First Spanish Book (1919) – Lawrence A. Wilkins
Illustrated by J. Ormsbee
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| First Spanish Book (1919) – Lawrence A. Wilkins |
Published in 1919, First Spanish Book was designed as a practical introduction to Spanish for English-speaking learners. It blends grammar instruction with everyday vocabulary, supported by clear explanations and illustrations. The book emphasizes spoken Spanish, encouraging learners to practice through simple dialogues and commands.
Structure and Highlights
The book opens with foundational material on alphabet sounds, syllable division, accentuation, spelling, and pronunciation notes. From there, it progresses through lessons that gradually build grammar and vocabulary:
- Lesson I – Es Bueno Hablar Español
- Infinitives as subjects/complements
- Verb endings of -ar, -er, -ir conjugations
- Para + infinitive for purpose
- Negation with no
- Aprender a + infinitive
- Lesson II – Para Hablar Español
- Present indicative of -ar verbs
- Definite article usage (including with languages)
- Formal usted with third-person verbs
- Interrogatives and noun gender
- Lesson III – Las Lenguas
- Present indicative of -er verbs
- Indefinite articles
- Commands and plurals
- Contraction de + el = del
- Possession and country names with articles
- Lesson IV – Abriendo la Puerta
- Commands
- Present indicative of -ir verbs and irregulars (ir, coger, cerrar, volver)
- Possessive adjectives
- Lesson V – La Sala de Clase
- Present indicative of tener
- Adjective agreement and position
- Contraction a + el = al
- A with verbs of motion before infinitives
- Lesson VI – Los Números y los Días
- Cardinal numbers (1–10)
- Days of the week and ordinals (1st–7th)
- Commands and plurals of days
- Present indicative of contar and saber
- Lesson VII – Levantándose y Sentándose
- Reflexive verbs (levantarse, sentarse)
- Present indicative of reflexives and hacer
- Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os)
