No comments about Content and Language Integrated Learning: Evidence from Research in Europe (Second Language Acquisition).

2 comments about Catalan Dictionary: Catalan-English, English-Catalan (Routledge Bilingual Dictionaries).

1. It is not unusual to see this dictionary in the hands of students at the Universitat de Barcelona. Unfortunately it was not available when I first arrived at that school. There are larger and smaller Catalan/English dictionaries that you can find, but this one is acceptable for toting around and it is still very useful for first-year Catalan language students. Being published in the UK it has a distinct British flavour. One very useful feature is the guide to conjugation of Catalan verbs. I also appreciated the inclusion of common useful phrases in both Catalan and English. If you are headed for Catalunya, it is best that you pick up this book before going to Spain, since it can be quite hard to find and expensive if you can find it. One shortcoming: the paperback binding is not as durable as I wished that it had been, and with the use that a typical student might put it through, it may start of unravel. Also bear in mind that this is not a professional translator's dictionary, but an excellent companion for a basic Catalan language text. Some native speakers of Catalan may differ with the use and meanings that are supplied, but given the diversity of Catalan and its many dialects, that is to be expected. Bona sort!



2. 1. The typeface is clear, sharp, and perfectly legible; 2. The format is exquisite and pleasing to the eye. 3. Both the Catalan-English section and the English-Catalan section include phonemic transliteration using International Phonetic Alphabet placing an easy-to-read pronunciation at the fingertips of both Catalan-speaking users and English-speaking users--a vital feature since neither English nor Catalan pronunciation is predictible from its orthography. 4. The entries are noticeably limited, with the Catalan entries being considerably smaller than the English entries. 5. A very serious shortcoming is the inclusion of phonemic transliteration for only the infinitives of verbs and not their present tense. This limits its usefulness drastically for first-conjugation verbs because the pronunciation of their stem vowel is not indicated. And in the present tense of first-conjugation verbs, a stressed stem vowel of "e" or "o" might be pronounced open or close. Information regarding the quality of this stem vowel is vital for a language learner, and it is not available in the Routledge dictionary.

No comments about Nahmanides in Medieval Catalonia: History, Community, and Messianism.

No comments about Catalan (Teach Yourself Languages).

No comments about The Catalan Rule of the Templars: A Critical Edition and English Translation from Barcelona, Archivo de laCorona de Aragon, Cartas Reales, MS 3344.(Book ... An article from: The Modern Language Review.

No comments about Learn to Speak the Catalan Language Faster and Easier with Subliminal Programming CD.

3 comments about Catalan: A Comprehensive Grammar (Comprehensive Grammars).

1. Routledge's and Blackwell's "Comprehensive Grammars" are perhaps the most complete linguistic surveys made today. Whether you're travelling to Catalonia, wish to read Catalan poetry, or are just linguistically interested in Catalan, this book can help you get an orderly and thorough understanding of the language, regardless of your initial level.

   While Catalan has undergone serious standardization programs in recent years, it still has wide regional variation, and this book addresses it fairly good. Besides, the book is very detailed (like all the books in the series I mentioned above), so you may wish to skip some parts of it if you use it just for reference.




2. If you are searching for a the most complete, extensive book on learning Catalan, then you search has ended. "Catalan: A Comprehensive Grammar" by authors Max. W. Wheeler, Alan Yates, and Nicolau Dols is the best book on the market in learning this widely spoken Romance language.

   Published by the magnificent British publishing giant, Routledge Press, this book will give you the lowdown on everything you need to read, write, and understand Catalan. Grammar, structure, verb conjugations are all covered here. Mr. Yates, who in my opinion is one of the best Catalan linguists in the world, previously wrote the excellent "Teach Yourself Catalan" book, which was the first book that allow me to comprehend Catalan in little time.

   Both Wheeler and Yates, who are professors at two universities in Great Britain, along with Dols, who teaches at a university in Spain, have done an excellent job in capturing the essence and importance of this language.

   While Catalan is primarily spoken only in four countries (Spain, France, Andorra, and Italy), it is a language that should be studied by those interested in Catalan studies. Travelers and businessmen to Catalonia and the Balearic Islands will find this book helpful in learning this language, that although it is the seventh most spoken in the European Union, it is not officially recognized by that organization.

   If you want to learn Catalan, I suggest the following books.

   (1) "Teach Yourself Catalan" by Alan Yates

   (2) "Catalan Sin Enfuerzo" by the Assimil staff (for Spanish speakers wanting to learn Catalan)

   (3) "Catalan-English Dictionary" by the Routledge Press staff (It is about $30)

   (4) "Cambridge Word Selector: English-Catalan" by the Cambridge University Press staff.

   With these books, you'll be mastering this once-forbidden language in no time. No trip to Barcelona, Catalonia, or the Balearic Islands can be fully enjoyed without learning the native language of the region's inhabitants.




