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

1. The half-hour a day is just the right amount of time -- it's not that much of a commitment if you really want to learn the language. At first I thought the repetition would make it boring but the interactive nature of the CD's keep it interesting and keep your brain engaged. Of course, like any other language, you'll learn only if you have the desire to learn it and are willing to put in the time. In this case, it doesn't demand much. Use what you learn with each lesson so you can make the imprints in your brain. Be honest with yourself and do not advance to the next level until you are comfortable with how much you've picked up. If I remember right, this program just asks for 70% retention. As I said, it's a great way to get started!

5 comments about Tuttle Concise Indonesian Dictionary: Indonesian-English English-Indonesian (Dictionary).

1. This is billed as a revision of the early-1990s Kramer and Koen paperback, but it's really like a whole new dictionary. It fills a lot of inexplicable holes in the older book. The definitions are for the most part clear and intuitive. And the biggest thing for travelers and beginning students is that Indonesian words are listed as they appear--you don't have to deduce a root word, which the older edition and other Indonesian dictionaries make you do (fine if you've learned a bit of the language, but it makes a dictionary pretty much useless if not). The compiler is Australian, but as an American I have not run into any usage issues. Hard to see from the picture, but the book also includes an English-Indonesian dictionary and should also be useful for Indonesian speakers learning English.



2. It is NOT nearly exhaustive as I had hoped! In communication with Indonesians, many words commonly used are not in Tuttle CONCISE Indonesian Dictionary --emphasis is on the "Concise" not the 20,000 words contained in it! . . . .But it a vast improvement over the dictionaries in phrasebooks, etc.



3. It is a "good" Concise Dictionary for a starter. There is another one "Oxford Study Indonesian Dictionary" by Oxford University Press that I like little more.



4. Excellent little dictionary. I'm studying Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesia & this is a wonderful companion. I have 2 teachers & check with them on entries & its spot-on so far & quite comprehensive for its carry-with-me-everywhere size!



5. This is my second Indonesia-English dictionary (other is Oxford), and I find that this one is a little more comprehensive. Indonesian is a language that uses prefixes on verbs, so sometimes the words are hard to find, if you don't understand the structure well. However, this one goes beyond the call of duty and lists many verbs with their prefixes. If you are looking for this type of reference, I don't think it gets much better than this, though it still falls short of a "full" dictionary.

5 comments about Sing 'n Learn Vietnamese.

1. The songs are catchy and repetition is the key to learning. These songs can be listened to over and over without getting tiresome which makes this a good learning tool.



2. I use to know most of the songs, but I have forgotten most of the lyrics. This book helps me avoid making up words or humming parts I don't know. It's cool.



3. My two year old son gets such a kick out of these songs! I know they sound funny to him, but he genuinely enjoys listening to them. A few of the songs we have to play over and over and over and over again! I memorized some because he just had to hear them again! Great way to learn Vietnamese. It helps to be able to hear how to pronounce words. Such a melodic language in the first place, so learning to sing it, helps you learn to speak it! Only down side, I personally didn't think the person who is singing is a very good vocalist. Other than that, it is a great purchase!



4. It's a cute book and cute songs, but very difficult to really follow along and learn anything.



5. We bought this CD/book for our first born to get exposed to Vietnamese. The songs are classic. The sound quality of CD is great. The illustrations complement the book well. The only drawback is the book is in paperback. Therefore, gentle use is needed to have this book last. I hope a hardback version is in the works.

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

1. After trying three other Vietnamese language courses (the so-so FSI course, the poor Vietnamese for Foreigners course, and the downright execrable Elementary Vietnamese), I was close to despairing of ever learning this language. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I bought this course and finally got the results I have been hoping for. This course includes the first ten lessons of Pimsleur's full-length Vietnamese course, which I definitely intend to buy before my next trip to Vietnam. Using an all-audio method, this brief course taught me a lot that I either was not taught at all, or did not retain from, other Vietnamese courses. And the words and grammar you learn really do stick in your brain effortlessly with this course. My only regret is that I did not try this method first! So if you want to learn Vietnamese, don't make the same mistakes I made. Go with Pimsleur and you won't be sorry!



