No comments about Talk Now! Learn Maltese (Talk Now!).

No comments about Talk Now! Maltese.

No comments about La Langue Maltaise (Semitica viva).

No comments about Vocabulary Builder Maltese.

5 comments about Teach Yourself Maltese Complete Course (Teach Yourself).

1. My copy of this book was published before 1999 and I do not know whether changes have been made, but the title is misleading. As a student of linguistics for eleven years, I believe that the book was not written for people who want to learn Maltese; it was written for linguists who wish to fit the language into its proper place among other forms of colloquial Arabic. This is the reason for complaints about its terminology. The book is excellent, but the title gives an inaccurate statement of its objective.
   
   For learning to speak Maltese, see "Beginning Maltese," also listed on this site.



2. This book has not be updated or revised since the first printing in 1965.
   
   It is a good book for linguists or intellectual reference but brutally unintelligble for the beginner. There is no conversational usage at all, just grammar, grammar, and more dry grammar. Granted the language is fairly complex, but a much better job could be done with explaining that complexity (look at Pollard's "Teach Yourself Turkish" for an excellent example of how to succesfully present a complex language with ease and simplicity)
   
   The verbal description is thorough but at the same time fairly useless as most verb examples are given in the third-person singular ("he...") form.
   
   The book could do with an English-Maltese / Maltese-English vocabulary at the back, as words are introduced during text - which is beyond aggrivating to the learner if you're trying to find the meaning of the word "tmintax" and never recall seeing it used before in an earlier excercise.
   
   Sadly, this is probably one of the few decent works on the Maltese language available.



3. I greatly enjoyed this book on Maltese. The book was arranged according to grammatical concepts, such as nouns, verbs, etc, which I liked. The book uses linguistic terms to explain the pronunciation of the alphabet, and all throughout: So beware if you are not heavily versed in linguistics. I also took note that this book is more of a reference grammar than a text; there was not much practise after a concept was explained. I recommend this book for anyone interested in an overall thorough review of Maltese.



4. I was having hard times rating this book because its title and content do not match at all. This book is called Teach Yourself - A Complete Course for Beginners. Yet this is a typical grammar reference book designed for students of comparative Arabic dialectology as it says in the forword. This book has no dialogs or texts. It only reviews parts of speech and has a total of 31 excerces with kyes in the end. Neither has it a vocabulary.
   Exercise 1, for instance, has a list of approximately a dozen of Maltese words and tells you to memorize them and then use the with the definite article. No phrases or sentences. And that's how it goes through the entire book. THIS BOOK IS NOT A MANUAL OF THE MALTESE LANGUAGE, IT IS JUST A REFERENCE GRAMMAR (WITHOUT ANY VOCABULARY) FOR THOSE WHO KNOW SOME ARABIC.



5. This book explains the grammar well, but learning the vocabulary is difficult with it. Clearly it is implied that you should learn the words introduced in the grammar, but some of them are not then used in the exercises, so you get no practice with them.
   The vowel length is not explained well, the author claims that all vowels are long when followed by one consonant and carry the stress. Yet the book has examples that contradict this rule, like bahar, nefah, wasa', xita. Clearly the length is not predictable from the written form, many words from Arabic are counterexamples to this rule. That is why the Maltese dictionary and phrasebook by Falzon has the pronunciation for every word. But Aquilina's textbook does not.
   Also his textbook has no dictionary. But at least it has answers to the exercises.
   The author claims Maltese is easier than Arabic, but I doubt it. Maltese has unpredictable comparative of adjectives, the dual is more difficult, there is the assimilation of t, and complex rules for adding object suffixes to verbs.
   This book is useful to linguists like me, but not very good for learning the language.

5 comments about Lonely Planet Europe Phrasebook.

1. This book has several advantages over other phrasebooks:
   * Its got most of Europe (except Eastern) covered, including Irish!
   * It is small - about the size of two decks of cards.
   * It has the english phrase, the phrase in the translated language and then in blue how you actually pronounce the phrase. The pronunciations are spot on - the best thing about this book.
   * It has phrases on absolutely everything - I even got to use my Greek phrase for "I would not like it extracted please" when I spoke to a greek student at the Oktoberfest who was studying dentistry. Everything's covered: getting on buses, going to the laundromat, getting directions, etc. About 20 pages on each language with everything that you will need to get by for a while.
   * It's cheap and all in one book.
   * A must have for anybody going to Europe who doesn't speak all their languages - I think that's everyone.



2. If you plan to travel all over Europe, this book may get you through and save the time and trouble of carrying a different phrasebook for each country. It is small, just slightly larger than the average palm and full of basic phrases.
   It doesn't cover every language but DOES include Basque, Catalan, Welsh, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Dutch, French, German and a wealth of others.
   WHat I especially liked:
   1. The tips on how to break the ice in each country and join in conversations
   2.Menu decoders and suggestions for each country
   3.Essential words to get you through transportation checkpoints and on your way
   4. Some of the basic sports and festivals in each country.
   5. Written FOR the traveler with a strong emphasis on the most essential situations when a phrasebook might be needed.



