Product Description
Philosophy of language has for some time now been the very core of the discipline of philosophy. But where did it begin? Frege has sometimes been identified as its father, but in fact its origins lie much further back, in a tradition that arose in eighteenth-century Germany. Michael Forster explores that tradition. He also makes a case that the most important thinker within that tradition was J. G. Herder. It was Herder who established such fundamental principles in the philosophy of language as that thought essentially depends on language and that meaning consists in the usage of words. It was he who on that basis revolutionized the theory of interpretation ("hermeneutics") and the theory of translation. And it was he who played the pivotal role in founding such whole new disciplines concerned with language as anthropology and linguistics. In the course of developing these historical points, this book also shows that Herder and his tradition are in many ways superior to dominant trends in more recent philosophy of language: deeper in their principles and broader in their focus. ... Read more

Product Description
If you need to start speaking German Fast, but you don’t have a lot of time to study the language, German For Dummies Audio Set is the quick-learning solution for you. These three sixty-minute CDs feature fast, focused instruction that gets you quickly up to speed on essential vocabulary and language structure.

This practical, portable audio set is designed to help you learn to speak German in a hurry and with no fuss, whether you’re at home or on the road. From basic greetings and expressions to grammar and conversations, you’ll grasp the essentials and start communicating right away! Plus, you can follow along with the handy 96-page portable guide. It’s filled with words and phrases you’ll hear on the CD and also includes a mini dictionary. You can practice at your own pace and skip around to focus on immediate needs. Discover how to:

• Get started with basic words and phrases
• Handle greetings and introductions
• Form sentences and practice parts of speech
• Ask questions and understand the answers
• Build your own vocabulary
• Talk about numbers, time, and the calendar
• Handle real-world situations
• Ask for directions
• Get help at a hotel, the bank, a store

Heading for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, or any other German speaking country? German For Dummies Audio Set is packed with all of the must-have expressions and phrases, you need to conduct business or have a great vacation! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

German for Dummies
Enjoying this. Easy to use and fun to learn from. I have learned a lot.

Good instruction, SOooooo boring.
My husband and I are attempting to acquire German as another foreign language. We thought this would be helpful to add to our library. We've been using some online tutoring as well as friends and family, and have a few books by Berlitz on German. As an addition, It is good instruction, but couldn't have been more boring.

I have to admit, I am sorry I bought it, but will keep trying to use it, as it's good to have correct pronunciation. I haven't made it through the first CD yet. This actually de-motivates me. I will update this review when I get a bit further into the study.

Sra. Gose
Author of Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 6-9: Level 1 (Book + Audio CD) ... Read more

Product Description
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

This guide covers the essentials of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation. This new edition has been updated to reflect world events that have occurred over the past few years, from Germany's currency conversion to the Euro to new international travel guidelines. It contains the most accurate, up-to-date information for students and travelers alike, along with a German/ English and English/German dictionary appendix for readers to reference.

€ For both students and travelers
€ Updated to reflect recent world events
€ Includes a dictionary appendix
€ 18-20 million people are learning German as a foreign language today ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

rather error ridden for a third edition
I had 6 years of German study and am trying to brush up after many years of not speaking or reading German, so unlike a true beginner, I notice errors and know WHY they are wrong. Unfortunately, this book, while laid out well, has enough errors is the first hundred pages that make me afraid to recommend it to an actual beginner.

Here are some that stick out:
Page 14- In trying to introduce the es-tset (aka the funny S that looks like a Capital cursive "B"), they mention it, tell you what it's called, and then OMIT it from the example sentence, using the "dass" spelling instead!The es-tset is not used anywhere in the rest of the chapter, either!

page 39"Chef" is listed as a perfect cognate, ie, a word that means the same in English and German. Then on page 47, "Chef" shows up on the list of "false friends", where you find out it means "boss" in German and not someone cooking in a restaurantkitchen.

Page 92. This one's merely a culture/geography error, but it is egregious. They set up a dialog scenario where you and 10 people are going on a package tour to Germany (not "German speaking countries"), and one of your travel mates wants to spend 3 days shopping in Zurich. Zurich is mentioned again in the exercise,but the sentence is not something like "this woman must be crazy if she thinks Zurich is in Germany".

