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

1. Fairly solid grounding in beginning German; strong on pronunciation but short on vocabulary. And possessed of some very strange interchanges. You ask Frau Meyer if she wants some wine. She does. Then you ask her if she also wants a beer, as apparently she's either an alcoholic or you're trying to get her looped. So while you learn a little bit of German very well, it doesn't quite build enough vocabulary to have a conversation much beyond "I know a little German but I don't speak it well." And you'll sound like you're kidding when you say it with such good pronunciation, rendering the phrase almost useless.



2. I bought this box set for my boyfriend who is serving at a German army base. He says it has been helpful and he sleeps with the cds playing in his ears. Luckily, most Germans speak English but they appreciate your effort to speak German.



3. I have been amazed that I have been able to learn the language so fast. I truly think this is an excellent program.



4. Would not recommend this for beginners
   As there are no books
   I took 2 years in high school
   and two years in College
   so, I know the grammatical side
   and how to spell



5. The product is a wonderful value and saved our vacation. Please note that this is an introductory course and is not comprehensive by any means. We were told that most everyone in Germany spoke English but found many uncomfortable to do so. This product gave me enough German to convey my wants and desires. The lessons are easy to follow and teach by hearing and speaking. I was able to review all the material in two weeks and got many compliments on how well I sopke the language. This product would be helped greatly by some written material for back up. Overall, I am very satisfied with my purchase and heartily recommend it to any beginner.

No comments about Stationen: Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe.

5 comments about Oxford-Duden German Dictionary: German-English / English-German.

1. like all the oxfords, this is a weighty tome; well organized and easy to use.



2. poor quality paper gives tha feel that the pages will easily tear and the dictionary is not built to last. The words are highlighted in blue rather than the usual darker black and this makes it more difficult to sort them out.
   The book seems to be more designed for its prettiness than for its functionality.
   word spacing could be better.



3. In my mind, the words "scholarship" and "color print" don't mix. For centuries scholars have found their way through page after page of black and white (perhaps dark brown and light brown from time to time), and it seems odd that suddenly we have happened upon a better way - black and BLUE and white.
   
   That's cool for a travel dictionary you're trying to read in a taxi, or when pointing out some turn-of-phrase to a fellow tourist. It's flashy and stylish. And as long as you don't have to look at it for more than, say, twenty seconds at a time, I suppose it would do.
   
   But to me the name "Oxford" means "if you're serious, this is for you." The name "Duden" is likewise highly esteemed.
   
   So why is a dictionary made for the studious person being marketed to the tourist? I'm sure the scholarship is excellent, but I really wish it were in black and white. If there were a comparable edition in the traditional format I would buy it right away.



4. German Dictionary: German-English / English-German is very helpful for my teenage son, he loves it! It's easy to read, perfect while learning the german language in school.



5. The order was shipped quickly, and arrived in perfect condition. I couldn't ask for more!

2 comments about Kaleidoskop (Textbook only).

1. Amazon takes way too long to ship it, so nobody will get the book in time. It's a good book, I know because I already had a copy, but it got stolen at my university. Buy this elsewhere, It's been 4 weeks since I've ordered this and it still hasn't been shipped.



2. The book itself is a wonderful tool in learning German. I didn't receive the exercise book or cd.

1 comments about 501 German Verbs with CD-ROM (Barron's Foreign Language Guides).

1. I really love this new edition of Strutz's text. This improves on the old version in its look and overall layout, plus it includes 27 written verb exercises with answers and explanations and a bonus CD-ROM. Granted the CD-ROM isn't extensive (hey, it's free), but it has a handful more of different types of exercises which, like the written exercises, gives you answers plus explanations. It's enough at least to let you see if you're on the right track and where you may need do more study. Like the earlier edition, it has a very nice overview of German verb tenses, plus new additional sections on prefix verbs and word order. Know that these sections are overviews and are hardly exhaustive, but that is not the goal of this book. It's main objective is to give you tools and the fundamental knowledge to better grasp and use German verb tenses. It's a supplemental text prefect for beginners and intermediate students who need the occasional reminder of what's what and what goes where, and also it's a helpful quick review for more advanced students (and perhaps a few teachers). If you need a more comprehensive grammar book, however, then get a comprehensive grammar book.
   
