Reviews (7)

learning a foreign language
I am still at the first stages, but learning a Italian is fun and the "Dummies" book is helpful!

From an Italian teacher's perspective.. "www.nadasitaly.com"
It's hard to find that "perfect" Italian book to recommend to students, because I often run into these two situations: 1) the book is too in-depth and too focused on grammar; 2) the book is too superficial and more of a phrase-book for travelers, therefore not sufficient. SO, what I usually do is use a combination of books, this being one of them. It has some useful information on the culture, as well as practical expressions for the brave traveler. However, my recommendation is to take a basic course before traveling to Italy, because even knowing a few simple sentences can get you a long way. Also, in a group setting you'll be able to ask specific questions and to practice with others.I'm sure that if you check with your local community college, there are some short continuing education courses for foreign languages. If you need information on traveling to Italy and books to learn Italian, you can also contact me: nada@nadasitaly.com

Very convenient!
I found the best price online for this book and got it promptly without living my office. Thanks! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Conversation and phrase books    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English    4. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    5. Foreign Language Study    6. Italian    7. Italian Language    8. Language    9. Programmed instruction    10. Textbooks for foreign speakers    11. Language learning: audio-visual & multimedia    12. Language self-study & phrasebooks    13. Reference / Dictionaries   

Subjects:  1. English language    2. Examinations    3. Study Aids    4. Study Guides    5. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)    6. Test Prep    7. Test of English as a Foreign Language    8. Textbooks for foreign speakers    9. ELT examination practice tests    10. English    11. Study Aids / General    12. Study Aids / TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)   

Reviews (12)

Kind of Brutal
I just finished the book after 3 months of very disciplined self study.I lost many hours of sleep, doing latin until 3 am having to wake up just a few hours later.I used
Easier to keep, Easier to read
While the basic content of the book remains the same, the hardback form makes it much more durable, and the white pages (as opposed to beige in the paperback) make it easier to read.

GREAT BOOK
We used the later part of my Latin I 9th grade honors class. We 1st used the 5th edition. I liked this book so much that i bought it and am currently reading threw it again so i have a fresh review for next year. I hope any Latin student or reviewer will buy this book to study from. I will go back to this book to study for my AP exam next year ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Latin    7. Latin Language    8. Problems, exercises, etc    9. Rome    10. Foreign Language Study / Latin    11. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (21)

If you already know a bit of both...
... this dictionary of English and Spanish words is a good one to have. It's small, can be carried with you, and is great for quick look ups when you are stuck on a word. If you don't know a bit of Spanish already, though, you really won't benefit from the book all that much.

It's ok
This is just a very basic Spanish-English dictionary.It will help with simple things, but there are much better dictionaries available.

Where do you find the upside-down question mark key?
...because that is my reaction to this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries - General    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Latin    5. Multi-Language Dictionaries    6. Polyglot Dictionaries    7. Reference    8. Spanish    9. Bilingual dictionaries    10. English   

Features

• Unabridged

Reviews (10)

Awesome- A Real Keeper
After getting ripped off by Living Language, Berlitz and Learn in Your Car Portuguese, this is an awesome breath of fresh air.
Great Course/Great Price/Great Results
As I have stated in earlier reviews for other Language Dynamics products, these courses are the best on the market for getting you to speak a language fast and without the hassle.
OVER PRICED and POORLY PRODUCED
I have happily used many different forms of audio language products, including the very professional "Learn in Your Car" series.Sadly, "Behind the Wheel Protuguese" was an extreme disappointment.The set is very poorly designed and manufactured.Indeed, it feels like a home-made recording:the CDs skip and stick (other CDs in the same equipment do not, so it is not my equipment!), the sound quality rises and falls, and the times for student response or participation fluctuate widely -- in relation to neither the difficulty of the lesson nor the number of words to be spoken. The set lacks a track guide, making it very difficult to find and go to the section one might wish to review.Another time-wasting feature: the lessons do not begin until over 4 minutes into the first track.The result is that learners must repeatedly listen to the (self-aggrandizing) introductory comments.(Ordinarily such info is limited to the 1st track of the CD so that it can be skipped on subsequent listenings.)The speech is not neutral but heavily accented -- which would be fine provided purchasers were made aware of this fact.In addition, the discs contain speech errors wherein the native speaker actually speaks incorrect words in response to promps!These errors NOT edited out but left entact; the listener can hear both the error, the speaker's upset apology, and the resulting whispered reassurance that "it's ok, don't worry."Of course, it's only possible to discover these flaws by opening the set and listening to it -- which means, of course, that it's no longer returnable.Hoping for a way around this I contacted the manufacturer and politely detailed my concerns.Their solution:I could pay to ship the set back to them and they would refund my money LESS a hefty service fee. The effect -- having already paid shipping to get the product from Amazon -- was that I could pay a sizeable chunk of cash for having had the 'opportunity' to listen to defective material! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study / Portuguese    3. Portuguese    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Audiobooks    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Portuguese language   

Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. General    3. Grammar    4. Language    5. Language Arts & Disciplines    6. American English    7. ELT grammars & grammar practice   

Reviews (14)

Excellent Vocabulary Builder for the Intermediate to Low Advanced Student
As the editor of the Learning Spanish Products Reviews (LearningSpanishProductsReviews) site, one of my responsibilities is to review learning-Spanish resources that are listed on Amazon. I am also a native Spanish speaker and a professional private Spanish instructor.
Another Winner from Language Dynamics
I was thrilled to experience another 'winner' with Behind the Wheel Spanish level 2.
Great Materialand Great Everything Else
Like the other Language Dynamics products I have tried, this is the gift that keeps on giving.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language Study / Spanish    2. Audio-visual aids    3. Audiobooks    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Self-instruction    6. Sound recordings for English speakers    7. Spanish    8. Spanish Language    9. Study and teaching   

Reviews (4)

The Best Assessment Book I've Seen
I bought this for an ESL Assessment class at the graduate level. I also teach ESL at a university, and this book comes in very handy, both in theory and in practice. I especially like the rubrics you give to students so they can assess their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, when working together in groups, students fill out a form after their work is done, stating how well they listened, asked for clarification, or offered/asked for opinions. I continue to use this book long after I've taken the class, and I believe this is the best assessment book out there. Don't waste your time (or money) on books like "ESL Assessment: On the Yellow Big Road to the Withered of Oz" (or whatever the title of that book is!)
Excellent Resource
I have just completed a graduate course in Assessment for teachers of ELLs.Almost all of the students in this class, including me, found this book to be a very valuable resource.Some of the information is redundant, but for a teacher looking for ideas on how to construct an authentic assessment of student work (reading, writing, speaking or listening) it is full of great insights and models that can be copied from the book or revised for individual use.

Fantastic text for ESL/TESOL course on Assessment
This book is incredibly helpful for ESL / TESL / ESOL / TESOL teachers and home schoolers as well. It was a textbook in a required Assessment course, but it is so helpful and practical that it will be very useful even if you're not taking a formal course. It presents detailed advice and examples for portfolio assessment, as well as the largest assortment of rubrics that I have seen anywhere. When you use Authentic Assessment to balance your Standardized Tests, you get a more balanced picture of the student's strengths and weaknesses, so you can tailor your instruction to the need. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. Evaluation    3. Language    4. Language Experience Approach    5. Teaching Methods & Materials - Language Arts    6. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (10)

Great supplement to audio
This is a great resource for learning how to read well in Spanish and I think it will even aid in eventually being able to directly understand and think in Spanish. I especially like the oral and written practices in the back of the book for each story. This makes it a valuable program for developing reading comprehension and verbal skill that works great in collaboration with other programs for verbal fluency and listening skills. However, there is nothing really to check your answers with, so it's better if you know a native speaker who can check your work.

First Spanish Reader, But Use With Care
This is an excellent reader for use in a class where the instructor assigns readings from it and subsequently goes over them in class. However, students attempting to learn Spanish on their own are reminded that good knowledge of vocabulary and grammar is very difficult to acquire simply via comparing a translated version of a story with the original.