I was not taking notes, but there are other errors I saw while skimming this book. I decided to quit using it after getting to the Zurich error, so I did not read past that.

This book has three authors (one a native speaker) and is in a 3rd edition. mistakes like this ought to be gone by the time you revise a book twice. I'm afraid to see what edition one looked like if edition three thinks Switzerland is part of Germany. Use with caution!

Review of "Learning German"
It came exactly in the condition it was promised. It did not take long either which is always a plus.

Not good
This is basically just an oversized traveller's phrase book.Not much info on grammar, syntax, very little vocabulary.It does have a very good pronunciation guide.But not recommended.

Not entirely accurate
I spent two weeks in Germany on a publicity tour for my 3rd book from Parthas Verlag [...] and liked the section on spelling your name and phone calls.Didn't have enough time to do more prep. from this book, but I have to say that the book is wrong about how people answer phones.Only at businesses do they announce their names when they pick up--everyone else just says "Hallo?"That's based on hearing countless "handy" calls received in restaurants, trains and other public places.

beware of the fineprint
This book did help me learn some things and it helped me understand some other things that I didn't get before which is wht this book gets 1 star. However this book is full of mistakes like translations that I know to be wrong because I have studied some German before getting this book. When I find a bunch of mistakes it makes me wonder how many other mistakes are there that I'm not aware of so I lost my trust in this book and found a better one.

All the teach yourself books have a few mistakes here and there but this one has way too many so I would highly suggest that you find a better book than this one if you're looking to learn German, especialy for a begginer. ... Read more

Product Description
The time-tested, user-friendly 10 minutes a day® Series has sold millions of copies and has been successfully used by travelers, students, and people just curious about other cultures and languages. Now enjoy the advantages of hearing the language spoken while you read and write along in the book.

GERMAN in 10 minutes a day® AUDIO CD; includes:

A copy of the book GERMAN in 10 minutes a day®,

Six AUDIO CDs in a handy, durable wallet for easy carrying,

15 voices of all ages, male and female, from a variety of countries to help develop an ear for accents,

High quality audio production with music and sound effects, making it an enjoyable listening experience, and

Listen and repeat exercises to provide practice for interactions while traveling.

GERMAN in 10 minutes a day® AUDIO CD is a fun, dynamic and engaging way to begin your love affair with German. Join the millions who have used and enjoyed the 10 minutes a day® Series to widen their horizons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

German for the beginner
The 10 minute a day series is great.I used it two years ago for Italian and was able to get around Italy on a bike trip in rural areas with no problem.I'm now starting German.I find the language harder than Italian but the 10 minute a day series works well.I would recommend getting the book and CD.If you don't have the CD, learning the language is much harder.I would highly recommend the Italian and German series.
Kristie, WI

German Audio CD Course
The course is very good.Both the CDs and the book have a very good material to learn in an easy way the language.The only thing is that the description of the product doesn't say this book is the SAME as the one sold alone (paper copy).In the picture of the products they have different front pages, so I thought they had different material.When I got the products, I found out I had two SAME books. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide for the complete beginner and anyone wanting to improve their German. It includes Internet links offering opportunities to hear the language spoken by native German speakers. Grammar is clearly explained and puzzles and exercises are provided. For primary and secondary school students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The best book ever for beginners
This really is the best book for beginners and it's a such a fast and fun way to learn the language.I have bought so many of these books for friends, and my private students (the French and Spanish versions too), and they have all found them very helpful and not too heavy going.Everyone learns better with pictures and the ones in the book are amusing and informative.There are so many other books to choose from but this one is by far the best for immediate self learning.Suitable for any age from 4 up to 84!!It really is.If you just want to learn a smattering of German then this is the book to buy.It will teach you so much in such a short space of time and you can prepare yourself to immerse yourself into the German culture and make good acquaintances right away.Always important to make a good impression in a country you are visiting, and to learn common courtesies :o) ... Read more

Product Description
This deluxe course has everything you need to learn German from scratch or to revive the German that you learned years ago. Ultimate German combines conversation and culture in an easy-to-follow, enjoyable, and effective format. It’s the perfect way to learn German for school, for travel, for work, or for personal enrichment. In this book you’ll find:

