5 comments about Dutch: A Comprehensive Grammar (Routledge Grammars).

1. That's a very good grammar. I'm a Portuguese native speaker and it is very difficult to a Latin language speaker to learn a Germanic language, but this grammar made it easier. It even helped me with the German language. This one is great for beginners, everyone should buy it. With this book I was glad twice: I started to study an interesting language (Dutch) and I began to understand a very difficult language (German). Buy it, you won't be disappointed. It gives you a comprehensive explanation about all points of the Dutch language.



2. Somewhere out there there may be a more comprehensive Dutch grammar for English speakers, but you won't need it unless you are a scholar. This book covers pretty much every useful grammatical topic you will need for learning Dutch. Thankfully, Dutch is not a particularly difficult language for English speakers, so that fact helps keep the size of this grammar manageable. Any assiduous student should be able to master it in less that six months. After reading it you should be able to read any newspaper; and although speaking is a totally different animal, there is no reason you should not have a good grounding in speaking proper Dutch. The book, however, does not delve into colloquialisms to a great degree.



3. I totally agree with the other reviews about the value of this book. I have (and still use) Henry Stern's Dutch grammar book, but was to the point where I needed more information. Well, I sure got it! I was searching for something good but not quite as expensive as this book, but finally broke down and got it. It's well worth the cost.
   I do think this should not be the choice for beginners, but for advanced learners that want the info without having to wade through reading a grammar book in Dutch I give it two thumbs up... heck, I'll borrow my Dutch boyfriend's thumbs and go for four thumbs up.

   Bruce Donaldson's other book, Beyond the Dictionary in Dutch, is also awesome and great for someone with a little experience in the language.

   Susanne Spangler




4. Over 30 years ago when I tried to learn the basics of the Dutch language in-country, there was nothing like this available. It was a struggle, particularly so when you're butchering the basics and kindly Dutch folks inevitably say, "Why don't we just speak English?" (which they do ever so well).
   
   Ah, but now I'm older and wise enough to have picked up Donaldson's superb Dutch grammar for another go at the subject, this time in the warmer clime of the Dutch West Indies.
   
   It's still a struggle, but thanks to this great resource, the "Why don't we just ..." questions come far less frequently. Reading Donaldson's "Comprehensive Grammar" is actually (amazingly) pleasureable and a good thing, too, since that's likely to be a daily affair for those who really want to learn this complicated "keel ziekte". A bit pricy, sure, but a great value, indispensible for the likes of me.



5. This grammar is directed primarily at the intermediate student of the language, and in serving that audience, fails on two counts to earn the descriptor 'comprehensive'. In the first place, it assumes, especially with regard to phonology and graphology, that the reader is already substantially versed in the Dutch standard, and provides description only of points troublesome to a reader with such knowledge. It also fails to provide full treatment of forms deemed unusual or archaic, believing them to fall outside the range of interest of its intended audience, which demands a rough-and-ready practical description of contemporary Dutch usage. It is that which this grammar provides, not comprehensive description of the Dutch language.

2 comments about Berlitz Dutch Phrase Book & Dictionary (Berlitz Phrase Book).

1. I am a student, who is traveling to belgium and the netherlands this summer, so i thought i would learn some french and dutch basics. the berlitz dutch phrase book is quite helpful for someone who only speaks english fluently and some spanish. it gives pronunciation guides with each word, which is quite helpful considering how difficult each phrase looks upon first glance. Once you learn a bit, you start seeing the similiarities between english and dutch, which help you remember it in the long run. it includes basic expressions/accomodations, eating out, travel, sightseeing, stores & services, health, reference, and dictionary sections. another helpful tool would be to get the accompanying cassette tape, which lets you hear the pronunciations and helps you learn better, although they speak a little fast for the basic beginner.



2. I bought this book because it was the cheapest one on the shelf and I regreting now spending those meager 15 bucks. The only good thing about it (hence one star) is it's size. (didn't take much space in the baggage) While in amsterdam I couldn't even translate road signs. Anyway, save your money for pimsleur. Most of the dutch speak excellent english, however, they do speak dutch between themselves, and if you don't want to be left out. You would need a more comprehesive study guide.

No comments about Cinema for French Conversation: Instructor's Manual, Second Edition.

