Reviews (19)

This course isn't for sissies
If you are looking to pick up a little Spanish for a trip abroad, then this isn't the course for you.However, if you are serious about learning Spanish and are committed to working at it, then this is your ticket to success!
Cinco Estrellas Para Platiquemos!
The Platiquemos method is based on the best-selling FSI (Foreign Service Institute) method. I feel that I am qualified to give this review not only because I am the Founder of the Learning Spanish Like Crazy method but also because I have absorbed every FSI Spanish course on the market. That includes FSI Fast Course Spanish, FSI Programmatic Spanish 1 and 2, Barrons Mastering Spanish 1 and 2 (aka FSI Spanish 1 and 2 as opposed to FSI "Programmatic" Spanish), and FSI Spanish 3 and 4. In fact, I credit the FSI method for giving me the building blocks that enabled me to learn to speak Spanish so easily. After studying with the FSI method, the Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone Spanish courses were a piece of cake for me.
NOT AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL, BUT MADE FORA SERIOUS LEARNER!
As someone who gained fluency in Spanish by studying it for the past 10-years, as well as through my travels, I am constantly analyzing the various Spanish language programs that are out on the market today. I have used the original FSI Spanish program as well as the Platiquemos updated FSI Spanish program and have opinions and recommendations for both.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Language Study    2. Spanish    3. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction   

Reviews (31)

Laughs, gasps, aha's and oy veys
Born to Kvetch is, at one time, informative, enlightening, synical, humorous, and irreligious.I learned so much about the Yiddish language, Jewish mores and their beginnings, Jewish and Yiddish history and interpersonal relations.At times I was in tears of laughter or a tear of sadness; amazed or embarrassed and often shocked by Michael Wex's irreverence.
Humorous and well researched
Michael Wex has written a book that is both scholarly and hilarious!He has succeeded in describing the complex origins of the Yiddish language with the humor of a stand-up comedian.This book is not for those unfamiliar with Jewish-Yiddish culture.The humor will be lost for you.However, for those who grew up in such an environment, you will find yourself laughing outloud.Some of his descriptions regarding the development of Yiddish are a bit confusing, but for the most part, this book is an enjoyable read and an accurate portrayal of Yiddish culture.

I plotzed from laughing so hard
Filled with insight, wisdom & humor.A great companion book to "The Joys of Yiddish" ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. History    4. History: World    5. Jewish - General    6. Jews    7. Language    8. Social aspects    9. Yiddish    10. Yiddish Language    11. Yiddish wit and humor   

Reviews (17)

Terrible
Like someone else said, I agree THERE ARE NO REALLY GOOD ARABIC TEXTBOOKS - (I haven't seen Elementary Modern Standard Arabic but a lot of users complained about it), incosistencies start from page one with this particular one, even with some basic lessons from other textbook I am not able to use this book on my own. I appreciate the efforts put into making this book, though (otherwise I would rate it with one star) - lots of DVD recordings, pictures but the author might want to look at how other languages are taught.
Not a systematic approach to language-learning. . .
Despite being the "new, revised edition", Al-Kitaab 2nd Edition is still lacking. . .
There are no outstanding Arabic instruction books!
Why is this? Why are Arabic instruction books sooooo atrocious? There is sufficient demand for Arabic now and sufficient research in language education to come up with something better. What a sad testament that Al Kitaab is actually the standard in university-level Arabic instruction! It makes me want to rip my hair out. Somebody, anybody, PLEASE publish a decent Arabic instruction text. And, for all you publishers out there doing colloquial Arabic: EGYPTIAN!!A third of all Arabs are Egyptian and it's the only dialect universally understood by other Arabs. So please quit with all the Lebanese, Saudi, Iraqi, Jordnaian colluquial courses until there is a decent Egyptian course available. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arabic    2. Arabic language    3. English    4. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    5. Foreign Language Study    6. Language    7. Textbooks for foreign speakers    8. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (4)

Excellent - But Not For Beginners
Most students wish more "conversational" practice was included in the learning spanish products they buy.This is exactly what Drive Time Spanish gives you.
Starts good, couldn't keep up
I am starting spanish from ground zero.I knew how to count to ten, but that was all.
Drive Time Spanish (CD): Learn Spanish While You Drive
Not very good sound quality and very difficult to understand.The gentleman who narrated did not enunciate well.The format of the questions and conversation did not flow easily like other language CDs I have purchased. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Self-instruction    4. Sound recordings for English speakers    5. Spanish    6. Spanish language    7. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    8. Spoken Spanish    9. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    10. Foreign Language Study / Spanish    11. Language workbooks, practice books & exercises   

