Colloquial Albanian: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series) [Audio Cassette]

Isa Zymberi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415056659 | ISBN-13: 978-0415056656 | Publication Date: May 23, 1991 | Edition: Har/Cas

"Colloquial Albanian" gives a introduction to a little-known language, together with background information on the Albanian people and their culture. No previous knowledge of the language is necessary, and the course has been designed for self-study. Each lesson contains conversations and texts based on everyday situations, and the vocabulary is built up gradually from this material. All grammar used in the lessons is fully explained, and supplemented by clear grammatical tables for easy reference. Progress can be tested at the end of each lesson by completing the varied exercises. An exercise key, a two-way glossary of over 2000 words and a supplementary reading section of extracts from Albanian literature, are all features which contribute to the course's self-sufficiency. The text is accompanied by a cassette and a pronunciation guide. All dialogues are spoken by native Albanians.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It provides a coherent view of the formation of racial and ethnic characteristics, cultural values, and social and political institutions." -- The Modern Language Journal

Language Notes

Text: English (translation) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Routledge; Har/Cas edition (May 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415056659
• ISBN-13: 978-0415056656
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,185,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Albanian

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but flawed, introduction to the Albanian language, October 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Colloquial Albanian (Colloquial Series) (Paperback)

Colloquial Albanian is a useful, but flawed, introduction to Albanian. The book is fairly clearly explained and the lessons are graded quite effectively. Nevertheless, there are some flaws. Some words and expressions in the book are used regionally and sound quite strange when coming from a foreigner. I actually had people laugh at me when I used "tash" (which means "now", but is used primarily in Kosovo) instead of "tani" in Tirana, Albania's capital. A friend had a similar experience when she tried to say "you're welcome" to someone. The expression given near the beginning of the book, "me nder qofsh," is a beautiful expression. It is, however, quite dated and almost never heard anymore in response to "faleminderit" (thank you). It would not be a flaw to include such words and expressions in such a book if they were clearly marked.

Despite these problems, this is probably the best introduction to Albanian currently on the market.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best on the market (shume mire!), August 16, 2000

By 

Matt Smith (Brisbane, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colloquial Albanian: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series) (Audio Cassette)

Colloquial Albanian is an easy to follow, concise introduction to shqip (Albanian). Isa Zymberi gives clear instruction on the many verb stems and tenses/moods. A fairly broad vocab is covered, although I recommend anyone learning shqip by themselves should also buy an english-albanian dictionary. The accompyaning cassette is essential to develop pronuciation and listening skills. As said by other readers, the book is poorly bound and leafs will start to fall out withing the first few weeks of use. I suggest taking the book to a book-binder who will re-enforce it with string or glue. Overall, a very good book, one of the the best on the market.(There aren't to many on the market, though). I have some Albanian friends from Pristina and they also gave praise to the book, although some phrases brought a smirk to their faces. Would I buy It? -Sigurisht!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Colloquial Albanian: The Complete Course for Beginners (Colloquial Series) (Audio Cassette)

I am glad to have this book (and cassette) as part of my Abanian Reference collection. I appreciate the structure with which Isa Zymberi lays out the instruction. The ONLY qualm I have is with the physical binding of the book. After a few readings, a handful of pages have come undone from the binding.

Thanks, Giorgio Kolaj