2 comments about Routledge Intensive Dutch Course (Routledge Intensive Language Courses).

1. Don't purchase this as your first book on the Dutch language. It overemphasizes the colloquial, spoken language, with all its slang and grammatical complexities without laying a solid foundation in the basics of communication. The subjects presented concentrate on day to day situations so it's very interesting, but I would have been completely overwhelmed had this been my first book on Nederlands. Although I know only een beetje (a little) from the other boeken that ik heb gekocht (I bought), I know genoeg (enough) to get through the first few lessons without too much difficulty.
   
   In a stunning demonstration of crudity, the book doesn't shy away from quoting passages containing foul language, which certainly has no place in any textbook, IMHO.
   
   So, first look for a book that's makkelijk (easy) and then when you've mastered some of the elements of the language, you'll be ready for this one.



2. What isn't said here is that the course is incomplete without the CD-ROM, which isn't included and isn't available even from routledge. In fact, I would say that without the CD-ROM the book shouldn't even be sold, but apparently the folks at Routledge disagree.

1 comments about Teach Yourself Beginner's Dutch.

1. I have studied English and German and have lots of experience with various styles and books since 1980s. This is the first book I met that introduced the language so smoothly and without ever going into grammatical terms in such a subtle way that I even didn't realize how much Dutch I have learned, until I saw that I was reading a lot of Dutch text without many difficulties. The authors are the masters of what they do. Pedagogically speaking, I wish these types of books were available when I was studying English and German back then. I'll study every other language book written by the same authors immediately.

1 comments about Conversational Dutch: Learn to Speak and Understand Dutch with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur).

1. I have been enjoying the CD's but when I got to Lesson 11, it referred to a booklet. There was no booklet with the CDs. So, I called the 800 number on the box and requested that they send it to me. I received it about a week later. Unfortunately, the booklet doesn't match the CD. I am not pleased that I had to request the booklet in the first place. I am seriously annoyed that I still don't have the right book!

No comments about Berlitz Danish Phrase Book And Dictionary (Berlitz Phrase Book).

5 comments about Veni, Vidi, Vici: Conquer Your Enemies, Impress Your Friends with Everyday Latin.

1. This is a companion volume / continuation of his popular "Amo, Amas, Amat" book. As in the first book, the author includes hundreds of Latin mottoes, sayings, bon mots, and proverbs. They are ordered alphabetically, each followed by its pronunciation (in an informal but generally useful transcription), and general sense. Most of the entries have an explanatory sentence or two, giving the background, source, and literal translation. A fun book; helpful to the student of Latin, and entertaining and educational to the general reader. Well worth the money!



2. When I got this book, it was when I needed to say something in Latin to impress a few friends and teachers. This is a very good book, tells you almost every Latin saying you'll ever need as well as being ordered very nicely. The index is also very good and I think this book gives good detail without going too far. Great book and also a nice way to annoy some people when you don't like them.



3. Barbarus hic ego sum, quia non intelligor ullis et rident stolidi verba Latina.



4. I'm what you might call a collector of languages. I like to study languages of various sorts, not necessarily to become fluent in them, but simply to learn about them and think about them. Latin is certainly one of the more interesting languages to study, if not because one finds it fascinating in itself (which I do), then because it has influenced modern languages so much.

   Veni, Vidi, Vici is a great book to open to a random page and read for a few minutes. And it's rather amusing to throw around Latin phrases such as "Mars gravior sub pace lacet" ("a more serious war lies hidden in peace") to see how people react.

   Whether or not you are interested in actually learning Latin, this is a very interesting and fun book to read. If nothing else, it can get your mind thinking about just how pervasive Latin roots are in the language we speak today. If you are a fellow helluo librorum ("devourer of books"), you will definitely like Veni, Vidi, Vici.




5. This is simply follow-up of "AMO AMAS AMAT & MORE." If you are not familar with Latin phrases, you would be disappointed with this book, since there are many phrases which are not covered in this book, and are covered in "AMO AMAS AMAT & MORE."
   
