Customer Reviews

Croatian

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

 

 

I have all of the Croatian tapes on the market and none can compare to the Pimsleur tapes. Before getting this series I had despaired of ever learning this language. I was astonished at how quickly I have learned and retained the information presented here.

I just returned from my third trip to Croatia. For the first time I was able to get the sense of conversations as well as communicate with some confidence. I only wish there was an intermediate level. The Pimsleur method is a remarkable approach to learning a language. It is the first language series that I have used that really lives up to its hype.

The Pimsleur Language Program gives the student a thorough grasp of basic vocabulary and expressions through an interesting style of memory work. Working through the tapes in chronological order truly does provide the best results, as each tape builds upon the one prior. Vocabulary and phrases from previous tapes are reviewed at varying intervals throughout the course to trigger the memory's alertness and focus.

As the title of this review states, this set is most appropriate for travellers. It is also; however, an excellent introduction to the Croatian language for anyone with an interest in the language. The amount of knowlege contained in this course is somewhat limited: I found myself wishing for another few tapes to really 'complete' the course.

Truly, these tapes were wonderful. As a language teacher myself, I found it an eye-opening experience. Pimsleur has just the right length in his pauses for you to recall the right word or phrase. Its an excellent, easy way to learn a language. I would add, however, it really is for the beginner to gain a measure of small understanding for Croatian, not anywhere near fluency. Still, the pronunciation is quite good, according to a native speaker I know.

This is good place to start if you have absolutely no knowledge of the language. It boosts the listener to learn the language through application and it sticks in memory.Just repeat what is said on the tapes and your good to go.I would not recommend this to anyone who already has some knowledge of the language,but for the beginner it's a place to start.

The great strength of Pimsleur materials is due to the fact that because they work only on verbal skills, you are actually able to SPEAK and UNDERSTAND the target language when you've finished. This set is designed for the complete beginner, so if you already speak some Croatian it may be too elementary. Nevertheless, it's great for providing survival Croatian.

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One more thing: I haven't had a chance to use the Croatian here with Bosnians. Whether you see Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian as dialects of one language or as individual languages in their own right is up to you, but the material presented here is probably generic and simple enough to communicate with people from virtually anywhere in the former Yugoslavia. Heh heh... I've already been complemented on my beautiful Serbian!!!

I found the style and content to be very easy to follow. Maximum learning with minimal effort. The subject matter was largely based in a traveler's mode, but essentials such as sentence structure and pronunciation are stressed. The lessons are easy to assimilate and retain. I highly recommend this course, and hope to find the next sequence soon.