   Likewise, this book contains only 501 verbs, so if you need a lexicon or a vocabulary building text, this isn't it. You'll need the appropriate text for such needs. What this book is useful for is teaching you how to conjugate German verbs properly, even ones not included in this book. In the front section, it gives you a list of 55 "essential" verbs, which if you were to take the time to study and learn thoroughly, can serve you as models for conjugating just about any verb in German. You really can't ask for a better, more applicable tool - this is basically how native speakers understand verbs. Plus, in the section for each of these 55 "essential" verbs, there is additional attention paid to prefixes. Naturally, it's not an exhuastive account of all the prefix verbs for that root verb, but it gives you the necessary basics.
   
   The rest of the verbs are included because they are frequently used in general German usage, although you may not encounter some of these verbs if you are a beginner or immediate student. Bear in mind as well that this is an all-levels text, so even if you don't find some of the verbs included useful now, you may find them useful in later study.

5 comments about Essential German Grammar.

1. I bought this book for my son who is trying to learn how to speak German. It looked like an informative book and, for the price, was worth it. I bought another beginners book and a CD to augment the "Essential German Grammar" book. This book looks like it will be VERY handy in the future but, for now, is a bit advanced. Inside it recommends that you have a significant German vocabulary before utilizing the book. I gave this book 5 stars because of the content and sentence structure instructions but I would NOT recommend this book as a sole guide for learning to speak German. Use it in addition with other instruction tools.



2. I have been in the process of teaching myself German for the last few months. This is an excellent suppliment for comprehending the intricate ins and outs of German grammer. Sentances are provided with the litteral german-to-english tranlation as well as the intended meanting translation. I find this feature particularly helpful.
   
   Examples are plentyful and explained very well. I believe it would be beneficial as a brush up or as a first time learner like myself. Worth the minor financial investment.



3. Very good for help with writting and basic but complex phases. You know the ones we don't use. This and my German/English Dictionary sit together.



4. This book is great for quick reference and study. It has all sorts of rules and charts for memorizing German Grammar. Small book, but lots of information.
   
   -Dr. Kenneth



5. This book has helped me understand a lot of the intricacies of the German language. Based on that I would say it is a very worthy purchase for one to have. But, it is not a book written for those who are not fluent on grammatical technical terms. I found myself a little lost at times, when the author would very non-challantly explain that something was just a matter of the "subjunctive predicative to the second power of the reversed megablaster future tense"...I know, I'm just joking, but I'm sure some of the readers understand what I mean.
   Having said that, I still say it is a good book for students of German such as myself. You'll just have to dust off your grammar lingo, that's all!

5 comments about Handbuch zur deutschen Grammatik: Wiederholen und anwenden.

1. If you are a serious student of German, then this book is worth the money. It is a thorough overview of German grammar, written in a not too difficult, but not too "easy", way. For me, it is the only book that covers almost all aspects of German grammar in depth without being too complicated. I am currently studying in Germany and this is the one book I bothered to bring with me from home, because it is just so useful. It is well-organized, easy-to-navigate, and accurate. In addition to detailed grammar explanations there are plenty of varied writing exercises for you, the student, to practice what you've learned. It is definitely not for total beginners, but intermediate and advanced students will find it a wonderful resource for learning the complex structures of German grammar. It would also serve as a great review for someone who completed several years of German but needs to brush up on the formal aspects of the language, as well as those preparing for German language exams.



2. I am an American student studying abroad in Göttingen, Germany for the year. I had to buy this book for the last German grammar class that I took in the US.
   I do not think this is a very helpful grammar book. First of all, it is not organized very well; it is sometimes difficult to find a specific grammatical definition. Also, the explanations are fairly meagre; just turn to the adjective ending section. There is no chart for all adjective endings (and no example-adjective-ending charts, which MOST grammar books have). Instead, there are two overly-simplified (and not all too clear) 'weak' and 'strong' -endings charts which cover "most cases", as the book says. Grammar is about particulars!! A grammar book which is only partial isn't a good grammar book at all!! I know this book has gotten some good reviews, but being in Germany now has only hightened my frustration with this book. I need German at this point (I am taking classes at Georg-August University in German), and this stupid book is not helping! blah!