Reviews (16)

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS CD COULD NOT BE ANY BETTER........THE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE BEARS TRANSLATED WORD FOR WORD......THE KIDS HAVING A PICNIC AND NAMING ALLTHE FOODS IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH THEN HEARING THE SOUNDS OF THE VARIOUS ANIMAL SOUNDS THEN TELLING THE NAMES OF THE ANIMALSIN ENG AND SPAN THAT MAKES THAT SOUND.....EXAMPLE YOU HEAR A QUACK THEN THEY TELL YOU IT IS "PATO" DUCK!!!!! ALSO THE WEATHER AND SEASONS!! BETH MANNERS COVER SO MUCH IN SO LITTLE TIME!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS AND BEST PART...MY KIDS LOVE IT TOO!!!!MUST BUY!

A fun way to learn even for mom and dad!
We have no choice but to listen to this CD each time we get in the car. Our son's first words are "Spanish CD"! He loves it and has learned so many words and phrases like "hace frio". I love how well it teaches him and my dh and I love it as well. We have honed our Spanish skills as well. We just ordered the Magic Spanish from Beth Manners and can't wait to learn more!

captivating CD; excellent for the car.
Our 3.5 yr. old grand-daughter wanted us to play this every time she got into the car.The presentation is very clear and engaging-- a mix of story, vocabulary, and song.A few more songs would have been nice.The Spanish accent is not the one heard most often in the USA; it is more South American (and the Spanish speaking child on the CD is from South America, we are told).The "ll" or "y" sound is more like a "j" or "ch" sound.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Audio - Children's Education / Activity   

Reviews (12)

Simply the Best
I have used this dictionary for 15 years, and it has never let me down. What amazes me is that it is so versatile. A word would have to be pretty obscure (medieval, ecclesiastical) to not be in here. Unbeatable.

Libellus Parvus, Libellus Potens
The Bantam New College Latin & English Dictionary provides a lot of Latin for little money.Bantam's is compact, easy to use, and gives a nice reference guide for nouns, verbs, and adjectives in the beginning.Tolle legeque, amice!Vale.

Best darn Latin dictionary on the market
I just wanted to add another vote of confidence for this marvelous dictionary.I got through 4 years of college Latin with it, and almost never failed to find the word I was looking for.I particularly appreciate the idiomatic expressions highlighted in bold typeface, to make it easy to skim down the definition to find the one you're looking for.Its only downfall is that, as a paperback, it begins to get a bit well-thumbed, leading the serious Latinist to think, a little wistfully, that it would be nice if it came in a hardbound edition.But for a mere six bucks, you can easily afford to buy a replacement.Personally, I own two. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. English    3. English language    4. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    5. Latin    6. Latin language    7. Polyglot Dictionaries    8. Reference    9. Language Arts & Disciplines / Reference   

Reviews (3)

Pretty good
This book is pretty good.It has photocopiable games at the back that I use fairly often.My only complaint about this book is that it isn't organized in a way that lets me find specific activities for practicing specific grammar points.It's organized by type of game (i.e. picture games, word games, acting, etc.)But all in all, it's pretty good

fun and fluency building for the language learner
"Keep Talking" contains over one hundred differentfluency-building activities for the language teacher to use eitherdirectly, or with modification, in her language classroom. Each activityhas a well defined purpose, whether it be functional or structural, and iscategorized according to language level, skill and student arrangement,stating clearly whether or not preparation is necessary, and how long thetasks typically take. The procedural instructions are lucid and relativelyeasy to convey to most groups of language learners, and there is also scopefor variation for many of these language games, along with helpful commentson how make such activities fun and achievable. If one also includes theimportance of making notes, and obtaining feedback, which Kippel suggestsin the introduction, then it is clear just how useful this book is.Although I was at first confused as to why the author grouped his languagelearning activities under themes such as jigsaw task, interview, or storytelling, rather than according to function or structure, I think his pointis to focus on fluency and engendering a communicative atmosphere, ratherthan to actually teach anything or practice something too specific. Theteacher's role, therefore, appears to be as a facilitator or classroommanager. In any case, the indexes include language structure (but notfunction) and level, making navigating relatively straight-forward."Keep Talking" also contains about sixty worksheets which can becopied for use in class. Although I no longer use them in my teachingsituation, I borrow ideas from them all the time. This book is not suitablefor formal institutions, but otherwise, whether you are new to languageteaching, or a seasoned pro, I feel fairly confident that there issomething in this book for you.