• 40 lessons with lively dialogues including the most common and useful idiomatic expressions.
• English translations and explanations of German grammar and usage, pronunciation, vocabulary, and culture notes.
• Quizzes and review sections to check your progress.
• A complete summary of German grammar, and verb charts covering all major tenses.
• A section on letter writing for business or social occasions.
• An extensive two-way glossary.
• Up-to-date computer and Internet vocabulary, information on euros, and more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Try to get one that comes with cds
This book is useless without cd's, and for beginners you should get the beginner book with 4 cd's, and then when you go thru that, get the next level.. its not worth getting the beginner-intermediate... because mine didnt come with CD's and it dosent go into alot of details as much as the actual beginner book...

A great beginner book!
I got this book a couple years ago and it really helped me learn the way German's difficult grammar works using real life situations and interesting stories. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a little more than "guten tag"!

Not for beginners
If you are already familiar with German I can see this would be useful.The quality of the recordings are good and there is a lot of information in the book. It is not a gentle introduction, by any means, however. As a reference for people who already know some German, it would probably be fine.

I am using Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone at this point instead and have found they are both great for beginners.

Great book and fast shipping!
I ordered this book on 20th of November and I received it on the 30th. It was super fast. And my german teacher said it's good to learn after. I've already started.

Excellent value
I wanted to learn enough German to translate Schubert Lieder and Mozart librettos.After reading the reviews here on Amazon, I bought this set, and am thoroughly glad I did.This is not a perfect product, but what you get for your $50+ is simply amazing.I sampled quite a number of similar courses at our public library, and none of them came close to covering as much material as this one did. The progression of lessons is well thought out, building the student's knowledge at a reasonable pace. (Assuming you know something about languages already, that is.If you don't, this product may present too steep a curve.)

The actors reading the dialogs range from adequate to truly excellent, with most falling at the high end of the scale: clear, well-formed speech with enough dramatic skill to make the little skits easy to follow.Whoever determined the size of the chunks in the listen-and-repeat exercises sometimes misses the mark, however.There is a lesson, for instance, in which all the relations in 'ein Familienphoto' are read off in a single run.The goal is to drill the student in gender and number in noun phrases in the accusative case, but there is no time to think about that when you're trying to remember if the list included 'Vettern' or'Schwägerinnen' or God knows what else.The point, I should like to remind the editors, is to study grammar, not develop memorization skills.

That said, this is a really extraordinary product.I transferred the CDs to my iPod and listen in my car, while doing chores, etc., always with great pleasure and profit.

Finally, this is not really a standalone product.(Nothing in this price range could be.)A good dictionary (I bought the Collins) and a good grammar ('Essential German Grammar' is excellent) are required if you want to develop a useful level of skill.'Ultimate German' is a great way to get started, though. ... Read more

Product Description
German for Starters is a lively introduction to German language and culture, aimed at adults studying either in classes or independently. The course uses a communicative approach, and will enable students starting from scratch to reach a level of competence which will allow them to cope with a variety of everyday situations in German-speaking countries. With this aim in mind, much of the written and aural material is taken from authentic German sources and the teaching of communication skills is underpinned by a clear and systematic presentation of grammar. The course is completely self-contained, consisting of 12 topic-based sections and three revision sections. A teacher's book and pack of four cassettes are also available. ... Read more

Product Description
The German vocabulary presented on these 1000 cards was selected from popular high school and college texts, correlated with word frequency lists. English definitions have been chosen to make German words as fully meaningful as possible. The cards often including several alternate, equivalent words and expressions Format: 1000 cards Size: 3 1/2 x 1 1/2 Publisher: Visual Education Assn. ISBN: 9781556370069 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Really Helpful Memory Aid - Recommended
These "German Vocabulary Cards" are a very helpful way to reinforce German words and their usage. Our son is taking German in school and he wanted these cards to prep at home. While the shear number of words (1000) makes it a little hard to find the current list he is working on for school, we suspect that over time the new ones he learns from using these will nicely augment his class work.

The cards are fairly small and slightly thinner than expected, but are good quality and should last a long time.

Recommended!