First Spanish Reader
I purchased this book for my sponsored child in Costa Rica.She says it has helped her in learning more English by comparing the opposite pages in Spanish and English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. General    4. Language    5. Polyglot Dictionaries    6. Readers    7. Spanish    8. Spanish language    9. Foreign Language Study / Spanish    10. Language self-study & phrasebooks   

Reviews (1)

The best resource out there of its kind
This is by far one of the best tools that I can see for students and researchers interested in a broad and thorough view of Spanish language literature from the Middle Ages until today. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. European - Spanish & Portuguese    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Literary Criticism    4. Literature: Classics    5. Spanish    6. Spanish Literature    7. Foreign Language Study / Spanish    8. Latin-American Spanish    9. Literary studies: general    10. Portugal    11. Spain   

Reviews (17)

Cute.
Cute describes these books in the 10-mintues-a-day series.Pleasant, a little fun, a little insipid.But, really, not so bad just to get a taste of the language before you decide to move on to deeper study.
Very Useful
This book really came in handy on our trip.The menu cut out cards and the flash cards proved to be very valuable to us, especially since a friend gave us the bad advice that everyone spoke some English.Don't believe that, there were a number of people that did speak some amount of English but we both wished that we had taken more time before our trip to learn a littlem ore of the language.

Italian in 10 Minutes a Day
My wife and I have now spent a good month "learning" with
Read more

Subjects:  1. Conversation and phrase books    2. English    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Italian    6. Italian language    7. Language    8. Self-instruction    9. Textbooks for foreign speakers    10. Travel / Europe / Italy    11. Europe - Italy    12. Language self-study & phrasebooks    13. Travel   

Reviews (3)

CLAD Text
A well written text essential for acquiring CLAD credentialing. Myths are perpetuated which greatly reduces the credibility - there is only one "race", humans or Homo sapiens. Very few of us were born or came from the Caucasus Mountains of eastern Europe, yet 17th century artificial constructs of "race" and "Caucasian" are used. There is no discussion of how skin pigmentation is an ecotype adaptation, not a "race." Science, Scientific American, Discovery and other peer-reviewed journals have corrected "race" misconceptions repeatedly - yet the authors, with education backgrounds, appear to have not completed a review of current literature. Golden resource
I almost felt like I was cheating on the CLAD test. This handbook was a wonderful resource and the only one I used to pass the test .... the FIRST time!!

Preparing to take the CLAD test.
Chapters 1 & 2 seemed very dry but I'm not big on theory. The remaining chapters were much more interesting. I highly recommend reading it before taking the CLAD test. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Education / Teaching    3. Elementary    4. English As A Second Language    5. English language    6. Foreign speakers    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Language    9. Language Experience Approach    10. Language and education    11. Multicultural Education    12. Study and teaching (Higher)    13. United States    14. Communication Studies    15. Education / Bilingual Education    16. English   

Reviews (10)

great review book, good for hw, GREAT value
I bought this b/c I needed it to go along with my French 102 texbook, MUCH cheaper than buying it thru my university or with the text.Very good to help students review material.I would definitely recommend to others who wish to learn french (with the text of course).

Best Value Ever
This book is one of the best looking used items I have ever purchased. I was amazed that I got such a beautiful book for such a great price. The seller was prompt in sending it also.

nice book
I've seen better, but there is very little scribbling in it and that's what counts.Thank you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. French    4. Language    5. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (24)