3. This grammar, written by a team of excellent experts in Catalan linguistics, is useful to both (foreign) learners of the language and scholars of Romance or General Linguistics. The content is well structured and accessible to the non-expert, but without being superficial as happens with many learner's grammars. Being written in English and published by a reknown publisher, it reaches a large readership, which it deserves. The book also successfully tries to be complete on the level of linguistic variation, with different dialectal areas (Catalonian as well as Valencian and Balearic Catalan) and social strata being considered. There are other useful sources for either the learner of the language or the linguist, written in Catalan, Spanish, or even English (e.g. José I. Hualde's 1992 grammar published by the same publisher), but for the time being, I would recommand the Wheeler et al. book as the best choice for the learner and the second best choice for the linguist (the best linguistic choice being the "Gramàtica del català contemporani" reference grammar published in 2002 but difficult to get hold of outside Spain).

No comments about Tirant Lo Blanc: The Complete Translation (Catalan Studies, Vol 1).

5 comments about La Plaza del Diamante (Pocket Edhasa; 8).

1. This book is well worth reading. The portrait of Catalunians at the time of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)is excellent. The ramifications of war on non-participants is examined, particularly on women and children. Although originally written in Catalan, it is studied in Spanish as an exemplary example of Spanish Literature of the 20th Century. Just so you know, it has also been made into a movie with English subtitles, although as usual it is much better to read the novel. Natalia becomes "Colometa" (pigeon/dove)and reverts to Natalia. She finds herself in a controlling relationship...will she find her wings? Pay attention to the imagery of the doves and the diamonds and the constant tracing of images.



2. A very human story, the surreally interpreted world of a woman, through her life. Reminds me of Camus' "Stranger" for athmospheres and coldness of style. Highly rewarding reading.



3. If Catalan, the language in which this novel was written, were a world language like Spanish, Merce Rodoreda would be as famous as Gabriel García Márquez, who called La Plaza del Diamante "the most beautiful novel published in Spain after the Civil War."



4. I heard Elena Poniatowska recommend this book in a lecture. She described it is a "brilliant book about the Spanish civil war that never mentions the Spanish civil war."



5. Este libro es excelente de principio a fin,no conozco mucho de esta escritora pero me encantaria leer algo mas de ella,su lenguage es claro y sencillo,su novela es informativa ,la descripcion de sus personajes es fabulosa como tambien la del ambiente que los rodea.

5 comments about Teach Yourself Catalan Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (TY: Complete Courses).

1. I would like to find a teaching book that could put me in Catalan idiom immersion. As it changes constantly from English to Catalan (and vice-versa), it took more difficult to assimilate the idiom.
   
   Too few audio media. Need more do learn the idiom.



2. Good course, but definitely not the best. It works if you already live in Catalonya or if you have a close friend to practice.



3. This course is designed for study WITH THE BOOK. I purchased this course in hopes of learning Catalan while driving. It is not intended for this application, and it doesn't work while driving. Without the book, it's a long slew of Catalan, no English, and no repetition. By contrast the Pimsleur system (they don't have a Catalan course that I could find) builds language skills slowly, repeating all words in English, then the other language.
   
   In some sense, this is an unfair review. I'm not reviewing the product for it's intended use. So be it.



4. You can "get by" with Castilian Spanish in Catalunya, but it's sort of like seeing a movie halfway through. As far as I'm concerned, Catalan is indispensable in Catalunya if you want to get to know the country and the people. Really. It's liable to become even more important in the years to come.
   
   This review is primarly directed to those who already speak Spanish (and I'll bet that covers 99% of the people who buy this course). If do you speak Spanish, consider learning Catalan in a way that's a little different from what the coursebook recommends.
   
   This may not be the recommended approach, but it has certainly worked for me.
   
   I recommend you use the book sparingly at first. The CDs are this package's real strong point--use them! Listen to both of them straight through. Then do it again. Spanish speakers will find they have already absorbed a great deal of grammar and vocabulary.
   
   Then, as you continue to listen to the CDs, refer to the book at those places in the audio where you're not sure what's going on. Don't try to learn all the grammar by rote yet! Once you're confident you understand everything on the CDs (it'll only take a month or two), go through the book lesson by lesson.
   
   By now, speaking and understanding basic Catalan using this package only, your curiosity will be stoked, and you'll want to listen to some "real" Catalan: go to http://www.catradio.cat/reproductor/audio.htm?ID=CATRADIO, and listen to streaming Catalan radio free!
   
   Ready to go for the gold? Sign up free at http://pelc.uib.es/recursos/index.html, and get a world-class course online (Balearic Catalan, which has a few differences from what you'll use in Barcelona, but well worth the effort.)
   
   But by all means start with this package. Highly recommended.
   
   Winter Laite is the author of SKEE.



5. If you have spare time, this language is unique and interesting, and full of culture. Spanish background is incredibly helpful, especially since this book came without an audio cd.