5 comments about Norwegian Verbs And Essentials of Grammar.

1. Let me start by saying I came from a beginning Norwegian language class where the textbook was entirely in Norwegian; the index, instructions, EVERYthing. Does that make sense to speak a language to someone who doesn't know it and is trying to learn? I understand the theory behind it, but it's just not practical. So naturally I looked for outside help.
   I found that help with this book by Janus. He has a great way of laying out, in an easy-to-read-and-follow format, just EXACTLY how something is said and WHY it's said that way.
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   The Format:
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   Each area covers every aspect of formal and informal grammar starting with a paragraph or two about what a given funtion or part of speech means (ex: The present participle are adjective forms based on verbs such as the "ing" in thinking)
   Then you'll get examples and the book backs EVERYthing up with its English translation right next to them for immediate reference and confirmation.
   What struck me about this book was that you don't even have to be a student of the Norwegian language and you could still thumb through it in order to see how Norwegians speak, just out of curiosity. It also has several sections for reference like numbers, a healthy list of verbs and their tenses, and even a section listing the 100 most popular names for males and females. Did you know that Kari is a popular Norwegian name and it's actually pronounced CAHD-ee? Cool.



2. I enjyed stydying norwegian because i have this close to norway and the people. The book showed me more and more about norwegian, I do recommend for this book for whom wants to be an excillent norwegian speaker!



3. I was very pleased with this book. It was well organized and it included all the important rules of Norwegian grammer. Definitely recommended.



4. This is a wonderful reference tool. It's very understandable, well layed out with many good examples of grammar usage. This book is a great supplement for classroom or self study.



5. Okay... so if your "learning" style consists only of popping a CD in and listening while you paint your toenails or watch a football game (and you have an extra 8 to 10 years to learn a language in this fashion), this is not the book for you!
   
   However, if you're not a fan of the so-called "modern" approach, and if you are not afraid to think, and if you believe that learning a language actually takes effort on your part, and if you would like to really get to know the language and how it functions, and if you would like to speak/write with your own sentences (that you made up all by yourself!!!)... well, great! This is a WONDERFUL book for you.
   
   Unfortunately, the modern trend in language learning is to treat us all like children. We are not children, and many of us don't want to spend the eight years or so which it takes to reach proficiency using that approach. This book will bridge the gap and give you the details/structure that most of the other course books are afraid to include. It's very organized. And even better, it doesn't get carried away with minute detail as some grammar books tend to do. At the same time, it is thorough enough so that you won't have a bunch of unanswered questions and incomplete concepts. It's a very logical progression and there are plenty of examples.
   
   You know, if this book had vocabulary lists with recorded pronunciation, lots of written exercises/translations, about 10 CD's of realistic/native spoken dialog with transcription, oral repetition/exercises, and a good Leitner-System-based flash card software application... well, wouldn't life be grand? (dream on)

5 comments about Teach Yourself Norwegian Conversation (3CDs + Guide) (Teach Yourself).

1. For learning any language, one needs a variety of tools and resources. Some of these resources should be considered primary and some should be considered secondary. In my opinion, "Teach Yourself Norwegian Conversation" is a well-made and valuable secondary resource that goes along very well with the main "Teach Yourself Norwegian" book.
   
   The three discs that this program consists of are filled with good conversations and helpful walkthroughs. Though I wouldn't necessarily recommend this product alone to teach conversational Norwegian, I feel that it is definitely a worthwhile supplement. If you can bring yourself to tolerate the little song played at the beginning of every track, I think you should find this to be an excellent way to hear some spoken Norwegian. With this and the "Teach Yourself Norwegian" book that comes with the CDs, you're well on your way to speaking one of the great languages of the North.