3. I have explored a number of German grammar books and have found this one to be the only one that's actually useful. The modular approach is fantastic and allows quick review of specific topics that are troubling you. It is not meant for beginners, as each chapter assumes an understanding of basic grammar -- so, even though there are specific chapters on adjectival endings, passive voice, and the varying cases, those grammatical points are used in examples in all of the chapters.
   
   As another reader has said, the great thing about the explanations is their size. They are concise, but not too short. Sometimes, readers looking for lots of examples on the finer points will be disappointed. But, in general, there are enough grammatical explanations to keep you coming back and learning for a long time.
   
   As for shortcomings: as the reader below noted, the chapter on adjectival endings is absolutely horrendous. You will have to consult another source for that material (which is very important to learn!), because the explanations for that topic in this book are extremely vague and confusing.
   
   Although this book will also be useful to advanced students, more capable speakers might also want to check out "Modern German Grammar" by Ruth Whittle. It is organized by conversation topic and serves as an excellent guide for saying the same thing in different ways. The tons of examples are great, although they make the reading quite slow. But it's another good book for your German bookshelf.
   
   If you have to choose between the two, buy Handbuch zur Deutschen Grammatik -- you can cover more ground in the same amount of time.



4. This book is excellent for the moderately fluent German student. Mine is dog-eared from continual use, and it is the only grammar reference I ever use now. Almost everything else is too complex/insufficiently explained. The section on adjectival endings is poor, I admit, for which one can consult The Essentials of German, published by REA and written by Linda Thomas. Pages 58 and 59 will give you all the adjective endings you will ever need.



5. This book is a book worth to buy it. Is is like a dictionary but better. It explains German Grammar perfect,
   thanks for selling it,
   Angela

3 comments about Workbook to accompany Deutsch: Na klar! An Introductory German Course.

1. The book was perfect. It was in good condition and packaged well. However it was nearly two weeks late due to problems with a backorder of the book. Plus, there was no picture of the book online, which had some hand in the ordering of the wrong edition. I don't blame Amazon.com for sending the wrong edition, because I clearly ordered it. However, I wish there would have been a picture to see the cover of the book or more description of the item on the website.



2. I ordered both books through Amazon. I searched for the text, and ensured it was the correct edition. There was an option provided by Amazon to add the workbook, which I also wanted. However, the workbook was for the previous version of the text, and I wasn't paying attention for the differences. At the time of this review Amazon did not offer the current version of the workbook, but other sellers had it available. As far as I can tell this won't be a mjor obstacle in doing the work as long as your instructor doesn't insist on having the correct edition assignments.



3. This book will almost get you further than the text book itself. Great exercises - do them in pencil so you can go back and do them again and again -- answers are in the back :)

5 comments about The Everything Learning German Book: Speak, Write and Understand Basic German in No Time (Everything Series).

1. its an ok book for telling you things about the german language, but its phonetic listings are vague because they dont tell you how to pronouce some special charactors. you're probably better off getting a english-german dictionary and some audio cd's



2. I'm coming back to German language learning after a long hiatus - about thirty years since High School German. This book is a great place to start; it provides interesting history of the German language, discussion of various parts of speech, and always ties it back to analogous words and phrases in English. There may be more advanced texts available, but this is an excellent starting point.



3. As someone who just recently started taking German classes, this book has been proven to be an invaluable resource. The author writes in a friendly, easy-to-understand manner, and the book is well-organized. I especially found the pronunciation guide to be one of the better ones I've come across.



4. I am really pleased with this book. I have a friend who speaks German, and I have had the opportunity to use some of what I have learned with them. The book does more than just give you the words to memorize, it provides details such as the formal way of saying things as well as the casual context. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning the language.



5. This book has good information, but is not well organized. Other books will build you up to a basic understanding of the language and its structure prior to the nuts and bolts of the language. This book does a little of both in a disorganized way!
   
   German Beginners,
   Skip this book and go for something else.

5 comments about Treffpunkt Deutsch: Grundstufe (5th Edition).