An ESL Teacher's Best Friend
As an ESL teacher in China for the past 12 years, I have found this book a great help and, at times, a life-saver."Keep Talking" is one of the best sources of English language games and activities for the ESLclassroom.Logically arranged and with clear instructions on how to use,lanaguage level, time needed and aim of the activity, this book is a mustfor all ESL teachers, but especially for those teaching for a year or twooverseas without strong formal ESL training.You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education / Teaching    2. English As A Second Language    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Language    5. Language and languages    6. Linguistics    7. Problems, exercises, etc    8. Study and teaching    9. Teaching Methods & Materials - Classroom Planning    10. ELT: teaching theory & methods    11. English    12. Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language    13. Language and languages--Study and teaching--Problems, exercises, etc   

Reviews (12)

The Best I've Ever Seen
I studied linguistics in college and have studied and learned several languages to fluency. This is the best grammar review text I have ever used. It's straight forward, comprehensive, well laid out and unusually readable. The use of green ink to illustrate examples and highlight what's important is especially effective. I wish it were part of a series that included similar texts for French, Russian and Italian.

Wonderful book--if used correctly!
This is really a good litte book, and thoroughly covers all aspects of grammer, some in clearer ways than my elementary German book.I used this book for my Intermediate German class in college, and found it dull and repetitive in the way we used it.We went way too slow, and some of the exercises get incredibly dull and repetitive if you do all of them.
Clear, Straightforward, and Priceless for Study
I am currently attending 1-on-1 German language training with a native-speaking instructor prior to a Government assignment in Germany.I studied German in high school and college and (thank goodness) saved all of my textbooks.I dug around in my garage a few weeks ago and found the 2nd edition of "German in Review," published in 1986, that I used in my college courses.I have not put the book down since.Even my current instructor is pleased with the layout and structure of the textbook and the clarity of discussion.This is the bedrock text for understanding German grammar. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. Foreign Language Study    4. German    5. German language    6. Grammar    7. Language    8. Textbooks for foreign speakers    9. Usage    10. Foreign Language Study / German    11. Language teaching & learning material & coursework    12. Teaching of a specific subject   

Reviews (7)

No passive learning in your car
This is a very thorough course - goes well beyond a phrasebook, and the CD is only worthwhile if you read along and do the exercises. So, no passive learning by listening over and over on your commute.
Can't Lose
At this price?You will speaking Swahili after soaking in this whole book.All you need after this book is the CD (so you can hear), and a dictionary to extend your vocabulary.The only fault I have is that some words in the English half of the book's dictionary aren't found in the Swahili side, and vice versa.But, this is an EXCELLENT beginners course.An excellent value.The structure of the language is well spelled out.

hujambo!
Good book for those traveling to Swahili speaking countries and need a quick grasp of conversational Swahili.Fine purchase for beginners.Would not be a first choice academic study. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African Languages    2. Audio Adult: Language    3. Dictionaries - General    4. Foreign Language Study    5. Miscellaneous    6. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    7. Foreign Language Study / African Languages   

Reviews (5)

extremely helpful dictionary
This is an extremely useful dictionary for an English as Second Language learner like me that has okay vocabulary and speaking ability but often doesn't know exactly how to express myself under some contexts.The dictionary cover mundane topics like "placing a telephone order for pizza", but I don't see that as drawbacks.Quite on the contrary, the book becomes so useful right because the topics and approriate expressions are very handy and can be applied everyday!

not really
i found this book honestly not very useful, i mean, the context, and the purpose of this book is not clear, if they were trying to teach us how to speak in some basic places, they had to teach by writing a vocabulary list for each situation, not sentences, you can't apply them everytime in a daily life, but some works, i'm okay with that,but generally i perefer a vocabulary builder for that,...

Good tool for increasing your spoken expressions!
I found this book very useful for someone who wants to increase his conversational skills in a short period. You can find lots of expressions organized by topic. It is helpful in the sense that there are words with which you were acquainted at some point, and this book serves to refresh your memory of some forgotten expressions. It's just like entering data to your brain. This book is not intended to entertain you; it is rather in the form of a dictionary, and reading a dictionary is no fun. But if your ultimate goal is to broaden your expressions, this book is an excellent tool. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries - General    2. Dictionaries - Idioms & Slang    3. English as a Second Language    4. English language    5. Foreign Language Study    6. Idioms    7. Language    8. Reference    9. Spoken English    10. Terms and phrases    11. United States    12. American English    13. Dialectology    14. Dictionaries    15. Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language   

Reviews (13)