CFH

A Must Have!
My 8 year old is enrolled in German school while we are stationed here, and having had no prior German language instruction I bought these to boost his vocabulary.These cards are awesome!We carry a few with us and both try to learn a few new ones each day.Even though there are 1000 cards, many have multiple words on 1 card, so there are even MORE than 1000 things to learn.They are small and easy to carry around, and are great for anyone wanting to learn German!The best German language product I have ever purchased, well worth the money!

great for the beginner
too big (many) to be really portable, but with a thousand cards they're worthwhile and you could always split them up...beats making them yourself.

Sehr prakitisch!
I got these cards (1,000) to fill many of the gaps I had in my vocabulary and grammar.The cards are a bit smaller and made of a thinner stock than I imagined, but they're very efficient and serve their purpose well. Many of the cards offer variations of the words displayed, so you can learn much more than 1,000 words should you choose.

Great learning tool and an absolute bargain.
This is a set of flash cards that roughly corresponds to the 1000 most commonly used words in the German language. They're great. They're the perfect size, small enough to carry a bunch comfortably in your pocket, but not so small that they're difficult to manipulate in your hand.When you're done with these, buy blank ones and make your own. ... Read more

Product Description
The best way to learn German is one day at a time, and the Living Language: German 2011 Day-to-Day Calendar makes it easy and fun. Ideal for beginners and those who want to brush up on their skills, this daily calendar is filled with German words, phrases, and corresponding English translations. You'll also enjoy informative culture notes on German cinema and German actors and directors, from past to present. As a special bonus, this package includes an audio CD of all the basic German phrases you'll need to say hello, get around town, eat at a restaurant, and much more. With Living Language, learning German has never been more fun.

Copyright (c) 2010 by Living Language, a Random House company, New York Cover illustrations by Kelli May-Krenz ... Read more

Product Description
The best way to learn German is one day at a time, and the Living Language: German 2011 Day-to-Day Calendar makes it easy and fun. Ideal for beginners and those who want to brush up on their skills, this daily calendar is filled with German words, phrases, and corresponding English translations. You'll also enjoy informative culture notes on German cinema and German actors and directors, from past to present. As a special bonus, this package includes an audio CD of all the basic German phrases you'll need to say hello, get around town, eat at a restaurant, and much more. With Living Language, learning German has never been more fun.

Copyright (c) 2010 by Living Language, a Random House company, New York Cover illustrations by Kelli May-Krenz ... Read more

Product Description
This Basic program contains 5 hours of audio-only, effective language learning with real-life spoken practice sessions.

The Pimsleur Method provides the most effective language-learning program ever developed. The Pimsleur Method gives you quick command of German structure without tedious drills. Learning to speak German can actually be enjoyable and rewarding.

The key reason most people struggle with new languages is that they aren't given proper instruction, only bits and pieces of a language. Other language programs sell only pieces -- dictionaries; grammar books and instructions; lists of hundreds or thousands of words and definitions; audios containing useless drills. They leave it to you to assemble these pieces as you try to speak. Pimsleur enables you to spend your time learning to speak the language rather than just studying its parts.

When you were learning English, could you speak before you knew how to conjugate verbs? Of course you could. That same learning process is what Pimsleur replicates. Pimsleur presents the whole language as one integrated piece so you can succeed.

With Pimsleur you get:

• Grammar and vocabulary taught together in everyday conversation,
• Interactive audio-only instruction that teaches spoken language organically,
• The flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere,
• 30-minute lessons designed to optimize the amount of language you can learn in one sitting.

Millions of people have used Pimsleur to gain real conversational skills in new languages quickly and easily, wherever and whenever -- without textbooks, written exercises, or drills.

The 10 lessons in the Basic German are the same as the first 10 lessons in the Pimsleur Comprehensive German Level 1.

The 10 lessons in Basic German are also the first 10 lessons in the 16-lesson Conversational German edition.

Pimsleur learners progress from either the Basic or the Conversational to the Comprehensive Level 1, and not from Basic to Conversational edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Pimsleur Language Program for German
I am very pleased with the Pimsleur Language Learning system.I am actually learning to speak and understand German.The program is very easy to listen to and learn from.I have just completed lesson 5 and I'm ready to start the next.I don't know how they compare to the other far more expensive learning system, but I would definitely give this one shot before investing a large sum of money for the other.

