5 comments about German for Dummies.

1. I`ve taken german class at my highschool for 2 years, but could not finish due to schedual difficulties. I bought this book to continue learning on my own and I must say, This is the best investment I have ever made on my road to learning german. Be wary though, I do not recommend this book for people who have no background in german, this book fails to explain basic fundamentals that are nessessary for a german student to learn. Overlooking this fact, this book's information is usefull and explains everything in a simple to understand format. It comes with an audio CD with most of the conversations from the book. I like this feature because it helps me to understand the tone and pronounciation of native german speakers. Another area where this book fails is it's dictionary. I recomend you purchase a english/german german/english dictionary for use with this book. But overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who is seriously intrested in learning German.



2. this is a good book but you're not going to get a lot of foundation - cute exercises but not a lot of meat



3. This book does a decent job at teaching you some basic vocabulary, though it does have a lot of list of random words that would take a while to memorize for their usefulness. Its got pretty good grammar explanations and charts for how to modify the endings and how to change pronouns depending on what case they take. You learn some conversational german, but not a ton. Now i just use this as a refference book for looking up how to change der, die, and das (the) according to the case of the word and other stuff like that. Its not really great though for use other than that



4. As a non- English speaker, there is a hindrance for me to use this book. It might be the reason that I don't have the talent for learning German. The way it teach pronunciation is not accessible for me. After all, it still useful in the dialogue part, because it contains audio CD for listening.



5. After a little mix-up on the initial order, this vendor made it right with flying colors! I would definetly do business with them again. They stood behind their product 100%.

5 comments about Rick Steves' German Phrase Book and Dictionary.

1. IT GIVES YOU ALL THE BASICS AND MORE!



2. More Hotels should be listed, including 4 stars. Locations of hotels should be in light gray marks to separate them from Attractions. Aprox. times for visiting should also be suggested.



3. This is a very useful phrase book, which i have used successfully in germany. it's fresh and fun, unlike other phrase books i have used. i very much agree with other reviewers: this is the best phrase book i have seen, of the 5 or 6 i have used. but, for me, the book is missing what i think could have easily been included: article and gender. the book doesn't list what article (the/a) goes with a noun (masculine, feminine, or neuter; der, die, das/ein, eine, ein). for those with no experience in german this lack may seem like no big deal. but article/gender plays a critical role in constructing sentences--adapting what rick steves provides--because word endings change according to gender.



4. I recently took a trip to Europe and needed 3 language books. I had Lonely Planet books for French and Italian then bought this book for German. I was really disappointed in this book after having used the Lonely Planet books prior. The menu translator, in particular, is lacking. I could hardly find anything from the menu in this book...and I went to Oktoberfest. I'm sure the food served was traditional German food so why wasn't it in the book? Next time, I'll stick with Lonely Planet.



5. I really liked the pronunciation guides and the phrases, but i had difficulty finding the specific words that I wanted. For example, I couldn't look at a restaurant menu and then look in this book and figure out what my food options were. Probably works better for a touristy trip, than my permanent move.

5 comments about Kontakte: A Communicative Approach Student Prepack with Bind-In card.

1. I got this book for my first German book in college. This is currently my third year and I am still referring to it sometimes. Everyone in my class still uses their copy. I certainly recommend this book as a great way to help with a beginner learning German.



2. Put together very well. The book is meant to be used in a classroom instruction setting, not for personal study and is the best class German book I have used yet. Covers basic-intermediate grammar and extensive vocabulary and listening exercises meant for a two-semester undergraduate course. Due to the course-oriented format, I would not recommend this book for individual study or as a reference.



3. If you're buying this book just to learn the German language on your own then you're nuts. Borrow a set of Rosetta Stone disks from your local library. There are a dozen self study guides that are good for that. This isn't a self study book.
   
   Now, I went to a local college and took German. Personally, I liked this book. But this book was required for class. I had no choice in the book. However, I think that the only good way a person will learn a language is in a class room setting. This book gives you all the tools. Also, if you get the workbook and CD set you'll be pretty set for learning basic German. I studied this book, did all the exercises, and can still speak basic German. It also helps to join the college (university) German club and hang around the coffee shops sprecken deutsch. Also, invest $6 and get one of those verb study guide sheets. It's worth it at exam time.
   