2. I got this in addition to "Teach Yourself Norwegian". While I feel it's a worthwhile addition to my studies, there is something that bothers me much more than the annoying song:
   
   The speech patterns of the people reading the conversations are NOWHERE near natural. They read each word slowly and deliberately, and pause after each and every one. While this can be useful for hearing the exact pronunciation of each word, at least reading the conversations ONCE with a natural speaking pattern would be immensely helpful. In my experience, Norwegian isn't always pronounced with a deliberate pause after every word. Lots of words run together, or very close, when someone speaks a sentence, and hearing someone speak in a natural way would give the reader an idea of how to do that.



3. The three cd's start off rather easy if you have a bit of background with Norwegian. The conversations gradually get faster and use more vocabulary. Repeat listening to the easier lessons until they are easily understood before going further. Having the booklet is very helpful showing the written form of the conversations. A reasonably priced bit of audio help in learning Norwegian!....makes you wish for a fourth CD!



4. I had the need to learn basic Norwegian while on a 10 hour flight to a meeting there. I took a gamble with this product, since there aren't that many options out there for Norwegian. Turns out, it's a good product, and it met my need.
   
   They start you out right away with simple common conversations, and offer them a number of different ways: boy and girl talking Norwegian, boy and girl English translation, boy left out (so you can speak it) and girl speaking, girl left out (so you can speak it) and boy speaking. They encourage you to speak the parts out loud, which does indeed bring you into the spirit of Norwegian much faster and turns the whole process into fun.
   
   You feel quite at home very quickly. They don't stuff "fundamentals" down your throat before allowing you to try things. Quite opposite, you find that you're learning fundamentals almost without realizing it.
   
   It doesn't make you a master of the language, but gets you to the point that you can easily have basic conversations with Norwegians in their home country, and to the point they feel flattered that you have made the effort. Most Norwegians know English, but many don't use it enough to use it as their primary language. Having a basic understanding of Norwegian makes their efforts to communicate to you in English much easier on them. And they are generally very pleased that you try to speak their language and are quite willing to help you along if you prefer to stay in their language.
   
   A good course. Recommended.



5. I'm shortly travelling to Scandinavia. After some online research I came to the conclusion that Norwegian was going to be the easiest to learn for an english speaker and the most versatile of the similar languages in Scandinavia being understood in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
   
   The course starts out a jog and gets quicker. It can require some skipping back a fair bit to learn some of it. That said, it is structured well and it's not difficult to learn the basics using these CD's. I've been listening in the car on the way to and from work for the last two weeks and I feel that I have a good enough grasp on the basics to get by in some rudamentary conversation with people who are prepared to speak slowly enough.
   
   The CD's are self-contained and although there is a booklet with the transcriptions in it, you don't need this to learn how to listen to and speak norwegian.
   
   The first two CD's are divided into brief conversations, which build into a story as the CD's play though. Each conversation between two characters is listened to in full and then broken down and explained and then the listener is given the chance to play the part of each character in the conversation to test their skills. It works well and is easy to follow. The third CD focuses on being able to pickup the jist of other peoples conversations by listening for key words and phrases not by understanding it word-for-word. These conversations are spoken clearly but are in real-time, not slowed down, so it's a good opportunity to see how much you've learnt in a realistic situation.
   
   3 CD's isn't enough to learn the whole language by a long-shot, but it will get you started with introducing yourself, talking about likes, dislikes, ordering at a restaurant, booking a hotel, meeting friends, counting from one to one hundred, days of the week, and asking for things from a tourist office. It's a great head-start for anyone wanting just a little bit of an edge when they travel and don't want to have to always rely on english.

3 comments about Beginner's Finnish (Hippocrene Beginner's).

1. Dr. Risko has written an outstanding introductory Finnish book that helps make studying and learning a very difficult language both rewarding and fun. The book is composed of a variety of lessons that involve common everyday interactions one would have when visiting Finland. The author's style is easy to follow and it's quite obvious she enjoys teaching languages. I highly recommend this book to anyone who may need to learn Finn or just has a curiosity about the Finnish language. This is the book to read and study if you are planning a trip to Suomi.



