Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish

Destinos is the best!! We started watching it in school when i was a sophmore and finished it my junior year. It's a show that is just so much fun to learn from. I mean, how many educational videos give you characters you actually care about? And such classic lines as "Don Fernando tiene un secreto importante. El secreto esta en una carta. Una carta importante!" One can never forget the ever greasy Luis or the super-suave Arturo....or even Raquel's horrible outfits! the entire series is just a blast and the best way to learn spanish if you can't actually visit a spanish speaking country. i love it! "Hola Raquel!" "Luis?!"

While I will certainly concede that this program had its comic moments, I would hardly call it "campy" or "comedic." Dying grandfathers, wealthy gentlemen, and interfering mothers are hardly laughing matters.

This program enables the viewer to learn effectively and at a comfortable pace; observing characters shopping, eating, and making introductions certainly beats lists of words in a column on a blackboard with their English translations on the other side. No one came out of my high school French class able to have a conversation; after this program I was negotiating over antique blouses in a Madrid flea market.

Anyone interested in learning Spanish for everyday living will love this program, which is also lots more fun than sitting in a classroom. It whets the appetite for real Mexican novelas, which I have come to enjoy. I now watch at least two every day.

For those ladies who enjoyed this program: Start watching the real thing. I highly recommend CORAZON SALVAJE (rentable at Blockbuster), YO COMPRO ESA MUJER, RAMONA (which may shortly be visible on Galavision), AMOR GITANO, and LA CASA EN LA PLAYA. As emotionally manipulative as these programs are, they're the greatest thing since romance novels.

Beginners and intermediate students need to hear lots of comprehensible input to develop their listening skills (which in turn will contribute to developing speaking skills). The problem is nearly all programs in Spanish are simply to advanced (regular Spanish language shows for native speakers) or often too easy - shows like Extr@ geared to total beginners and too short (13 episodes) to take you very far. Even though it is now 28 years old, it fills a need not filled by any more recent production by providing a nice mix of Spanish comprehensible to the beginner advanced beginner and Spanish still challenging for intermediate student. It does this by mixing very clear, simple, distinct narration and speaking directly to the camera with standard, albeit somewhat simplified dramatic dialog between characters, and context, with lots of repetition. More advanced students can fast forward through the 4 or 5 minutes of review at the beginning of each episode of they like. It would be nice if someone would make something newer that does what this does but it the meantime, I recommend it highly. I learned a lot of Spanish from it. Anyone studying Spanish on their own should check it out. It's free online.

OK, I admit it: I love this series. There, I've said it. Sure, it's a cheesy soap opera. But it's a cheesy soap opera that teaches you to understand the language. And it does this job very well, and even enjoyably.

I've read the whole range of comments about this series. Let me deal with each objection one at a time:

Poor plot: As an actual telenovela, it probably fares pretty poorly. However, it seems to me that it's not fair to compare it against programs designed primarily as telenovelas. This is primarily a LANGUAGE LEARNING TOOL. It just happens to take the form of a telenovela, in fitting with the goal of introducing the viewer to Hispanic culture as well as language.

Cheesy: What telenovela isn't cheesy? If you want cheesy, try Rubi or Tres Mujeres.

No budget: Unfortunately, the authors of these comments know nothing about TV/movie production. Filming on location is insanely expensive. And Destinos does it effectively - I honestly want to visit most of the places they filmed.

Raquel's horrible wardrobe: While I agree that her "clown suit" is a little over-the-top, she was pretty fashionable for 1991. Something to think about: ten+ years from now, if you consider yourself fashionably-dressed, what you're wearing today will look as bad as Raquel's wardrobe does today.

Sleazy characters: Luis is supposed to be greasy. Jorge is even worse. But Arturo - a sugar daddy? He's trying to show Raquel his affection in the only way he knows how.

Boring: I think this comment pretty much sums up my view on the series. If you're engaged primarily in mocking, you will be bored. If you accept Destinos for what it is and actually learn from it, I guarantee you won't be bored. You may even learn to love it like I have!

Yes, that sums it up. It is quite enjoyable to mock the horribly pathetic acting and to laugh one's head off in class. No doubt it teaches us much Spanish subconsciously.

In terms of actual, real entertainment value: the acting sucks, the budget seems to be nil (or less), and the plot is so full of holes that it might as well be plotless.

"Si, la tumba de MIIIIIIIISSSSSSSS padres." That's rich. That, and the mock "Jaws" Theme that plays whenever Luis enters. Bleck. Between Arturo and Luis, I say that really isn't much of a choice, but at least Arturo isn't greasy.