   This book was a requirement for my German class. Fact, I was able to get the book from Amazon at a fraction of the cost that those thiefs at the college book stores charge. Also, if you want to sell your book back you can do it here at Amazon.com . You pay less up front and get more back at the end. That's called being smart. You are a college student. Act smart and get your textbooks from Amazon.com. It saves money.
   
   Tschuess!



4. I was very pleased with the purchase of this textbook. It was delivered promptly, and was in good condition.



5. I love to learn foreign languages and I enjoy the German language and culture very much. Some foreign language textbooks that I've come across, including the German ones, have been helpful and easy to understand. However, Kontakte is very, very poorly structured. Unfortunately, it's the only German textbook that's currently being used at my college. All the grammar pages, culture sections and classroom and communication activities appear to be misplaced in the book. The vocabulary list is also placed in an awkward position in each chapter. Unlike better language textbooks that are used out there, Kontakte does not list the conjugations of most irregular verbs that it introduces. There are some irregular verbs that are introduced in every chapter. They are usually found in the vocabulary section. This weird textbook is already overly priced and you have to spend even more money on buying books that provide conjugations of irregular German verbs. Additionally, the first few chapters of Kontakte goes way into depth in the German language too soon, confusing my classmates, peers and myself even more. Some of the activities in the book, which we've done so far, are time-consuming and somewhat advanced for our introductory German course. And, even the grammatical structure of some vocabulary words are too advanced for us to learn in our class because of how kontakte expects and pushes students to learn more than what they can handle and comprehend. Our tutors are not even happy with Kontakte because they get forced into explaining things that we haven't learned in our class yet. Our professor, who is a native speaker, is thinking about switching to another German textbook next year because of the difficulties in Kontakte that has caused her to give us a couple of take-home exams. We all believe that if we were using a different German textbook (that was more well-structured), we could have been speaking and writing much better German by now. It seems apparent that Kontakte's purpose is too make the learner struggle and not too make him or her speak German any quicker as it claims it can. I'm glad that I'm not the only one who's critical of Kontakte and that there could be even more students from different schools out there who are not satisfied with Kontakte. I just can't wait to sell back this awkward and worthless textbook. I am glad that I'm even finding some people here on amazon who are critical of the Kontakte textbook. There seems to be more complaints about Kontakte than positive comments about it. The grammar pages in each chapter don't provide sufficient details on the proper usage of the language. I'll take German at another college that doesn't use Kontakte because this book isn't beginner-friendly. On one side, two thumbs up for German! But on another side, two thumbs down for Kontakte! Shame on Kontakte for making a great and interesting language difficult to learn!

5 comments about German Quickly: A Grammar for Reading German.

1. I have looked at many books in my quest to learn how to read German. Most don't serve that purpose well. Wilson's book stands above the rest. It is clearly written, and has a way of getting me up to a moderate speed quickly. Her long experience in teaching German clearly shows through.



2. German is my sixth formally-learned language. I've used eight introductory grammars extensively.
   
   For me, there might be too much explanation and examples, but these can be skipped over easily enough. Other students not as acquainted with language acquisition might really appreciate such commodities!
   
   There is hardly a dull moment in any of the first 100 pages I've worked through so far. That is to say, while learning German might not be fun (!), Wilson makes the task not seem tedious.
   
   As others have mentioned, the majority of Wilson's exercise sentences are proverbial: "Sleeping after lunch is as healthy as a rotten fish;" "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of the Truth than lies" (Nietzsche); "Other people's cows have bigger udders...."
   
   What a refreshing change from typical translation exercises! I e-mail my wife one or two such proverbs a day.
   
   I do a chapter every day or two, without too much pain.
   
   Wilson is a gentle taskmaster. She attaches vocabulary reminders with the exercise sentences.
   
   Wilson is most supremely interested in gettting her reader-client to read German. Thus, she provides sample readings of short essays which simulate the real reading world of students acquiring German for advanced humanities studies. These are designed to challenge, but again she provides sympathetic assistance to help the reader get trhough such essays.
   