2. I wouldn't say learning Finnish is hard, but it requires a lot of memorization. This book helps you not only learn Finnish, but gives you a wide range of commonly used phrases in Finnish. Don't expect however to just breeze through the book and know your basic Finnish, be prepared to spend a lot of time on each chapter, and go back every now and again.



3. I'm moving to Finland for school, and intend on living there for a while.. Beginner's Finnish has been an AWESOME tool for the crazy grammatical rules and conjugations that Finnish requires you to learn. Lots of dialogues you can read, with phrases and useful sayings as well. The vocabulary is not extremely extensive, but has plenty to learn for beginners. I would dare say almost all the grammatical rules are in this book.. but I could be wrong.. there's enough to keep you busy for a real long time. I would suggest buying a finnish-english dictionary along with this book to keep up the vocabulary.
   
   I got this book and "Finnish An Essential Grammar" by Fred Karlsson, and this is the better book in my opinion, but using both together has been very beneficial.. like I said, I've used Beginner's Finnish way more than Fred Karlsson's book.

3 comments about Beginner's Swedish with 2 Audio CDs.

1. In the new edition, all the proofreading errors have been cleaned up, and the audio CDs, which cover the dialogues and vocabulary sections, are a big help. This is how the book should have been published originally. Even the new cover is a big improvement. (See customer images.)



2. While this book and 2 CD set is well laid-out and nicely presented, I feel that the title is very misleading. Although no previous knowledge of the Swedish language is assumed, this book is certainly not for the beginner. Even in the first chapter, a huge vocabulary is introduced to the reader. This includes words which I am fairly sure no beginner would particularly need to know, complex grammar properties and basically far too much material. For the complete beginner like me, it was very overwhelming. I would warn prospective buyers that it would be exceptionally easy to become disheartened with the content of this book.



3. I'm halfway through this Beginner's Swedish. I've studied other Swedish lesson books with audiocassettes, but this Swedish language book is really enjoyable. It has conversations with clear, easy-to-the-ear voices. After each lesson is either a bit about etymology, history, culture, economy or just everyday life, etc. It has useful phrases, and vocabulary, too. So well done! Love it! If there's the next level by Scott Mellor, I'll buy it.

5 comments about Teach Yourself Finnish Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Complete Language Courses).

1. Before moving to Finland for graduate school, I purchased Terttu Leney's TEACH YOURSELF FINNISH. Leney's is the most widely available Finnish textbook in the English-speaking world, and it did equip me with enough basic Finnish to comfortably settle into life in Finland. However, the book is not perfect, and in spite of its strengths it pales in many respects to other, more obscure textbooks.
   
   Leney's book generally follows the contemporary Teach Yourself format: dialogues are followed by vocabulary (first phrase-for-phrase glosses, then individual new words), then come exercises, and finally at the end of each lesson is a dialogue spoken more quickly in more authentic language that the student is challenged to at least get the gist of. Each lesson is dedicated to a specific subject, such as shopping, going to the doctor, or (towards the end) talking about history and politics. There are Finnish-English and English-Finnish vocabularies and, something which all other TY volumes should emulate, some advice on where to go next (books, websites, radio, etc.).
   
   While things like asking directions is a typical topic in beginner's textbook, I rather disagree with Leney's giving it so much attention. The lost tourist asking directions in limited Finnish is likely just going to be answered in English, Finnish people being so at ease with talking to foreigns in it. Rather, the challenge for people new to Finland is feeling at ease with a group of native speakers, such as classmates or coworkers, and so starting off with asking directions isn't so efficient, nor is the early emphasis on talking to bank tellers.
   
   The CDs are absolutely essential. With a sound system so different from English, Finnish is not a language that can be learnt well just off the page. Even if you have a couple of Finnish friends, chances are they couldn't enunciate like the folks on the CDs. Teach Yourself CDs vary widely in quality, but these are very good, with a large cast of voice actors so you just used to different voices, and a good mix of clear and "street" enunciation.
   