Best Thai - English dictionary
This dictionary wonderful for everyday use or as a reference when studying Thai.I have had this this dictionary and another Thai - English dictionary for about two years.At first, I did not like this dictionary because the Phonetic Thai that is used is difficult to understand.After, I got use to that Phonetic Thai, I found out it is the best system invented (thus far) for romanizing the Thai language.
In-complete Thai Dictionary
Lots of everyday words where missing. Frustrating when you are looking at a dictionary, one just expects it to be there. 50% of the time the word I was looking for wasn't in the dictionary. Granted that some words may not translate, not that many though surely.
Thai-English/English-Thai Dictionary
The beginning has very useful information to decipher this difficult language (vocabaluary, how to write the letters, what the different fonts look like).Then there is a large section for English-Thai (the Thai script is small, so you need a magnifiying glass for it), then a section of English written Thai - Thai script (very good but you have to learn how to write the English equivalent of Thai sounds).Third section is Thai script to English.I have many Thai books and dictionaries, but this one is the most requested by my friends learning Thai. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language Study / Southeast Asian Languages    2. Reference    3. Reference / Dictionaries    4. Bilingual dictionaries    5. Dictionaries    6. English    7. Foreign Language Study    8. Southeast Asian Languages    9. Thai (Siamese)    10. Thai language   

Reviews (6)

Complex & Confusing
I bought the wrong book. This book was too complex and confusing.

Not a true bilingual dictionary, but excellent nonetheless
I just have to clarify some aspects of this book. Since it has been designed to help people whose mother tongue is Hindi learn English, it does not translate all the words directly from English to Hindi. However, often there are rather explanations of the English terms provided in Hindi, while some words do not have the requisite English-to-Hindi translation (one word to one word) one would expect from such a dictionary. Further more, the words which are directly translated, do NOT contain the crucial information on their grammatical gender in Hindi (again, it is clearly not a bilingual dictionary and not a "companion" to the Hindi-English dictionary by R.S. McGregor). Still, the book has helped me a lot in learning Hindi's written language.
Excellent for a serious learner.
This dictionary uses the Hindi script exclusively for Hindi writing. I suspect that the dictionary is aimed at Hindi speakers for whom english is a second language.There is actually little english in the dictionary other than the words and their corresponding examples.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign Language Study    2. Indic & South Asian Languages - General    3. Language    4. Indic, East Indo-European & Dravidian Languages    5. Language & Linguistics   

Reviews (10)

Great learning Tool
As a Spanish 2 and 3 teacher I highly reccomend this book. I use it as a reference myself because it has great explanations and the order of the grammar structures is useful. I would reccomend getting an answer key along with the book. This is a great book to refresh your memory on grammatical structures.
Un Repaso Perfecto
Repaso was used as my school textbook for higher level Spanish courses in high school.Everything is great about it.The instructions are in English which makes it even more compatable.The book is able to review old concepts, but has enough to teach the little proper things about Spanish.It is a great purchase for any student that is just learning Spanish or has been taking it for many years and needs a reference.

No Answers Given Here
Although I agree that this book is certainly a bargain when compared to the standard textbook options that often cost 3-4 times as much, I was disappointed to find that no solutions to the exercises are provided. One must purchase ANOTHER book before the exercises in this book can really be said to be useful. I am a firm believer in immediate correction when it comes to language review and acquisition--spending time on exercises without knowing which you did wrong will only reinforce what are your misunderstandings of grammar. However, if you are willing (and able) to buy the solutions manual along with this book, then it will make a good review--though it won't be the bargain that it at first appeared. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Grammar    4. Language    5. Spanish    6. Juvenile Nonfiction / Foreign Language Study    7. Language readers    8. Language self-study & phrasebooks   

Reviews (1)

Great Book for Business Professionals
This is the one book every business professional should have on (or near) their desk. It's concise nature lends itself to a perfect reference for writing and speaking in a very polished manner. Also especially helpful are the "do's and don'ts" of business grammar. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business English    3. Business Writing    4. Communication In Business    5. Reference    6. Reference - General    7. Writing Skills    8. American English    9. Business & Management    10. ELT: English for business   

Reviews (12)

Great ESL Supplement
I used this book last year as a supplement in the Intermediate ESL class I was teaching.The book contains thorough explanations as to why we do and say certain things.For example, I especially liked the explanation of voiced and voiceless sounds when using -ed and -s.The exercises were very good.The book didn't quickly skip from one topic to the next, as many ESL books do.This book contained several exercises for each topic, so the students had a lot of practice before being shown something new.I loved this book.
Excelentbook
Excelent book I need it for my sister son that is using it and he told me it easy to understand the book.