3. it is great to see the smaller langauges of Europe in this guide!!
   
   WE DO EXIST REMEMBER!!
   
   Irish, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, Basque and Catalan take their positions as European languages of note!
   
   All BRITISH and SPANISH people should know some words in THEIR lesser used languages! Otherwise they are not really British/Spanish!!!



4. An excellent quick reference for all your travel language necessities in Europe. And it's a handy little size too.



5. I love this book. It's taken me from Ireland to France, Belgium, England, Wales, the Neathelands and countries in-between. It's tiny and is filled with helpful phrases in an easy-to-read format. Also, it's very durable. I love all Lonely Planet books!
   
   Helpful tip: I always cover my phrasebooks with a plain cover to avoid standing out as a tourist.

No comments about Talk the Talk Maltese.

5 comments about Maltese (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. A comprehensive, no-nonsense approach to the care and keeping of the Maltese. Anyone who knows the breed at all will delight in the information presented by the author, the lovely photos selected by the publisher, and the exquisite illustrations by Michelle Earl-Bridges. An Excellent review of the Maltese standard, with a realistic approach to breeding and puppy care. The history of the breed is a stunning synopsis of the Maltese background. Affordable and informative. "Well done author and publisher!"



2. This is one of the best Basic Maltese books you can read. It gives clear, consise information that the new Maltese owner can understand. I give one of these books to everyone I sell a puppy to.



3. This is the 3rd book I've read on the Maltese breed. Unlike the other 2 books, this one was ALL about Maltese instead of adding general information on puppy training ect. The book gave some more advanced information on grooming, and more impressively featured serious discussions on showing and breeding your Maltese. The only peeve I have with this book is the extreamily small print..my eyes are still burning! I'd recommend picking up a magnifying glass if you buy this book :) On the positive side, there is a lot of info packed into an 80 page book! Happy Reading.



4. We have several books on Maltese and this is one of the best! We recommend it to everyone considering a Maltese puppy as a pet. A Must Have!



5. This is the best book I've read on the Maltese breed. The author systematically lays out the basic tenets of dog ownership with practical advice.
   
   The training chapters proved particularly useful as they addressed all different types of training techniques for various problems. The author couples the basic idea of loving your dog and companionship with training. This book is a good reference tool especially for puppy owners.
   
   Also, this book describes in detail what the dog owner should look for in a breeder, veterinarian, and puppy without bias or agenda. All in all, this book was a useful tool in helping me purchase, train, groom, feed, and take care of the new member of our family and I would recommend it to any future Maltese owner. Good luck!

1 comments about Concise Maltese-English-Maltese Dictionary.

1. One problem I faced when I started learning Maltese was to find the right dictionary. The ones available at the time contained limited lists of words, or were either outdated or too expensive. Aquilina's dictionary fills this gap. It is a little pricey but it has much more references and translations than a beginner/intermediate student requires.
   
   Moreover, the dictionary specifies the gender and plural of nouns and adjectives, the most common comparative and superlative adjectives, as well as verb conjugations and derivatives. Many Maltese nouns, adjectives and verbs are irregular, so it is very useful to have this information at hand.
   
   The only thing that keeps me from giving five stars to this title is the difficulty to find some references. For instance, the adjective "gharef" (wise) does not have a specific entry. Instead, it is included in the entry for the verb "gharaf" (to recognize). This system makes word search somewhat complex, especially if one is a beginner. All in all, it is an outstanding material and I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Dic Maltese-English English-Maltese Dictionary and Phrasebook (Hippocrene Dictionaries & Phrasebooks).

1. This handibook is perfect for people with an interest in Malta. Included in this handy reference is a basic grammar, a guide to pronunciation, a bi-directional dictionary with phonetic support and a phrasebook covering everything from everyday expressions to shopping terms, transportation tips, food, to health-related information. Also included is a helpful appendix of countries, measures, currency and a short collection of Maltese proverbs.



2. The book is unfortunately quite outdated.

   The standard Maltese used by the author is from a long long time ago, and is not mostly in use nowadays. The phrases you will find mostly useless the proverbs have changed so much nowadays. Don't waste your money on this American book. Get a good Maltese book by Aquilina instead which is more up to date with the times we are living in!




3. I found the book very helpful. My Canadian born son "borrowed" it and he too found it interesting to learn some Maltese phrases. I will be ordering a second copy for myself. Its simplicity makes it fun to go through. Thanks Grazio.



4. It is quite good dictionary and phrasebook. The gender for each noun is shown, and the pronunciation for each Maltese word. It would have been helpful though to show the plural of each noun.



5. Good book but actually did not need it while in Malta since English is spoken by everyone - still a pleasure to use some of the words on the locals