   What's wrong with Leney's course? Well, as a one-volume course its exercises are woefully insufficient. Agglutinating languages need much more drill than, say, Spanish or Italian, but the exercises here are few and train the student more to utter stock phrases than to internalize the huge amount of endings that conversational Finnish requires. It would have been better if Teach Yourself had commissioned a course from Leney in two volumes, a beginner's and an intermediate, which would have provided space for much more drill. Teach Yourself has done this for some languages, but regrettably not "smaller" ones.
   
   If you want to learn Finnish, by all means acquire TEACH YOURSELF FINNISH. However, at the same time you need to get a few other books. In my Finnish for foreigners courses at University of Helsinki, the assigned textbooks were Leena Silfverberg's SUOMEN KIELEN ALKEISOPPIKIRJA and SUOMEN KIELEN JATKO-OPPIKIRJA (both published by Finn Lectura). While it might be a bit of work ordering those, and much in them is designed for classroom use, they abound in just the type of rigorous exercises that Leney's course lacks. Leela White's From Start to Finnish (Finn Lectura, 2003) is also a useful textbook, and is available though this very site.
   
   This is not a bad course. However, like breakfast cereal that advertisements claim to be part of a balanced breakfast showing it in photos alongside bread and fruit, Terttu Leney's TEACH YOURSELF FINNISH is but one element towards profiency in Finnish.



2. That's a very comprehensive and extensive coverage of modern finnish usage of words which covers mostly of current situations a foreigner as a beginner on the language will find in everyday situations when learning the language



3. This is a great starter product for those who want to learn the basics but who also want to expand on their chosen language. The only flaw with the book are the CD's, they go pretty fast but that's no problem. The information in the book is very helpful as they pretty much break it down for you. All in All i would learn another language with this product.



4. On page 8, the dipthongs are listed in one order and then not in that order when they are used in sample words. Then, on page 13, the phrases are said super fast and only once. You have no time to process the phrases or even practice them yourself. For the alphabet on page 14, same thing. The speaker literally races through the alphabet. You have no time to say anything yourself. That was only the introduction! It appears they want you to have one hand on the book and one on the pause button. If you want to go over or refer back to material that you would like to hear or practice again, even just a few seconds back, it is not possible; you have to start the entire section over. For a point of reference about these critical comments, I am multilingual, have studied languages from diverse language families and have taught a foreign language. This item belongs in the category of the worst instructional material I've ever seen. Based on this, I would not try any other languages in the series. The only other "complete" thing about this package was that it was a complete waste of money. It is, at best, a supplemental review for non-beginning Finnish language learners.



5. This was the first book I bought when I decided to independently teach myself Finnish. It is a good introduction for someone who has no previous knowledge, I guess, because you have to start somewhere. HOWEVER, I found that you can't really just work your way through it without spending a LOT of time on each chapter. There is too much vocabulary at once and it seems like they expect you to just memorize everything the first time they say it.
   The CDs were very useful, but there is no way you could use them by themselves. They REALLY help with the pronunciation. The native speakers speak very slowly and clearly, and there is a good variety of voices.
   There are not nearly enough exercises in this book, and next to NO grammar! Although, I know that this is mostly due to the fact that Finnish is a very tough language and the grammar is crazy. Most people say that it is better to learn Finnish (at least at first) by just memorizing words and phrases.
   Anyways, my point is, This book is alright. The CDs are handy. I suggest it to learn the correct pronunciation. It's not the GREATEST, but there aren't too many Finnish books out there to begin with...and it's really good value for the price.