2. I listened to part of this before I went to Vietnam, and it did help with pronouncing "thank you, how are you etc". It wasn't really clear/accurate about forms of address (based on age/gender)that the Vietnamese use. I said Kam un Ba (sp?) to a middle aged lady and got laughed at, apparently Ba is for REALLY old ladies(the cd just said "when you are addressing an older lady). I used 'che' with a younger woman (Based on what the cds had said) and was told NO that the correct form is 'em'. Also, I would have been happier starting out with food and money because they are the two most important subjects you will talk about in Vietnam.



3. This is the first time for me to use the Pimsleur method, and I must say that I'm impressed. After going through each lesson twice, I felt I was ready to handle basic conversations on my trip to Vietnam. This was exactly what I needed for my trip. Other methods seem to assume that anyone starting a language has the intention of spending their life mastering it. This one just gives you the basics without any pressure. It works.



4. I heard from friends that Pimsleur was the way to go, so I bought this introductory course and made sure to follow the directions as provided. After the first few days, I didn't feel much progress, but after the first week, I remember making some comment in Vietnamese (to a Vietnamese speaking friend of course), and my friend told me how amazed she was that I sounded Vietnamese. I felt that the best part of Pimsleur is that I learned a lot of grammar with very few words. It was indeed frustrating being unable to interact with the person I'm listening to, but I stuck it out, and even though I don't feel quite fluent in Vietnamese, my Vietnamese friends are impressed.



5. I just started listening to these CDs. The first two lessons consist of learning how to say: excuse me, do you understand english/vietnamese, are you vietnamese/american, how are you, etc. The lessons do a pretty good job of pointing out the different tones, but there are no visual aids that come with the CDs - for me, this makes learning a little bit more difficult. If you are a visual learner, you will need to get another item or supplement this one with a book or an on-line source.

3 comments about Beginner's Dari (Persian) (Hippocrene Beginner's).

1. It's great to see a Dari-specific Persian learning guide, but the difference between Dari(Afghanistan) and Farsi(Iran) is largely in the pronunciation and Shaista Wahab's pronunciation guides are strongly American and not English - beware, English learners!
   Having said that, the book is well set-out, with good thematic chapters. Good for an introductory grasp of the basics of modern Dari.



2. Misunderstood "Dari" and bought wrong book. Looking for Dari, ancient language, not the dialect of Afghanistan. The purchase itself was easy and shipped quickly.



3. Nice format, easy to follow and the CD adds the audio component that rounds this book out. Glad I tried it.

5 comments about The Oxford Picture Dictionary: English-Vietnamese Editon.

1. 
   In addition to vocab expansion for the L2 learner in an academic
   setting the beauty of this book is how useful it is in everyday
   situations. The utility of the "Oxford Picture Dictionary" is that
   you can use it on your own. Want to go to a market in a foreign
   country and buy a needle, thread, button, tack, or band saw? You'll
   find it here. It's organized for the vocab to be found quickly.
   Each Page is theme/topic based.
   
   The vocabulary is accurate, high-frequency, and focused. This is
   important especially when dealing with multiple definitions that
   obstruct the usefulness of most other text dictionaries. In addition
   to the targeted high-frequency, the artistry of the pictures is done
   very well. Phrasal verbs and collocations are included when
   necessary, with the target words highlighted. Additional info. is at
   the bottom of each page.
   
   Reading the preface and forward (instruction manual) of this book is
   also very helpful for instructors as well as learners.
   
   It's true this series is beneficial more to English learners if the
   student of this book is going from English to another language and
   cannot read the L2 language alphabet (Mandarin, Japanese, Russian,
   Thai, Korean, etc).
   
   This Oxford Picture Dictionary is great for vocab expansion for lower
   level students learning or acquiring language and/or for those only
   needing it for everyday purposes.



2. This is awesome for those who are rusty in Viet. It is not good for someone who needs to understand grammar, but is excellent for those who need to build vocabulary. I am using it to brush up on my Viet. It looks like this is a series so they should have it in other languages. It is definitely worth the twelve dollars and change. I bought this along with The Rough Guide to Vietnamese Dictionary Phrasebook 3 (Rough Guide Phrasebooks). Get it now!



3. The authors tried hard to present the materials in an easy to understand format. This book is all about Picture-word association for different settings (at the work place, at home,...etc). It is a "must have" for all. You'll enjoy learning new words and use them in converations, intelligently. I suggest also to get the Pocket Vietnamese Dictionary: Vietnamese-English and English-Vietnamese.