Pimsleur German CD's
I am extremely dissatisfied with the product as 3 of the 15 CD's are missing!I contacted the merchant over 1 month ago but, to date, have not received a response.Please advise.
Sincerely,
Lorraine M. Harwelik

A great way to learn a language!
I'm an auditive/visual person. Since I'm a linguist and love music, this system is perfect for me. I learn a lot when I hear people saying the words and I can repeat them, specially when pronunciation is key. I'm a perfectionist, and I know that repetition is the way to go. This software provides that and I'm so glad I got it! What a great way to learn a language!

this alone will NOT suffice
this is really tough to rate

-teaching you proper pronunciation:5 stars!!!!actually SIX!!
-teaching you HOW to make sentences:5 stars!
-amount of material they teach you:1 star
-good use of your time:1 star

things i LIKED:
1.they REALLY break down words (i.e., in teaching you how to say "excuse me" -- Entschuldigen Sie -- they break it down by teaching you how to pronouce "Sie," "Digen", "Schul," "Schuldigen," "Ent," "Entshuldigen," "Entshuldigen Sie" -- EXCELLENT
2.they really work a lot with one sentence and teaching you HOW to change the sentence (i.e., i would like something to eat, i would like something to eat now, would you like something to eat, would you like something to eat now, where would you like to eat, etc.)

things i DISLIKED:
1.number 2 above (i basically ONLY learned like 5-10 (i'm exaggerating a little....but only a little) phrases in the whole FIVE HOURS of learning!!)
2.each CD recaps earlier CDs which is nice 'cuz it forces you to review, but....that's why you play things on repeat.?!each 30-minute track did have new materal in it, but there was just too much earlier material
3.THERE'S NO BOOK!!!!

THINGS I DIDN'T LEARN but should've (especially after 5 hours of CD time)
-you're welcome
-what's your name?/my name is....
-"we," "she," "he" anything
-i am going to....

THINGS I DIDN'T LEARN but wanted to
-how old are you?
-where are you from?
-i like....
-....is good

anyway....with these CDs you THOROUGHLY learn like 5 different phrases (again, i'm exaggerating a little) and don't even bother with anything else (no matter how basic)

some words of advice:
if you already know how to say variations of the sentence "i would like to eat something now" then this is not the item for you; however, if you don't know how to say even that and would like to learn more....why not get the "conversational" instead of "basic" or even the "comprehensive" CDs.CDs 1-10 in "basic" are the same as CDs 1-10 in "conversational" but conversational also has 11-16 (fyi-i don't have "conversational" so this is just what i read) ... Read more

Product Description
Neue Horizonte skillfully instills both communicative and grammatical competency using a diversified methodology that adapts well to a variety of teaching and learning styles. Its integrated treatment, stressing a balance of communicative competence, cultural awareness, and mastery of language structures, immerses students in a complete language-learning experience. In the new Seventh Edition, this proven philosophy is enhanced by the iLrn Heinle Learning Center. Everything your students need to master the skills and concepts of the course is built into this dynamic learning environment. The iLrn Heinle Learning Center is available at an additional cost and includes an audio-enhanced eBook, assignable textbook activities, partnered voice-recorded activities, an online workbook and lab manual with audio, interactive enrichment activities, and a diagnostic study tool to help them prepare for exams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Misleading seller
Despite seller's assurances that there was only cosmetic damage to the books cover, about 60 pages were missing from the back of the book.

Not Happy!!!!!
This book is horrible it only good if your not a first time learner the the cd really sucks it doesnt even talk to you to help you sound out the words I wasted my money next time ill just buy it atschool. The seller didnt even but a picture on the page nor the edition so in general I got the wrong book and cant get my money back.... Im going to a different website amazon lost my trust..... :-(

Excellent german grammar.
Extraordinarily interesting grammar and culture book.The supporting materials are quite wonderful too.I especially like all of the signs, pictures, maps, newspaper cuttings, brochures, and other realia, that bring the words to life.The audio program is very clear and easy to work with.Certainly helps with comprehension of spoken German.The Videoecke are really fun, and seem quite authentic.In short, the language in this book seems closer to authentic spoken and written German than many other introductory books. ... Read more

