There is some confusion as to the difference between Barron’s Mastering Spanish and Platiquemos Spanish course
both of which derive from the Foreign Service Basic Course.

The main differences are;

1. Platiquemos cover units 1 to 56 while Barron’s covers units 1-16
2. Platiquemos was updated and improved while Barron’s just copied the FSI Basic course
3. Reading notes added to Platiquemos.
4. Both courses remastered the audio, and Platiquemos added speakers from other countries.

In conclusion Platiquemos uses the whole courses versus the first quarter and has been upgraded, the book is also easier to read at 8 by 11 and Platiquemos can be downloaded or bought on a flash drive as well as book and cd version. You can purchase Platiquemos on this page or on Amazon.