   I like the Hardcover edition of "AMO AMAS AMAT & MORE" instead of paperback, as the paperback covers are simply easy to be damaged. You can find the hadcover edition of "AMO AMAS AMAT & MORE" @ Amazon Market Place ..... less than $1!!! for Good Used copies w/ Dustjacket. I paid only 69 cents + shipping for a very good used copy (hardcover w/dustjacket), while I paid $3.94 + shipping for a used paperback copy of "VENI, VIDI, VICI."

5 comments about Dutch: Learn to Speak and Understand Dutch with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur).

1. This is a short introduction to useful phrases in Dutch. It was very helpful as far as it went, but it would be great if Pimsleur were to do a full 3 course series for this language. I've used Pimsleur for one other language and they are the best tapes I've used. Pronunciation is very clear and unmistakable. This course was worth the money, but I wish it would have gone further.



2. I recently moved to Belgium for my wife and I used this course to get me familiar with the basics of the Dutch language and it does an excellent job of that. It won't by any means make you fleunt, but it covers enough "survival" Dutch to get you by. I do wish they had had a comprehensive 3-level course, but I was very happy with what I learned and the ease of doing so. I would recommend going through this course before continuing with the more expensive Rosetta Stone.
   (Since I've moved to Belgium, I've taken 6 months of classes 5 days a week for 3 hours a day and though my Dutch has vastly improved, I'm still nowhere near fluency yet.)



3. I don't know how they do it, but Pimsleur make learning a language effortless. It's such a pleasure to listen to the tapes and speak with them, and pretty soon you can do it without even thinking. I kept the tapes in my car and listened to each one over and over until I knew it so well it became boring- then I went on to the next tape. I wish so much they had more tapes to continue with, because now I'm finished with these.



4. I love these tapes. If you follow instruction and really follow through, you're sure to learn!



5. Pimsleur Dutch I, 30 lessons is TOP NOTCH, you will learn how to speak Dutch on a basic level, but you will be speaking and understanding others around you. Hopefully Pimsleur is working on levels II and III.
   
   It comes with a booklet so that you can learn how to read Dutch. This proved very helpful.
   
   It is a beautiful language and at times it seems as if people are actually singing.
   
   Have fun!

5 comments about Danish-English English-Danish Dictionary & Phrasebook (Hippocrene Dictionary and Phrasebooks).

1. This is a perfect little book for the casual to the most interested tourist. Especially suited for the temporary visitor or resident in Denmark, or someone who will be in the country for longer than a week, but not settling there permanently.
   There is a short dictionary in the front part of the book (both Danish to English and vice versa) and the other half of the book is dedicated to words and phrases of various realms: eating, shopping, business dealings, traveling within the country. There is also a pronunciation guide and a little cultural introduction; the phrasebook aspect also gives a little cultural insight. It's also a good size. Just big enough to travel with and read (some of those tiny dictionaries are too small!).

   Highly recommended. Where else can you learn how to ask for body piercing, a cup of coffee and directions to the Viking burial mound?




2. I had a hard time as a beginner to Danish because there is no pronunciation help given with the phrases and words, only a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book.



3. I speak a very small amount of danish as my mother's family is from there.
   Since it had been 30 years since I had been to Denmark , I thought a danish dictionary would come in handy.
   Don't waste your money on this book.
   The translations are spelled in danish of course , but there is no english pronunciation right next to the word.
   The beginning of the book has the danish alphabet and language rules , but if you knew how to read the language and how the rules apply , you'd already be speking danish !
   Worthless !!



4. I purchased this because it was the only Danish dictionary at my local bookseller's. Unfortunately, I have to say after a few months of having used it that it's not terribly effective in either function. The phrases are not cross-referenced in the table of contents for easy access, requiring one to page through most of the back-half trying to think of what sections might be relevant (example: try finding "please" and "thank you.") Several of the perfectly mundane words I wanted to look up ("beads," "bacon") weren't in the dictionary.
   
   Previous reviews have mentioned the lack of pronunciation guidelines within the dictionary itself, and I too found using the 'systematic pronunciation system' far more difficult than simply trying to parrot a native speaker. Buy a Berlitz traveller's phrasebook, then cross your fingers that someday Bantam will publish a Danish dictionary.



5. unfortunately I haven't received it as yet and am still waiting to get it since the beginning of January this year,am losing faith in Amazon unless they can send me a feedback asap!
   Cheers guys.