   Wilson's sympathies toward her reader-client is also reflected by her vocabulary lists. They are quite extensive. However, important words recur in these lists from chapter to chapter, giving plenty of exposure to them before finally being marked as the final chapter in which they will be listed.
   
   Such sympathy may also be reflected in Wilson's decision not to give extended definitions in the chapter vocabularies. Instead of giving two or three different possible meanings of a word, she usually gives but one, and then introduces an alternative meaning in another chapter. For me and my brain, I'd rather have all two or three meanings altogether at once. Wilson's approach leaves me with wondering if I had learned the word wrong to begin with. Wilson's approach, however, might be well appreciated by other users.
   
   Included is an extremely helpful three page chart designed to help English readers recognize related words in German. Thus, when the reader discovers that the German ff parallels the English p, the reader might more readily guess that the German word Affe is the English word ape. Or, since the German letter z parallels the English letter t, one might guess that the German word Zunge is the English word tongue.
   
   Answers to about half of the exercises are provided in the back of the book. A quite thorough glossary of basic and humanities-specific words is also provided, including a list of proper names (e.g., Armelkanal--English Channel; Bundestag--German Republic; Island--Iceland).
   
   There is an array of materials available on the web for the book. I would be happy for a specific vocabulary flash card program designed for each chapter. Maybe there is....
   
   Wilson seems very personable. She provides her email address, and has corresponded with me a couple of times. She provided me with the answers to the exercise not included in the book.
   
   If you're looking to learn how to read German academically, I doubt you need to look further.



3. I am a PhD student at Harvard who recently used this book to study German for a language exam (for scientific reading knowledge).
   
   I would recommend the book for independent study for the following reasons:
   1. Each lesson is short and self-contained.
   2. There is an answer key in the back (essential if you're studying alone).
   3. The practice readings are interesting (drawn from German proverbs, philosophers, theologians, etc.).
   
   But there are two major problems as well:
   1. You will get no sense of the pronunciation of the language, which is essential for a real understanding (as opposed to a superficial reading knowledge, i.e. my understanding!) of any language.
   2. The book has literally dozens of annoying and distracting typos. Example: One of the most difficult chapters (27), The Overloaded Adj. Construction, has numerous typos which certainly do not help you along the path of understanding. And for those of you who love the answer key in the back, it too contains several critical typos. So beware. But this is the publisher's/editor's fault, not the author's.
   
   So, if you're just trying to learn a bit about another language for reading knowledge, etc., this is a good book. Viel gluck!
   
   P.S. I did in fact pass the reading test, mostly due to the solid presentation in this book! (And also by being subsequently heckled through a semester-long reading course...).
   P.S.S. And a note on the typos: The author offers a list of corrections to anyone (apparently) that will email her, which is very generous (see 'comments').



4. I got this book because I wanted to read German, not speak it. It provides very, very clear explanations and emphasizes some realities of learning German that I, as a self-teacher, was trying to evade. For example: you're not going to be able to understand German without understanding noun cases.
   
   There is an extremely helpful chapter on using German dictionaries that would have saved me many headaches if I had had it earlier. The chapters are short enough to comprehend, logically organized, and illustrated with amusing and interesting brief readings, starting in the very first chapter with one-sentence quotes and proverbs. I am not really reading German yet but I am much closer to that goal now that I am using this book rather than one of the many, many books that focus on speaking German.
   
   Other reviewers have expressed disappointment at the lack of attention to German pronunciation. I have a shelf full of books and tapes and CD's to help me with that, but none of them taught me how to use a dictionary. I am not at all disappointed that a book on reading German doesn't spend time on pronouncing German.
   
   The only reason I don't offer it a full five stars are the many typos, but it is mentioned elsewhere that the author will email you a list of corrections. I haven't asked yet but probably will. The price of the book is also a bit steep - I bought a copy a year ago for a whole let less. But this is probably the book to go with if you're trying to learn how to read rather than speak.



5. The concept of this text is sound, but there are a lot of errors and misspellings that an advanced speaker of German would/should not have let get by in the editing process. This, for me calls the scholarship of the entire work into question.

5 comments about Essential German Grammar.