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

1. The Pimsleur method is great for learning the basics and sounds of a language. You very quickly learn to say and understand a few things. It feels amazing at first how quickly things start to fall into place. It is good for working on your pronunciation. But... it really doesn't go far enough. In only 10 lessons, you really can't learn enough. This course teaches you how to ask someone if they understand English, how to ask how someone is and how to respond, how to ask where something is (and understand the answer only if it is "here" or "over there"), and then mostly goes on about saying you'd like to have something to eat or drink, when, where and with whom. Finally they teach how to ask what time it is. It oddly teaches the numbers up to 9, except 6 and 7, so you can only understand some of the answers (and only if it's right on the hour). It kind of felt like it was aimed at teaching you to pick up a member of the opposite sex. Perhaps they think that that is the primary reason why someone would bother to learn Swedish, since almost all Swedes speak English very well. ;-)
   
   It includes some very basic reading instruction/practice, which I thought was a good complement. It gives you a basic idea how to pronounce things you might see written down (such as a street name, the name of your hotel, etc.) Reading Swedish is tough for Anglophones, as the vowel sounds are all quite different. They do a decent job of explaining when one vowel might have two different sounds, though I did not find that I got enough practice to really remember it all.
   
   I think that Rosetta Stone makes a good complement to Pimsleur. It adds a fair bit of vocabulary, but it is nowhere near as good as Pimsleur at really testing your knowledge and helping you to remember things. I'm still working my way through Rosetta Stone, but I feel like I'm only remembering a small percentage of what I learn. Because you answer everything in RS via multiple choice, it is easy to get the right answer without really knowing what the words mean.
   
   Overall, I would suggest Pimsleur to any complete beginner at Swedish. It is a great way to get started, though it won't get you very far. I might also suggest that you look at the reviews of the 2003 version of this product, which I believe is nearly identical (but way more expensive), and has a lot more reviews.



2. This is the best language tool i've tried. The pace is much slower than other programs so its easy to absorb the material. The conversation is also much more relevant. Very happy with it



3. I'm totally new to Swedish, so I used these CDs to get me started on the language. I listened to them on my way to work every day and learned a lot quickly. My favorite aspects of the teaching technique are the repetition of phrases, the breakdown of words, and the interactive style of the lessons. It feels like you have a personal Swedish tutor working with you one on one. I supplement with Rosetta Stones, which helps build vocabulary, but this program really helps you learn to speak quickly. I recommend this product for beginners.



4. Spoken Swedish isn't rocket science. It's a living language with ancient roots. Like learning about new people, there's no quick fix for learning languages. It takes time. Lots of it. Listening well, speaking back. Repetition. No way you can learn an entire language in just a few hours.
   So - why am I recommending this set? Well, I'm a linguist. I can get by in most of the countries on this planet. "Get by" being the operative phrase here.
   This set lets you have an authentic taste of a foreign language - maybe 50 words by the end (plus or minus, don't quote me), and phrases to go with them. That's almost enough to get by, certainly enough to let you know whether or not you want to continue learning that language to its next level.
   I've purchased Pimsleur exclusively for this purpose. I've had a glimpse into several languages, Spanish before this latest one. And even after just those first 6 CDs, my Spanish has been enough to astound my housekeeper, who was totally shocked, and then insisted that I must have been taking many lessons without telling her. Well, I was. On my car CD during commutes.
   Can't wait until I meet someone from Sweden.

5 comments about Norwegian-English Dictionary: A Pronouncing and Translating Dictionary of Modern Norwegian (Bokmal and Nynorsk) with a Historical and Grammatical Introduction.

1. I studied Norwegian for about 3 years in college and used multiple dictionaries. This seemed to be the most comprehensive dictionary that we used. Just like any dictionary it is meant as a reference and not a comprehensive way to learn a language. This is a very handy book to have on your bookshelf if you feel comfortable reading the language but need to translate words every now and again. Highly recommended.



2. Finally, a comprehensive and full dictionary that show pronounciation, and even though for the beginner the "ny-norsk" entries don't seem to be of much use, my husband now after he has become more proficient in the language actually find it interesting having the "ny-norsk" words in there.
   Only thing missing to make this complete would be a English-Norwegian part to it, and also this dictionary is due for an update (it's from 1974!!) into the millenium, that would definately give this puppy a clear 5 star, but for now a sturdy 4 star.