1. I have a very minimal knowledge of German. This is the first German class I have taken in college and I feel like the examples used are irrelevant to words/phrases that I will ever use. Even my instructor (who is from Germany) says that the words used are very awkward examples. The CD and website is a must have, and the workbook has not been updated for the newest edition.



2. This book is very good as far as teaching and examples are concerned. The only area I find it weak in is the exercises. They are not always clear what they want you to do, and there usually are not answers in the back of the book. If you want to really learn the material, you need the accompanying workbook (Arbeitsbuch). Overall, I think it is one of the better German textbooks available.



3. I've been taking three classes of German compressed into a single, 12-week, Summer semester at my school. The class requires the following text books:
   
   Text book: Treffpunkt Deutsch (4th ed.),
   Work book: Treffpunkt Deutsch Arbeitsbuch Hoerverstaendnis (4th ed.),
   Work book answer key: Treffpunkt Deutsch Arbeitsbuch Answer Key (4th ed.), and
   17-CD set of exercises of the Treffpunkt Deutsch 4th ed.
   
   Additionally, my class was also recommended a German-English translation dictionary, the book English Grammar for Students of German, and another book 501 German Verbs.
   
   The Treffpunkt Deutsch books or CDs is confusing. I'll say why:
   
   First, the exercises throughout the text book are very strange. The way they work is that all the classmates will pair into two-person groups. For each exercise, each person in every two-person group is either labeled "S1" or "S2." The "S1" person will read the first German script question, then the "S2" person has to answer it in German according to the script. Then, the "S2" person asks a question in which the "S1" will answer. These two scripts often become confusing because of the swapping. Additionally, exercise instructions are often incoherent or incomplete. Another problem is I don't know enough German to comprehend many of the exercises. The book never tells me the definition of the words its exercises use except for the glossary translation which means I have to keep thumbing around looking for even simple things. When I add this to the confusion arising from the rules of Grammar, like sentence structure and regular and irregular gender complications, I end up looking for FIVE THINGS just to complete a simple excercise.
   
   These four books are supposed to be coordinated together, but they aren't. The chapters in the work book should reflect the chapters in the text, so that, when the students learn something, they can go home and practice using the work book. But, the work book is only relating to the chapter content rather than the exercise headings, despite their having names like "E-1" and "2-5" in both books when there's no correlation between them, despite the implication.
   
   Then, the CDs are supposedly usable in conjunction to the text, and this is true; although, of how it is true, I'm still unsure. For instance, when I read the text and listen to the disc, the narrator is saying stuff that isn't in the text book. When I first heard the disc, I thought I was listening to the wrong CD track; but, I wasn't, as both the CDs and books are clearly labeled by the chapter and the exercise number. The narrator never reads the exercises I'm reading!
   
   Also, the Treffpunkt CDs aren't designed like, for example, the Fodor's Living Language set, where the narrator says something in English and then immediately translates it into German, twice. The Treffpunkt CD narrators only speak in German, and there is no translation. I guess I'm supposed to learn the words through a process of osmosis.
   
   The text exercises are the same way: I don't get the translation unless I'm perusing around the chapters or the glossary looking for information I need.
   
   I recommend getting one of those quick-reference folders with German-language grammar rules, the ones covered in plastic.



4. The exercises are bizarre, and the conversations are too... Such as "Why does Jorg have a car if he doesn't have friends?" The cd's confuse me. I don't know where they correspond too. I am sure they must to something, but it should be more clear. It is very discouraging when you barely want to even hear the cd's and you put them on and they don't make any sense. The S2 S1 scripts are confusing too. I guess for some of them you have to go to the back of the book to answer the questions (not the index but the other part of the script). I don't think it explains grammar all that well. I have read the grammar explanations elsewhere so it wasn't so bad, but I could see how it could be if yo uhad no prior knowledge. The workbook is very confusing. Literally half of the time I was unsure what it was even asking me to do.



5. I'm using this book in course and have been pretty happy overall. It covers good useful material in a moderately quick pace. One down side is that it can be hard to look up specific information. You would do well to get a second book, a dictionary + verb list for easier reference.
   
   Also, the book is freakishly expensive. The price rarely seems to come down, and you'll do best getting a used copy from a reputable dealer, but if you are lucky you may catch a new dealer offering the book at a really good price.