Customer Reviews

Beginner's Maori (Beginner's (Foreign Language))

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was created some time ago. Some of the subject matter reflects this fact. It is a good brief intro to the language but has a major flaw. There are two sets of vowels, the short and the long vowel. It is very important to pronounce the vowel properly or the meaning of the word can be changed. This book represents all vowels as short vowels, thus the student incorrectly learns the word.

The nearly complete lack of teach-yourself material on New Zealand's Maori language compels me to give the book 3 stars as I believe it is the only one to be found. The linguistic problem is the author's inattention to mark vowel length as well as poorly explaining certain consonants. However, Harawira's use of Maori texts and songs is rather charming. Invest in this book with caution.

not very user friendly. i was hoping to open the book and be able to find every day phrases. instead it was broken down by grammatical points. i suppose it explains things well, but it takes a lot of time and focus - not for someone planning on visiting there soon and hoping to learn the basics.

Perfect book to assist with a trip to New Zealand. This book keeps it simple to learn basic questions and responses.

This book got me off to a good start and I consider it to be a bargain for the price. If you're in any doubt about this book, buy it. It's worth every cent.