3. Good and complete, a very nice book. Too bad it's only norwegian to english, the other way round would have been fantastic.



4. Learning Norsk had been a real challenge for me. This book really helped me with my travels and learning the language. A real must for anyone learning Norwegian. A great book!



5. This dictionary is very good, the best one I've found so far, and I've been in Norway for 2 months. maybe if I try the best bookstores in big cities can find something similar, but in Norway, most dictionaries will be aiming norwegian speakers who want to learn english, so they don't come with fonetics or gender for words. the only problem with this dictionary is that it's only norwegian english, so I had to buy an english-norwegian, norwegian-english one. what i have to do when I want to learn a new word i know in english, is to look for it in the english-norwegian one and then go to my nice green one and look for gender, plural, etc. also, i'd add some fonectic symbols!

5 comments about Essentials of Swedish Grammar.

1. I am currently studying Swedish independently and needed a good grammar book. This book is great if you want to study the language! The terminology is very simple - you need no knowledge of linguistic terms to understand Swedish grammar through this book. I highly highly highly highly suggest this book for anyone who wants to study Swedish independently or as a good resource for students of Swedish in any area.



2. Very helpful in my quest to learn the Swedish language and Grammar. I highly recommend this book.



3. What I really liked about the book is that you can actually find the information that you need, you can learn a lot just with it alone. Complements are a must, though...but it's portable size makes it great to have anywhere to take advantage of time...
   
   I strongly recommend it.



4. Learning Swedish is certainly made easier by this excellent book. The layout is clear and examples are simple yet useful. Each chapter has enough to keep you busy but not so much that you feel overwhelmed. Throughout the book there are tables and lists that aid in memorizing. Explanations are brief and clear and always with appropriate examples. It would be great if there were CDs to go with the words and sentences, but I have CDs from other texts that I use as supplements. Don't try to learn Swedish without this book!



5. Looks like the dictionary I can use to improve my Swedish. The font is a little small for my 72 year old eyes, otherwise no complaint.

2 comments about Teach Yourself Danish Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Complete Language Courses).

1. I have only had this program for 2 weeks and I've learned a TON of danish, very well laid out, excellent audio quality, and I live in Denmark, and even my friends here are saying its quite well done. Its apparently a bit formal in the language, but far less so than any other language guide I've come across. Great book - the book is essential.



2. There aren't many Danish language books available in English but this is the best that I've seen. It has a good balance of conversational Danish and theory, presented in units of a good length so that covering 1 per week is achievable. Each themed unit contains 3 or 4 dialogues followed by relevant vocabulary and grammar points. It does make a reasonable attempt to cover pronounciation despite some of the other comments on this website. You definitely need to use it with the CDs though.

5 comments about Teach Yourself Norwegian Complete CoursePackage (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself Complete Language Courses).

1. I'm only on chapter 7 (of 16) but so far it's been great. The pronuniation guide section is a little off, but you learn very quickly to pronounce Norwegian by listening to the recording. It's definently not for someone who only wants to learn "survival" Norwegian, or just enough to get by if you were to go to Norway. It's for serious students, something that many language textbooks lack.
   All in all, very impressed.



2. My only complaint is the CD was a little hard to use because it went through everything at a breakneck pace. You can't use it much without the book. Each chapter has only a few minutes of audio and I was always rewinding. That's not to say it wasn't a very useful addition to the book, especially for something as hard to learn to pronounce as Norwegian. It's just not something you can use in the car.
   
   Overall though, the course is very well done and is a great deal for the price.



3. I'm about half way through this book (it's taken about a month, but I'm putting lots and lots of time into it) and so far I've been very impressed with the clarity and organization throughout. I have a number of Teach Yourself language books... and some of them are horribly disorganized and illogically sequenced--especially those published from around 10 to 15 years ago. It seems that the TY people have finally come to their senses with the newer offerings (especially the "Beginner's Series" French and Italian--those are wonderful).
   