Product Description
Fokus Deutsch offers a powerful new resource for teaching beginning and intermediate German. This dynamic new three-level program carefully integrates videos, texts, audio and other supplements to bring German language, history and culture into focus for students.Fokus Deutsch was created through a collaboration of the Annenberg/CPB project, WGBH/Boston, and the McGraw-Hill Companies - the trio who also created Destinos, Nuevos Destinos, and Connect with English - along with Inter Nationes and the Goethe-Institut.The result is an original and engaging program that immerses students in the reality of German life, history, and culture. The comprehensive package for Fokus Deutsch also includes such multimedia supplements as a CD-ROM resource for instructors and a text specific website! In short, Fokus Deutsch is a comprehensive, well-organized program that integrates video, audio print and technology as effectively as it integrates language, drama, culture, and history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Excellent Learning Tool
I'm a college student using this text, lab manual, and audio CD accompnaiment.I had taken German previously, but the text was difficult to understand and the layout didn't seem to make sense.This book teaches the German language in a layout that makes the learning process flow more smoothly.Each topic builds on the last, and the exercises are challenging yet excellent practice for what was learned.The text not only teaches vocabulary and grammar, but also the German culture and day-to-day German life.The Audio accompniment is an excellent addition to the text because it helps you build on your listening skills and actually hear the correct pronunciation of the words you've learned by many different voices, so you're not hearing one voice repetitively. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great brush up on pronunciation and simple conversing.
I have listened to many audios for languages over the years and this was by far the best.Why?Well just when you think you have forgotten something from the last lesson the instructor would bring it up in the middle of the next lesson, it keeps you on your toes and it triggers the brain to bring back information it was trying to forget.Seems weird but this was unusually effective for me.Also it stops several times mid sentence to re pronounce words and ensure your sentence structure is correct.I found many times that my sentence structure was incorrect and was so happy to go over it many times and have chance to interchange sentence structure again using different verbs.Also this is fantastic for travelling as it stresses much on sentences and words you would use in restaraunts and shopping.

Small, but decent taste of learning a new language.
This is a good buy for someone who has never learned another language before.It'll give you a small taste of German, and what is to come.

However, this product is an exact copy of the first eight lessons of 'German I' by Pimsleur.So if you decide to buy 'German I' after purchasing this product, you will end up buying the first eight lessons twice.I think it's worth it though, for those who are not sure about learning a new language.

Totally audio, great for road trips
I purchased this series a few months ago and have made a lot of progress. I'm pleased with myself and surprised at how much I've learned. I like that the concept is completely auditory, but I wished there was a little guide book that helped you with the pronunciation because it isn't always clear if the speaker is saying "f" or "s." And there are other instance where I'm not sure that I'm pronouncing correctly. Overall, I like the CD's and I've learned a lot from them. I think I will be ready for my 2 week trip to Germany/Austria. At least I will be able to say simple phrases and be understood.

Learning German the easy way
Everyone learns differently, but to get ready to spend the holidays in Berlin with my husband's family, I was trying everything.I took classes, I got flash cards, I had post it notes all over the house, I tried tutoring.Nothing seemed to piece itself together the way I needed it to (and I'm no stranger to foreign language.I also speak French and Spanish).Then, as I was buying a different book in German I saw these CD's.I thought it would be a perfect little daily lesson on my way to or from work each day and it was!The only disappointment was that this particular product is so limited and it's all I wound up having time to use before I left the country.But, I would recommend these CD's and any others Pimsleur has.If you're serious about learning German you should use the whole series!

Pimsleur German products
I learned more on how to speak German with this than any other product. It has assisted me in grasping the pronunciation faster than anything else I've used.

I've already ordered more of Pimleur's German and am REALLY looking forward to it. ... Read more

Product Description
DON'T LEAVE FOR YOUR NEXT INTERNATIONAL TRIP BEFORE READING THROUGH THIS 'LITTLE WONDER'!

This book has been updated with an Active Table of Contents

EVEN IF YOU JUST WANT TO LEARN SOME CONVERSATIONAL GERMAN TO COMMUNICATE WITH FRIENDS OR CO-WORKERS THIS GUIDE WILL HELP YOU!