1. I found this book to be exactly what it says it is: essential! I consult it almost everytime that I write something to my penpal, or for my german class, or for myself. I especially like the different colors and typefaces (bold, italicized) to help make sure that you don't miss what the concept in that section is trying to get accross. Another great aspect is that the book doesn't seem to be satified with just one example, it gives you at least two, or three, sometimes even four examples of the way that this concept is implemented. I have many German grammar books, and I find this one to be the best of the collection. This book is a must have for any learner of German.



2. This book is about double the price of most German grammar books on the market. But it is worth every penny. I have at least 4 other grammar books at home, but they only offer one or two examples to demonstrate the new grammar in use. They are printed in one color, utilize few charts, graphs, and photos and are insanely boring to read. Grammar is not the most exiting subject, so I was thrilled to find this book that utilized multiple fonts, font sizes, colors, graphs, charts, etc. to spice it up a bit. The dual color printing adds to the clarity as well, making is easier to find topics and understand charts. In addition, the book gives you far more than one or two examples per topic. Another bonus is that the book offers both a figurative and literal translation of the German sentences in English. Most grammar books only offer the figurative. For example, the author writes the German sentence, "Ich warte darauf, dass er mich anruft". The figurative translation is, "I'm waiting for him to ring me up" and the literal translation is, "I'm waiting for it that he rings me up". Examples such as this help one understand the German sentence structure better and how it compares to English. The only part of this book that I don't utilize is the section in the back of the book with practice exercises and answer key. I find that this section just adds to the bulk of the book as I pack it back and forth to my class everyday where my teachers give me plenty of exercises to practice with. I guess that this section would add to the value of the book if you were teaching yourself German. Over all, you can't go wrong by adding this book to your collection!



3. Easy to understand and thorough explanations along with a clear, well ordered layout make this a stand out among the field of German grammar books. Schaum's is good, if a bit boring, but if you don't mind spending a few dollars more, this one is worth it and will probably serve you better. Since I am studying on my own, the exercises are essential. You can't really understand the grammar point until you apply the rule a few times yourself. This feature gives Essential Grammar an advantage over he pure reference grammar.



4. While an excellent source for German grammar, a student will certainly do better with Schaum's German Outline. To me, EGG seemed to overcomplicate the learning of grammar turning it into a science rather than somthing that should be learned through use.



5. I just wanted to confirm what everyone else has said: it is a really helpful book. Written in a concise and not overly formal manner, it is the perfect book to help you refresh your German grammar or, in my case, keep going over the rules during the summer between German courses. Of course, it is a grammar book; it's not going to be as exciting as fiction, but for what it is, it is very good.

3 comments about Collins German Unabridged Dictionary, 7th Edition (Harpercollins Unabridged Dictionaries).

1. I have been using this dictionary for about a year and a half during graduate studies in Semitic languages, since German is one of the languages in which many important books and articles in the field are written. I have found this Collins unabridged dictionary to be very useful. I have rarely come across a word that I could not find in this dictionary, though sometimes I have to look up the components of long compound words separately; it would be impossible for a dictionary to list every single combination of compounds that an author might think to put together. In any case, this dictionary has almost never let me down and I highly recommend it.
   
   I have the 6th edition of this dictionary, rather than the 7th edition listed here. (Collins likes to release new editions of its bilingual dictionaries rather frequently.) However, the general character of the dictionary is the same; the 7th edition has just added some new terms.



2. This is a very big translation dictionary, with a huge number of words, translations, and example sentences --- although I can't quite figure out how they came up with the number 900,000. There is also lots of nice supplementary information about how to use German in various situations. The visual format is attractive.
   
   Unfortunately it is not sufficient by itself for learning German vocabulary, because it does not include important information such as the plural forms of nouns. It's really most useful for TRANSLATING.
   
   Also, the paper is a bit delicate, which makes flipping through it to look up words a slow process. This is perhaps inevitable because the dictionary is so big --- unless, here's an idea: how cool would it be if they would print the dictionary in two volumes, one of which is German-English and the other of which is English-German! After all most of the time you only want to use one or the other.
   
