Deutsch Plus: A German Experience with Cassette(s) [Paperback]

Reinhard Tenberg (Author), Susan Ainslie (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 211 pages
• Publisher: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company; Pap/Cas edition (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084422586X
• ISBN-13: 978-0844225869
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,422,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Start, June 18, 2000

By 

David T Manley - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deutsch Plus: A German Experience with Cassette(s) (Paperback)

This course was an excellent start for me. It did not focus on grammar, but at the same time it did not completely ignore it. The pace of learning was good, and much of the learning occurred naturally without rote memorization or drill. I studied the course for three months before moving to Germany and was able to get along OK as soon as I arrived.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Introductory Course, November 2, 2000

By 

Gracejoy "gracejoy7" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deutsch Plus: A German Experience with Cassette(s) (Paperback)

For the beginner who is interested in acquiring a good command of basic German, I would highly recommend this course. The course begins at square one and guides the learner step-by-step through the German language, starting with such topics and greetings, time, and directions, and moving on towards the end with topics like describing where you grew up and expressing your opinions on various subjects. Each unit contains lots of speaking and listening exercises, and the course center around the tapes, which are easy-to-follow and clearly recorded. The entire book is divided into two parts, each ending with a cumulative quiz so you can test your progress (answers to the quizzes and all exercises are in the back). Every page is colorful and enhanced with drawings and photos. There is also a lot of practical, cultural, and historical information on Germany interspersed throughout. One particularly good thing about this course is its relevancy--it teaches you the grammar and vocabulary you will really use, not just "textbook" stuff. For those who are not so good with formal grammar it is also good, because although you will learn it, it is approached in small steps and you are never thrown too much at once. The emphasis is on getting you to speak and understand. There is also a balance of touristy vs. more conversational topics--you'll learn to book a hotel room and order food in a restaurant, for example, but you'll also learn to talk about your family and your career. So it's a good course for serious tourists as well as people who want to eventually achieve a high level of proficiency in German. At the end of this course you should be able to get around in a German-speaking country without too much hassle and to engage in basic conversations with German-speaking people. I'd say that this course is equivalent to about a year of college-level German, so it's definitely more than just a simple tourist course. I own this course and I have used it, so if you have any further questions before you buy it, feel free to e-mail me.

My only complaint about the course is that it centers around story-line of a young Romanian new to Germany, and this story can be hard to get into and follow if you haven't seen the videos (which are broadcast only in England). But this does not affect the learning process because understanding the story-line is not crucial to the actual course--it is more of a side-story designed to keep you entertained.