If you want to learn quick, concise, German phrases, then this book is for you! Whether you want to go on vacation, to learn some conversational German to communicate with Friends & Co-Workers, or just living in an area of the country with a high German speaking population, this Book can help you to understand things you couldn't before and have conversations with other 'German-speakers'.

Pronunciation Tables For Vowels, Consonants, and Diphthongs

Learn: Colors, Telling Time & Dates, Numbers & Counting

Learn Helpful Traveling Phrases Hailing A Taxi, Asking About Bus & Train Travel, And Asking For Directions

Ask About Hotel Accommodations, Ordering Specific Food & Drink In Restaurants, & Even What Types of Payments Are Accepted!

Goodbye
Auf Wiedersehen. (owf VEE-der-say-en) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Difficult to follow
I downloaded the kindle edition and was disappointed with the disjointed nature of the text. I found it very difficult to use the book, and also found it very limited in scope. "Learn to speak German" is an overstatement. ... Read more

Product Description
Learn to apply basic German grammar and vocabulary to reading and translating progressively complex texts with the sixth edition of JANNACH'S GERMAN FOR READING KNOWLEDGE. Recognized as the leading text for teaching reading skills, this text provides the tools you need to read specialized literature in your field. The Book Companion Website contains the readings that appear in each chapter, plus new comprehension questions and activities about the readings that are designed to let you practice specific reading skills. An online answer key also is included on the website so you can check your answers to the activities in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Good Reading Knowledge book
I used this book for an intensive course I just taught, and found it to be very effective and useful for my students, who seemed to like it as well. It does bring in material into the exercises before formally introducing it (as another reviewer mentioned), but besides the fact that this would probably be impossible to avoid, it does teach the students to follow their instincts and use guessing strategies. This is actually part of the book's aim.

The one area where I would say the book still needs some improvement is vocabulary. In order to read efficiently students need to learn a considerable base vocabulary by heart, and besides a few tips and short vocab sections at the end of each chapter, there aren't that many learning aids built in for word memorization. This could possibly be integrated into an online resource (which already exists for the texts and exercise sentences). Also, it shouldn't be so expensive! It is just a paperback with no illustrations. The book still gets 5 stars, though, because the grammar is very accessible and the exercises are just the right difficulty as the students progress.

A note about editions: I had a student using the 5th edition, and he found it was only marginally different than the 6th. Some of the exercise sentences were slightly modified or the order was switched. The difference between the 4th and 5th was much more significant, as we found when one student tried to use that one.

Extremely overpriced, lousy book!
As a language professional with two MA degrees in foreign languages, two teaching degrees in languages and i also speak three other languages, this book is a consummate disappointment!The language in the exercises is obtuse.It is heavy on religious content.The vocabulary used in simple exercises and readings will send you to google translator--as it is NOT provided in the text.On some occasions even the class instructor is stumped!i cannot imagine why this book is so expensive. i preferred everything German instead.Much cheaper, more interesting and better

Good way to learn to translate
This is a very good book.Only complaints are that some of the sentence questions are poorly constructed and there are too many phrases from the Bible.

Review of Janach's German for Reading, 4th Edition
This book fulfills its promise. After reading the entire text, including all the the translation exercises, I can confidently reader German with a dictionary at my side. There are a few odd ends of dissatisfaction that linger. For instance, not all of the terms in the reader are covered in the vocabulary for the present or previous unites, nor are they given in the gloss. During the later reading passages, one must constantly flip to the rear of the book (and some words cannot be found even there).

The book is characterized by intuition, to better and lesser effects. The great aspect of this intuition is its ability to test the student: passages from literature and about present-day world events are given, and the familiarity of the content allows the reader to make good guesses without looking at the gloss. However, the problem here is that later passages assume too much. Not all cognates are immediately obvious.

Also, the beginning of this work could use a little work. Why not explain how to pronounce the German alphabet? Even if the goal is reading in German, one must remember that some (if not most) readers need to vocalize what they're reading. Also, it would have been nice to include the typical greetings and manners present in most language textbooks.