   My favorite German dictionary is Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache. This is entirely in German, so you need some basic knowledge of German before you can use it, but it is meant for learners, and gives really detailed definitions along with practical information about how to use words. By comparison, Collins appears to define maybe twenty or thirty percent more German words, but gives less useful information about them. Of course Collins also has English to German, and for translating some words, such as names of plants or animals, a German-German dictionary is not much help. I recommend using Langenschedits GDaF as soon as you are advanced enough to use it, and use something like Collins Unabridged as a backup if you can't find the desired information there. If you are a beginner, you might want a smaller translation dictionary (Collins comes in several sizes).
   
   
   
   Note: I'm reviewing the 5th edition. My understanding is that the 7th edition is very similar. Please correct me if I'm wrong.



3. GENTLEMEN,
   
   beeing a native speaker of German, I only can recommend this oustanding dictionary. No other dictionary will offer you so much-you simply will love it.

5 comments about German Survival Guide: The Language and Culture You Need to Travel with Confidence in Germany and Austria.

1. The ultimate compliment you can pay a travel guide? "Works as advertised". I'd argue the same goes for this survival guide of Germany and to a less extent, Austria.

   I acquired a handful, really just a small amount of German as a result of this book, but I used it all for twelve days, and it made a world of difference. The cultural notes, however, were of even greater value: *when* to use phrases is integral to knowing *how*.

   My only two concerns, a half-star I withhold for each: the two-cassette method of delivery and a too-small glossary/ vocabulary/ dictionary. Pack a CD with the book and it's a five-star value; pack another forty pages of German-English word translations and it's official.

   However, if you're serious about German, get the FSI course; if you need a German-English dictionary, pick up a Collins Pocket Gem. Tschüs!




2. I have never been to germany although one day I really hope to go. My husband is german and his mother does not speak a lick of English. This desperate daughter-in-law was saved many embarrassing and fustrating moments by this book. It is a handy size to keep in the car or in a good size purse. I had to live with my MIL for a couple months and weeks at a time and this book has helped me communicate with her on many levels about many necessary topics, especially when my husband wasnt always around to translate or got tired of it.
   Granted it doesnt have every single thing about germans in it but it sure has made my life easier.



3. Ideal for anyone contemplating a precarious excursion to Germany.



4. I am very impressed by the information in the German Survival Guide. I took German in college several years ago and had forgotten most of what I had learned, so the guide is a great refresher. The pronunciation guide is excellent and very easy to read. Even if I had not had German, I would be able to pronounce the words in an appropriate manner in order ask for the things I would need.
   
   In addition to the pronuncation guide, the cultural notes are great. I think that when traveling this is a very important aspect, as I certainly do not want to do something or say something to upset the native speakers.
   
   I have traveled to many different countries and if I would have had a guide such as this, I would have been better prepared and less apprehensive about the language and the customs of the country.



5. 
   Last summer my family and I traveled in Germany, Austria, and several other European countries, and I wish that we had had a guide such as the German Survival Guide with us then. I would find the material inside the front and back covers very useful. It is quick to locate, and the information given includes the terms and phrases that people need most often. For additional words, the German-English and English-German dictionaries are available at the end of the book. The specific chapter we would have used the most would be Ch. 3 on Restaurants and Food since we frequently ate at restaurants without English on the menu. The other parts that are especially helpful are the cultural notes that are interspersed throughout the book. If we travel in Germany again, we definitely will take this book with us!

3 comments about A Handbook of Diction for Singers: Italian, German, French.

1. Professor David Adams skillfully offers keen insight into the basics of Italian, German, and French diction. In addition to covering the most general rules, he goes on to explain common exceptions and more elusive nuances of each language within the context of a singer's perspective. Some familiarity with the International Phonetic Alphabet is helpful but not necessary.

   This book will prove a tremendous asset for any singer whose goal is more than simply singing correct notes. It will assist in adding that element of expression only possible with the clarity of the text as it was intended by the composer.




2. Prof. Adams was my previous voice teacher at College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati. Now I study voice at University of Illinois. We used his book for Diction class. Every terminology and explanation is very clear. It is best reference book for singers.



3. This is an excellent resource that I've used many times in my song study. I recently purchased the updated 2008 edition also by Adams, and it contains much of the same great material. I'd recommend either edition, but the latter does have more current research that makes it a bit more desirable.