Learn to distinguish spoken words
I've searched and searched, read reviews of products after products.I then tried SmartFrench and it was exactly what I needed!Just amazing.
This has really helped me.
First of all, if/when you go to France, the whole experience is completely different if you attempt to speak their language versus if you expect them to speak yours (which they all can!).They really appreciate your attempt to speak the language that they are so proud of and consider an art, and they make every effort to help you to learn more and improve.It really, really opens so many doors to try to speak French. It's the difference between being treated like family versus being practically shunned.So do try to speak it.But the catch is that they hate it if you "bastardize" their language, meaning really rip up the pronunciation badly.It makes them wince.When I went to Lyon a few years ago I made every effort to speak French the whole time and was shocked how incredibly accomodating, sweet, and warm the French were to me, teaching me new words, helping me with my pronunciation, drawing me pictures, everything!Nothing like the rude treatment other Americans told me to expect from the French.One thing I noticed, though, was that while most of the time they could understand what I was saying pretty well, I most often could NOT understand most of what they were saying.This is because they spoke faster than I was used to listening to French and also because the French link their words together.Having being taught from text books and slow-speaking French teachers, I was over my head.I bought the beginner and the intermediate/advanced versions of this CD set because it's been a while since I practiced French and I originally leaned by the textbook method so I wasn't sure which I fit under.(I discovered that I fit under "beginner" in some aspects and under "intermediate/advanced" with other aspects.) Since I have a long drive to work and back every day, I play these and (when I'm awake enough) I do the recitations with him.I have to say that it's helped a lot.Both versions have.And the more times you listen the better you get and the easier it gets to understand.He says on the CD that you shouldn't or don't need to read the translations in the book that come with it, but I found that it helped me to read them before listening or I was distracted by my plausible ideas of what is really going on in the conversations.The content of the conversations is actually pretty interesting too:he interviews people, for example, who have had long diplomatic careers or knew Salvadore Dali as a child (both examples are in the intermediate/advanced version).For the first time since studying a language I've actually learned from the syntax AND the content of the lessons.I found it to be a wise purchase.Both of them.The reason I didn't give it 5 stars was simply because the tips he gives throughout the CDs can be a little repetitive, but then with some things you do need that consistent reminder.

Not so easy
I am studying French language at the local college and based on what other reviewers stated I thought this would be very good.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Language    2. French    3. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction   

Reviews (1)

It didn't have everything
This book all though it had the bind in card from the publisher did not have the book key for quia.com which was what my professor uses.I bought online because I thought I was getting everything for less but it ended up being the same amount as if I had bought it in the school bookstore because I also had to purchase the quia key.So the moral of the story is that if you need quia just buy it at the bookstore and then you won't have to wait for your book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Italian    4. Italian Language    5. Language    6. Foreign Language Study / Italian    7. Language self-study & phrasebooks   

Subjects:  1. College readers    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Higher    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Problems, exercises, etc    9. Report writing    10. Rhetoric    11. Creative writing guides    12. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    13. Language teaching & learning material & coursework    14. Teaching of a specific subject    15. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (7)

Disappointing edition
One has to wonder if the other reviewers either didn't actually use this book or if they work for Barron's because this book is a very sloppy effort and should be an embarrassment to Barron's, especially the chief editor, Nathan Quinones.To begin with, anyone using previous editions of this book will notice that almost all of the errors remain in the book. Misspelling, misplaced accents, they're all still exactly where they were in previous editions of this book.
great format -- tons of typos
I have been using this book and find the format helpful.However, I have come across numerous errors/typos, which can be confusing for a beginning language student.Additionally, the CDs included with the book do not match the lessons.It is almost as if the CDs were made for an earlier edition and never updated.

Buy the one with the CD
This is a good textbook for learning the basics of spanish...but I wish I would have bought the version with audio CD.So make sure you do that, and you will be all set. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Foreign Language    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. English    5. Foreign Language Study - General    6. Grammar    7. Juvenile Foreign Languages    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Spanish    10. Spanish language    11. Spanish: Grades 4-7    12. Textbooks for foreign speakers    13. Foreign Language Study / Spanish    14. Modern language learning material   

Reviews (10)

Well worth buying and reading
This book is aimed at explaining proficiency oriented language teaching, and has very valuable material on proficiency and its importance. This is something many teachers seem to overlook as too obvious to be of concern, but Hadley shows it to be a central issue in teaching. The criticism made by one reviewer that it's tilted too much toward communicative teaching is mistaken. There's a difference between communicative teaching and proficiency oriented teaching, although they are obviously related. This book, like any other, is not sufficient by itself, but needs to be read an compared to others in order to get a range of viewpoints. It is not of instantaneous practical use to classroom teachers, but rather deals with the ideas behind teaching methods. It is a very valuable addition to a teacher's bookshelf and I have no regrets about buying it.

