me, I am 66 and enjoy the challenge of remembering things. I am looking forward to the vacation my wife and I have planned for Cozumel, Mexico in October."
? John Ashfield-Salter - USA
? Jacqueline Hart - England"Thanks for presenting this material so logically"
? Denise Ras-Arvidson - USA"Its exactly what I needed and have been looking for for 9 months"
"I loved your course. Its exactly what I needed and have been looking for for 9 months. I am using it in combination with the Pimsleur audio course. Your course filled some gaps that Pimsleur didn't cover."
? Chris Orton - USA
"I'm telling all my friends that your courses are the best I have encountered, from tapes and books, to CDs, and videos."
? Mari-Lou Rowley - Canada
"I thought your Shortcut to Spanish course was first class and unbeatable in terms of value for money............a rare compliment these days.............."
? John Bogle - UK
"I absolutely love your program it is unbelievably easy. I think your program is the best I have seen anywhere. I can decipher Spanish! I am thrilled."
? Pat Hendrix - parks and recreation department - USA
"Your Spanish course has been a real exciting program, just as you said. I wish I'd learnt it this way years ago. I'm off to Spain in a couple of weeks time and can't wait to try my new found skills."
? Stew Lomas - England
"I am really enjoying your course. It seems to fit my style better than anything I have seen. I tried other sources and quickly lost interest. Your style is great for me."
? Robert Blow - USA
"The book is excellent and I find myself being able to translate with comparative ease now I know some of the alterations to turn English into Spanish. Thank you so much. It has renewed my interest in the language. I was beginning to despair after my first year of school."
? Alison Mannion - USA
"I am very impressed with this, and at 57 years old, I always wanted to converse in Spanish with this course, I think I can conquer it."
After finishing the course William wrote to me again and said.
"The course is a must for anyone wanting to" learn Spanish and not have a feeling of being overwhelmed."
? William Pugh - Hermitage, Tennessee, USA
"I teach Spanish, French & Italian in Mumbai. Your Shortcuts to Spanish have been greatly appreciated by me & my students. The whole idea is brilliant. I've heard & enjoyed your audio & 31 lessons. Congrats on your imaginative effort. The voice play is esp. very interesting. What an excellent partnership!"
? Sandra Pais - Mumbai.
"My name is Derrick Scott and I have been trying to learn Spanish for a little more than a year now. I was having major difficulty understanding the Spanish language using two different CD programs to teach myself. I was constantly frustrated and very unhappy with the products. Your program showed me I already know a large part of the Spanish language. Imagine my surprise when through simple word association I was able to retain and clearly understand words I've been fighting to understand for a year. I get it now and you made it plain as day. I can actually create sentences in my head without any help and I am understanding what I read in Spanish."
Following is the second email from Derrick
"You sure make Spanish a real pleasure to learn. Your methods are shortcuts in every sense and even with my busy lifestyle I am able to fit in about 40 minutes listening every day to your audio during my bus journey to and from work. At the low cost you ask for this course this is indeed a very generous gift to anyone who desires to master Spanish!
Your relentless dedication and enthusiasm for the subject simply fill me with the confidence to want to learn more and more. I would not hesitate to recommend your course to anyone I met who was struggling to learn by other means, or wishing to start learning from scratch!"
? Derrick Scott - Kelso, Scotland
"This is a remarkable resource for not a great deal of money and please be assured, I for one am very impressed, and more than a little grateful!"
? Barry McKay - UK
"I want to thank you for your Spanish course. I have been enjoying it and find it a very pleasant way to work on learning Spanish. It certainly can be daunting to learn a language if you don't have some way to simplify things. Your enthusiasm is also very nice and goes a long way to making it fun to be learning Spanish."
? Eileen Straus - USA
"Just to say I have waded through quite a few Spanish courses but yours is tops. The grammar just falls into place, I would recommend this course to anyone, the price is really good value, you must be robbing yourself."
? Ray Coles - UK
"I can't believe all that you provide for such a small fee. I know a lot of people that are either trying to learn Spanish or want to. I will recommend everyone I know to your website."
? Aldric Smith - UK
"I am the program administrator at a local college for the ESL department I have always wanted to learn Spanish, but I have very little free time. I spent over $300 on Pimsleur tapes, but I'll have to say that I have received more help from you and your offerings than from anything else."
? Linda Smith-Hunter - USA
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