2 comments about Deutsch Aktuell 1.

1. This is an excellent book in learning german. I used this book w/ my instructor in a german class for 2 years. Deutsch Aktuelle 1 und 2. However, there are a few typos that I was able to find. However, overall it is a 5 star book. It is very pratical, and grounded. Everything you learn can be put to pratical use. Grammar is well explaned. However, If i could change the book, i would put a little repatition in the grammar so that it is pounded in the head. If you have the chance to listen to the AUDIO CD's which are a supplement to the course, they go slow, and prounounce everying so clear. I have to say, by using the Deutsch Aktuelle texbook series, audio cd's, and chapter videos, my german is at least german 4 level.



2. This was the text book used in my high school to teach German 1. It has short chapters each with a theme, vocabulary list and dialog or short passage. Each chapter introduces a basic grammar concept. There are many review questions, so you repeat the grammar and vocab enough to recognize it later. At the end of the book is a grammar reference so it is easy to review past concepts, check what you know or look ahead. I found the grammar section and index at the end to be well done and they were helpful to me studying outside of class. (This is part of a two book set. Deutsch Aktuell 2 completes the treatment and would be used during the second year of a course.)
   
   This is a good choice of textbook to use for a class. (Teachers will want to know that a new edition has come out.) I am not sure about using this to learn German on your own. It has a section in the beginning on pronouncing German. However it is meant to be used in a class room with an instructor, and with out outside guidance it is unlikely to teach German. There are audiotapes or CDs that go with this book (ISBN 082191524X). This way you can learn to pronounce correctly. Also teachers edition has correct answers to grammar exercises. Alternatively buying a set of tapes and following another German program may be more practical. If you are learning from a friend, ask them for advice on what may work.
   
   If you have taken German in the past and want to brush up/review, then get the teacher's edition of this book. In the teachers edition answers to review questions are provided, so you can go through the book straight, or you can focus on a grammar weakness and work on it. However, as with all textbooks, you may be able to find an older edition cheaper.
   
   In summary, instructors looking for a book to use should consider Deutsch Aktuell. It is well organized and worked for the class I was in. However the new edition has come out, so look at that one and not this (the fourth). Those studying German on their own should get the teacher's edition or consider an alternative tape based program.

5 comments about Mastering German Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach (Mastering Vocabulary).

1. This is a fine book to bring all that German forward from the buried data banks in your brain. I'm using it to study up for my coming trip to Germany. Modern vocabulary and sentences help to update my 30-year-old knowledge base. Good price and worth it.



2. Other have already pointed out both the qualities and the main flaw of this book, but let me refinforce their opinions.
   
   Barron's series Mastering Vocabulary is a great tool for language learners! Using a normal course, such as one in the Colloqial series, you will end up with knowing the grammar relatively well and with a vocabulary of 1500 words. That's a good start, but you need to know more words to get moving. The Mastering Vocabulary series is a great help along the way. By doing one chapter each week, you will know more than 7000 words after half a year. That is enough to live in a language where the language is spoken and use it in all everyday interactions and communication. My only real complaint with the series is that it's not available for more than four languages.
   
   In the case of Mastering German Vocabulary, the failure to provide plural forms is a flaw. For French, Italian and Spanish, plurals are fairly regular but not so for German. Had it been included, this book would received five stars but it's such big a flaw that I've removed two starts. Hopefully this will be addressed in the next edition.



3. This book is a MUST HAVE! Perfect for study and practice. Arranges common nouns thematically, which helps for tourists. This book saved my life in German II.
   
   -Dr. Kenneth



4. I took German, for four year in junior high& highschool. I love this book. I make cards from the vocabulary words and put them on a snap ring to review in line at the supermarket etc. This is a great reference for the person who had had german in the past and wants to review it. It's fairly comprehensive and more useful than a dictionary to review vocabulary.



5. The easiest way to learn new vocabulary is in context, and this book does the job superbly. Also, writers of the book made the right call in not spelling out each irregular plural; these are generally used in the contextual explanation.
   
   And best of all, the vocabulary is that found in everyday life, around the office, at home, etc. The most commonly used words are often do not appear so much in literature and in language courses.