Why did I buy this book?
I remember using it in a course I took a few years ago, and I was thrilled to find so many different aspects of language teaching covered in one volume.When I was thinking of buying the present edition, I asked a friend, someone with a Master's degree in TESL/TEFL, her recommendation, and she said: "Well, Doug Brown recommended it to me."So I bought Teaching Language in Context, and am very glad I did.

If I were to choose one book
No book can cover every aspect of language instruction, but by all means Hadley's work would be right up there with Ellis, Richards and Rodgers among others.This is a solid book, jam packed with historical facts and insights, and I feel has caught the full heart of the profession representing the current state of the profession.I could not disagree with the first reviewer more.I am reading this book through and I love this book. This is not a technique-y book at all but a serious treatise and contribution to educators who want to have a broader scope on theory and instruction. In my mind, the author answers the who, what, where, when, how, and why not just of one method but does it with several of the major methods. And this she does in Chapter three!This is a 512 page text and to my mind, the reading is coherent, smart, and digestable. This text is certainly one of the better foundational texts for comprehensive grasp of the field.This book is be a springboard to assist the reader to think through the past and present assumptionan about teaching language; it is an excellent choice! If I were to only have one text to me to read in this area, this would be a top contender. Thank you Alice Omaggio Haddley for the hard work and care you put into this wonderful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language Study    2. General    3. Language    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Languages, Modern    6. Linguistics    7. Professional Development    8. Study & Teaching    9. Study and teaching    10. Education / Professional Development    11. Language teaching theory & methods    12. Teaching of a specific subject   

Reviews (9)

A good FINAL Review of your knowledge
I found this book benificial for me since it gave me quite good idea on my TOEFL score. It coantains 5 actual tests and 1 extra test that coantain a sealed questtions and ansewr sheet the same way on the paper based test. Excellent for Paper based but only Good for the Computer Based test. Though this prep kit dont give any further explanation on Eng so u should have a good knowledge of english before using this guide, since it only help you know what to expect on the test.

Very reflective of the real test
This book is the best of its kind.The questions are extremely similar to the ones one will see during the actual test.

Give a Glimpse of the Actual Test
Being published by ETS, this book will give you a look of what the actual test looks like. This workbook comes with 5 (five) practice tests, all with reviews and explanations. I use all the practice tests, before I work with the ETS PowerPrep. Combined with PowerPrep, this workbook should give us some predictions of our actual score might end up.Read more

Subjects:  1. Study Aids    2. Study Guides    3. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)    4. Test Prep    5. ELT examination practice tests    6. English   

Reviews (66)

Great starting point
If your really interested in learning the language, not just say a couple key phrases, then you should start at the root - the alphabet.Many other "Teach Yourself..." series either neglect or downplay the importance of learning this basic foundational information.I think this book does well introducing and explaining how written Arabic is put together.By the time I completed this book, I was confidently writing and reading arabic words (transliterating), even though I really couldn't do much else...like understanding.Like I said, a great starting place, worth the time to be confident in this area.

The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It
This book pretty good. It teaches you how to read and write the alphabets. This includes how to link the letters together to form a word (since there is no printing or upper case letters as in English or most languages).It also teaches numbers and punctuation.I recommend it for someone who wants to take his/her learning to the next level of also writing Arabic.

Must have for the serious student of Arabic
Fantastic introduction to the Arabic alphabet.If you're serious about learning Arabic, you really should get this book.Use nightly for a fortnight and you'll have the bulk of the writing system mastered.Very, very well done! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alphabet    2. Arabic    3. Arabic Language    4. Arabic alphabet    5. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    6. Language    7. Language self-study & phrasebooks