   This book is very well presented. The vocabulary is introduced mostly at the word level with nice lists and definitions side by side (not predominately at the phrase level, which is a weakness for many TY language books, IMO). You actually learn to use words and put them together into sentences, rather than learning a bunch of semi-useless static "canned" phrases.
   
   The voice actors present dialog very well/clearly in an ongoing story format--it's quite entertaining at times (reminds me of a Spanish telenovela). The grammar is introduced in very digestible chunks (in fact, personally I could take that part way faster). On the vocabulary side, I find it to be quite intense, almost overwhelming at times. There are around 1500 words introduced and several hundred phrases. For me personally, the vocabulary comes too quickly. I find myself getting bogged down with memorizing new words after I've long since done the grammar from the section. But that is just personal learning strengths/weaknesses. I pick up grammar very fast... and memorize vocabulary quite slowly. It may be different for you. I know many people shudder at the mention of grammar--trust me, in this book it's presented very understandably.
   
   Finally, as is the problem with nearly EVERY language book I've seen, there are just not nearly enough exercises/practice problems. I won't fault this book for it, since it's a common condition. About ten times more practice would be nice. I find myself trying to come up with my own exercises to help me remember all of this vocabulary. I also use other books (Janus' Verbs & Essentials of Grammar, Colloquial Norwegian, Hippocrene's Beginner's Norwegian) for extra practice. Of course, if your memory is sharp, you might not need so much practice/study.
   
   All in all, this is my favorite of the Norwegian books I have. I'm already able to understand some of what I hear on Norwegian (internet) radio. There is quite a lot of vocabulary similarity with English, which is nice. And Norwegian grammar is very refreshing compared to other languages--it's relatively simple. I wouldn't say Norwegian is "easy" for an English speaker, but it's not nearly as hard as is a language such as Gaelic or Finnish. Not even close.
   
   A helpful hint: The Norwegian Conversation CDs by Teach Yourself are a great supplement to this course. They roughly follow this book's sequence and are great for additional practice with vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.



4. This is truly an amazing book! This is the 1st "teach yourself" book that I have ever bought, and I feel that it is one of the best purchases I have done in recent time. I have not even started chapter 1, but I already know that this is a great book? Why? Because I tried to study Norwegian with Laura Ziukaite-Hansen's book (Beginner's Norwegian with 2 audio cds) and well, it didn't work.
   
   When I started with the latter, I was left with a lot of doubts concerning even BASIC stuff such as vowels and consonants. Things were not explained in a clear way, and I felt that I needed a lot of reinforcement in a lot of areas. This book is certainly not recommended. On top of it all, my book was missing one cd! That REALLY (emphasize on really) discouraged me a lot, to the point that I did not study Norwegian for nearly a year! I know that I can return the item, but since I live over-seas it is cheaper for me to order a new book than to send the old one back.
   
   Teach Yourself' book is A LOT better. There are a lot of audio parts, so you read, then hear what you just read (great reinforcement) and then make some exercises. That's great!
   
   The other book, on the other hand, only had dialogues and repetition situations. This one, however; had also the theory in audio format, so it really helps a lot and you really feel that you're learning and progressing a lot!
   
   Totally recommended, buy this!



5. I have wanted to learn Norwegian for some time, but as an American student living on the East Coast, my resources have been someone limited. On a whim, I picked up a copy of this book from my college bookstore, hoping to cruise through it over time and perhaps pick up at least some introductory knowledge of the language. I got a lot more than I thought I would. The chapters are organized and helpful, the vocabulary lists build on each other, and the subject matter is interesting. I use it everyday.
   
   To give you an idea of what this book has done for me, let me say that I have taken five years of German at both the high school and university level. Though I can read and write German better, my Norwegian speaking skills are inexplicably stronger. For having only worked on learning the language a few months, I can easily hold various conversations. The book is excellent for building conversational skills as well as skills in both reading and writing.
   
   If you're looking to get started in Norwegian, look no further than this book. It's simply awesome.