Thorough, but irrelevant topics and vocabulary
Used as a textbook for a class in which the aim is to learn to read and translate German in a short period of time, the book is useful because it covers all of the major points of German grammar.The problem, which turns out to be a major shortcoming, is that the text uses numerous stories and topics which requires totally unnecessary vocabulary.In other words, in attempting to do the reading and translating exercises, you will spend the greatest part of your time looking up words in a dictionary and not actually reading or translating.As a better alternative, I would suggest the book "German Quickly: A Grammar for Reading German" by April Wilson.From talking with other students, the German Quickly text is a much more efficient way to learn to read and translate German. ... Read more

Product Description

German: An Essential Grammar is a practical reference guide to the core structures and features of modern German. Presenting a fresh and accessible description of the language, this engaging grammar uses clear, jargon-free explanations and sets out the complexities of German in short, readable sections.

Suitable for either independent study or for students in schools, colleges, universities and adult education classes, key features include:

• focus on the morphology and syntax of the language
• clear explanations of grammatical terms
• full use of authentic examples
• a detailed contents list and index for easy access to information.

With an emphasis on the German native speakers use today, German: An Essential Grammar will help students to read, speak and write the language with greater confidence.

Customer Reviews (3)

Fantastic resource!
German grammar can get pretty confusing, but this book nails the grammar on the dot. It is very clear concise and easy to understand. I think it should be a necessity for anyone trying to learn the language. The book gives great examples and just explains everything really well. I tried other grammar books from the library and none compare.

Excellent companion to a textbook
I originally used the PDF file on ScribeD and liked it so much that I came here and bought the book.This is an excellent resource for describing the grammar of the German language that is only touched on piece-meal in textbooks.The power of this book is that it is clear, concise, complete, and up to date.The information is sensibly grouped and ordered in a way where you can easily find it.It covers nuances of the language that many students never learn or are so briefly covered that the student quickly forgets it or never fully understood it in the first place.It covers everything from the rules on German spelling (including the 2006 spelling reform) to old noun declensions (Dem Deutschen Volke) that are now only found in formal writing or ancient texts.This book is an excellent reference tool for questions on grammar & usage and also makes a pleasant read for someone wanting to make sense out of the German language.

German Grammar Guide revealed
This book is one of the better guides when you have a question regarding a specific part of the German Grammar.It is clearly written, in almost plain English (Aussie/British) and reads well.While not a great textbook to work with, if you have questions about the rules behind dative, or the simple past this book provides not only excellent explanations, but as well clear examples to base your own work upon. ... Read more

Product Description
Sprechen Sie Dirty Deutsch?

If you think German is all brat and no wurst, you need to think again. German is sexier?and dirtier?than you might imagine. (Think Hamburg!) From hearts and violins to pigs and dogs, Goethe?s native tongue is ripe?and rank?with creative obscenities, including:

Kuck mal diese geile Schnitte!
Look at that sexy chick!
Literal translation: Look at that sexy slice!

Alle wissen dass Klaus sehr gut geigt
.Everyone knows Klaus f**ks well.
Literal translation: Everyone knows Klaus plays the violin well.

Markus, du bist ein verdammter Schweinehund.
Markus, you?re a f**king moron.
Literal translation: Markus, you are a damned pig dog.

In this book, you receive a basic introduction into the netherworlds (and nether regions) of the true Jargon. Whether seducing a M?dchen in M?nchen or a Kerl in K?ln, this gritty linguistic guide is all you need to know to talk dirty the German way. ... Read more

Product Description
Show off your language smarts. Amaze friends and family with yourknowledge of hundreds and hundreds of words- from everyday essentials to zany.With 1,000 German words, you'll be on your way to mastering another language in no time. Developed by the world's leading language publisher, 1,000 German Words is a fast-paced, visually exciting introduction to German that the whole familywill enjoy. Imaginative scenes will delight readers of all ages. Color illustrationare labeled in English and German. The index lists vocabulary words and their English equivalents for easy reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful introduction to children (and adults)!
I ordered this book as I am attempting to raise my son as a German speaker.The book covers all the big subjects like family, rooms in thehouse, the restaurant, zoo, park, farm, beach, etc.It gives both thegerman word and the english word above the picture.What is particularlynice is that it has pictures of people of all nationalities.I wouldhighly recommend it to people who want a good start up book in German. ... Read more