4. These books were purchased to be used in a church ESL language center. We have used them before. They are very useful working with ESL students. Not only have we used them with this language, but with other languages, too, according to the students being helped.



5. bought two to avoid shipping. look new and fast shipping. recommend to everyone.

5 comments about Tagalog-English/English-Tagalog Standard Dictionary: Pilipino-Inggles, Inggles-Pilipino Talahuluganang (Hippocrene Standard Dictionaries).

1. I like to carry this dictionary with me while learning and speaking Tagalog. It is comprehensive enough that every word I've searched for has been in it.



2. My fiancee is Filipina and I have been learning Tagalog. She always gets a good laugh whenever I try to formulate a sentence by looking up words (I'll always end up putting something in the wrong order or using some word that isn't exactly appropriate for the context). This dictionary has been very helpful in learning new words. Occasionally, however, there will be a definition that needs a little more than what is given. The best example I can think of is the word "syota". The dictionary defines it as "boyfriend / girlfriend". When I lovingly referred to my fiancee one day as "aking magandang syota" ("my beautiful girlfriend"), she asked me what I meant by the word "syota". When I explained, she told me that "syota" is a colloquial term that derives from the word for "short" and typically means a short-term boyfriend / girlfriend.
   
   Overall, this is a very good dictionary with a lot of great information. It won't teach you everything, but you will typically learn the most of a language by practice and studying. This is a very handy reference supplement.



3. For someone learning Tagalog this is a pretty comprehensive dictionary. It's easy to use and not too bulky. I highly recommend this dictionary.



4. pros:books size, pretty much every word you can think of is in this book
   
   cons:does not have commonly used phrases(what is your name?,how old are you?,etc.),not for people that don't know any tagalog and are using this to learn.



5. This book is excellent. I use it all the time together with flashcards, voice recordings, on-line lessons, and classroom assignments. The first 30 pages is good for grammar and the back of the book, (appendix) has a lot of very useful information.
   I have tried a few other dictionaries, but this one clearly stands ahead of them.

5 comments about Thai for Beginners.

1. In the introduction of this book the writer states that the student must learn to properly pronounce the tones either by listening to the tapes or with the help of a good teacher.
   The book does not come with tapes. CDs or a good teacher.
   The book is not shipped with any audio and hence learning to speak Thai from this book is very difficult.



2. This is a good textbook, I guess, if you have an instructor. By yourself even with the companion CD, it will not get far at all. If you want to check my work, buy it.



3. This is a very good Thai language book for beginners and it's very easy to use. It's not a perfect textbook. I have to use other books to teach Thai to my students, but this book is the best I found to start with. I got it in Thailand for 300 baht. The price is very reasonable. There are also many other titles written by the same author that can be used as supplementary learning materials. I especially enjoy her Speak like a Thai series.



4. This is a book for the person who is serious about learning thai and willing to put in the time to do so. This is not a quick phrase-book; it is a systematic way to learn the letters, sounds, and vocabulary. This is a tool that should be used with a spoken audio program (I like rosetta stone myself).
   
   This appears to be the only textbook I have found (and I have searched through many), that actually gives you practice and quizzes for writing and making sure you remember what you've learned.
   
   Consider this a workbook with explanations designed to build vocabulary and help navigate the Thai writing system with the help of a well explained transliteration system.



5. This is a great book for those wanting to learn to speak, read, and write the Thai language. I am Thai myself and never had a constant exposure to the language. This book and CD (sold seperately) helped me a lot to regain my culture. My grandmother is a full blood fluent Thai speaker. Even she though this book was great. The minute she opened it, she had a big grin stuck on her face. She read a few things out of it to me and seemed very satisfied with it. This is a must have to all those wanting to learn the language.

5 comments about Thai-English English-Thai Dictionary for Non-Thai Speakers, Revised Edition (Dictionary) (Dictionary).

1. probably would have helped if I was familiar with the dialect and accents...as it is, not so good...but, that is totally my fault...will see if it helps over there



2. Just big enough to to fit in your back pocket, but thick so it feels like you have a lift. What can I say? It's a dictionary.