outstanding!
I have looked many grammar books for my children. This one is outstanding. Many parents do not pay much attention to formal grammar study. You don't have to if writing just so so is OK for you. If you want your child to have above average English, you want him to use a grammar book like this one. Betty Azar did an outstanding job compiling this clear, easy to use book. Its step-by-step introduction to English grammar and well-designed drills are perfect for elementary students. My children benefit a lot from it. Now, they know precisely how sentences should work, not just feel kind of right or wrong. Their good command of English grammar shows up in their impressive writing.
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Subjects:  1. English as a Second Language    2. English language    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Linguistics    8. Problems, exercises, etc    9. Textbooks for foreign speakers    10. ELT grammars & grammar practice    11. English    12. Foreign Language Study / English as a Second Language   

Reviews (3)

One of the better Spanish-Eng;lish dictionaries
My Master's thesis was a review and rating of Spanish-English dictionaries. I find this dictionary, like all the other Larousse dictionaries, to be a good choice.
easy to use
The dictionary fit easily in the outside pocket of the small backpack that I carried on a recent vacation in Mexico, so it was on the spot with the info that I needed when I needed it.

Perfect size!!!
The perfect compromise between size and content. It is not too big so you can easily bring it with you when you are traveling and it has enough that you do not have to buy another one for home. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English    4. English language    5. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    6. Polyglot Dictionaries    7. Reference    8. Spanish    9. Spanish language    10. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    11. Reference / Dictionaries   

Reviews (1)

Great Starter book
I got this book for my first German book in college. This is currently my third year and I am still referring to it sometimes. Everyone in my class still uses their copy. I certainly recommend this book as a great way to help with a beginner learning German. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Education    2. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    3. German    4. Language Experience Approach    5. Foreign Language Study / German    6. Language self-study & phrasebooks   

Reviews (20)

An excellent beginning reader
This book helped me end a lull in my French studies--I loved it.Most other reviews have sung it's praises enough to convince prospective buyers that this book is worth having and using, so I'll just point out a couple of things:
Awesome resource
Great for beginners! If you are new to french consider this purchase. Easy to read and understand.

Easy French Reader is just that.
I am a French teacher for a senior center and was desperately looking for a textbook that would provide easy learning, humor and achievement.This excellent text does just that without all the overwhelming information that a high school or college text has.I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. French    4. French Language    5. Language    6. Readers    7. Foreign Language Study / French    8. Language readers   

Reviews (12)

Good intro guide
I used two tour books to plan my trip to China: Eyewitness for the general details of the itinerary, and Lonely Planet for the logistical details. The Eyewitness guide has a massive amount of beautiful photographs and illustrations that help give the traveler an idea of the sights he or she can choose from, which is very important--unless you have a year or so to spare, planning a trip to China is as much about choosing what NOT to see as it is choosing what to see. I could also see this being the perfect guide for the more casual traveler; someone in a tour group or someone accompanying a designated "navigator."
Great
We travel a lot and find some information books better than others.For China, we would recommend the Eyewitness Travel Guide. It is excellent. Very thorough; great photos; wonderful information and helpful, too!

DK China
This DK travel guide - like all of DK publications - is an excellent source of travel information on China.We always look for a DK guide when visiting a new city or country. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. General    4. Guidebooks    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Foreign Language Study / Spanish   

Reviews (6)

Poor French Textbook !!!
I set out to learn some French on my own and I picked this book up because the publisher Heinle produces some fine language learning materials. This book,however, was not a good choice. The book strives to be innovative but ends up being a confusing mess. It starts out with French but no corresponding English translation. The reader must flip to the back of the chapter to get this information. I have seen some other French texts with this same approach. If I could start out reading French I would hardly need to take a course or buy a textbook in the first place. This book seems to be afraid of grammar. There are no grammar summaries that can be useful in studying the language.
This is not the best book
I had to buy this book for class and I really, really don't like it. It is confusing in the way that it is organized. The professer for my 102 class hated it as well. He said that it left out a lot of critical information and confuses the reader. I agree. I find I learn a lot better with a couple vocabulary books and a grammar book.

Very good condition.Almost like new.
It is a very good choice for those who want to learn French. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English    2. Foreign Language Study    3. French    4. French language    5. General    6. Language    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Miscellaneous    9. Textbooks for foreign speakers    10. ELT: Learning Material & Coursework    11. Foreign Language Study / French    12. Language teaching & learning material & coursework