3. The book seems to cover most of the words I might need. The problem that I am having is the transliteration font is too small and light.



4. Hands down the best dictionary there is. The reasons are 1- it uses Benjawan's transliteration system, which is the best there is. If you are using other things by her (Thai for Beginners, Speak Like a Thai, Practical Thai Conversation etc. or Thai for Lovers (not by Benjawan)) it will be intuitive to use. 2- The dictionary is broken into English-Thai, then a whole equal (almost) section on PHONETIC English into Thai and then written Thai, into English. Having that phonetic section is incredibly useful, especially before you know how to ask how something is spelled in Thai. My dictionary (as well as many other people's that I have seen in their hands) is beat up!... because you -really- use this little sucker. The only down side is that I wish there was a larger version with more words and with the classifier words associated with each noun within the text of the dictionary. Having said that, I have personally by -no- means "outgrown" this dynamic resource. So, I think it is just fine as is, for its intended purpose. Plus, it is small enough to put in a cargo pocket. Even the electronic dictionaries can not rival its usefulness for 10 fold the cost!
   
   There are a lot of other helpful things in the dictionary as well, including a list of those "measure words" or "classifiers" which are critical to proper speaking and there is an explanation of the written components of Thai that is very succinct and well done.
   
   Until Benjawan comes out with something bigger and better, this is -the- best dictionary on the market. When I go out into the streets of Thailand, with complete confidence to face any situation, I leave my electronic dictionary and my phrase books at the hotel and the only thing I carry is -this- book..... and a few Baht ;-)



5. I was a volunteer teacher in a very remote part of Thailand in a school where I was the only Westener. English was barely spoken by just a few people. The dictionary was a life-saver. I just wished it had been more complete. But it is a compromise: nobody wants to carry a ten pounds book around. The dictionary is a "three-parter": English-Thai, Thai-English and phonetics Thai-English. Being able to find the meaning of words just by the way they sound is terrific. I also recommend Pimsleur Thai, even if you go to a non-BKK speaking part of Thailand (which is most of the country ;-)).

5 comments about Thai: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. This is an excellent phrase book, easy to carry, easy to read and broken into easy to find section. Combined with a short language program this book carried me across Thailand comfortably. I mentione the language program because the pronunciation is a bit tricky to break down phonetically, altho Lonely Planet does a great job of it. I have used lonely planet phrase books for all of Asia and Northern Africa, but I must admit I use Rick Steve's phrase books for European travel. Lonely Planet Guide Books are also very good, especially for the bargain traveler.



2. I bought this book before spending 3 weeks in Thailand last year. I only cracked it a couple of times and had difficulty deciphering the phonetics. However, having just completed a Beginning Thai course offered by my county's adult ed department the book makes a lot more sense to me and I find the grammar notes and pronunciation easier to understand. I am headed back to Thailand next week and feel a lot more confident that I will be able to communicate if/when I come across non-English speakers. But for as good as this book is, I agree with the other reviewer that it helps to at least take a basic Thai course or listen to CDs like Pimsleur so you can hear the language. And as others have noted, top marks for including the Thai script along with the English phrases so you can just point if necessary.



3. This is a great little reference book if interested in learning Thai. Using some kind of on line or person audio assistance is necessary since Thai is tonal.



4. I am a huge fan of lonely planet guidebooks however I am not a big fan of phrasebooks in general. I have this phrasebook and can honestly say that i have never used it. The problem with phrasebooks is that no 2 are alike. Different phrasebooks give slightly different pronunciations (and with Thai slightly different tones) but again this all has to do with translation from one language into another which is not the best way to learn a new language( acquisition is proven to be the most effective but takes time!). However with this said, phrasebooks are practical for people who do not have time to study a particular language such as Thai which is very difficult for westerners and lonely planet is just as good as any other phrasebook that I have seen on the market to meet the needs of holiday travelers.



5. I've been to Thailand twice now and am planning to live there for a few years. This book has taught me the basics and beyond. I recommend it because the tone marks and pronunciations are easy to understand and the book teaches you the rules so that you can figure out different variations of a word. There is also an English/Thai, Thai/English dictionary in the back and the book is small enough to fit in your pocket. Thai script plus phonetic thai is included. The only downside I can see is that the words are so tiny that it's sometimes hard to see thai script vowels and tonal marks.