Customer Reviews

First Steps in Old English

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

 

 

This is a beginner's book for the modern student. It makes the language much more accessible than the old-style textbooks (you know, those standard Readers and Primers from the 19th century, when the educated man tackling Old English was expected to already know some other foreign languages, have a thorough grasp of grammatical terminology, and probably have a tutor). Mr. Pollington presents Old English in a step-by-step manner, introducing one bit of grammar at a time, with examples, short practices, and exercises every step of the way. By the end of the first 5-page section you are reading and writing simple sentences with minimal vocabulary. There is a lot to learn, but this book breaks it down into manageable pieces.

I was very excited when I ordered this book since it looked so good and the reviews were so good; unfortunately, when we tried to use it in a class, we found it confusing, filled with typos, and basically not very good.
For example, any beginning OE book that is intended for individual study should label the g's and c's that are pronounced as y's and ch's respectively. Not done. More over the layout made it very difficult to follow. I can't imagine how an autodidact could every make sense of it unless s/he already spoke Old Norse or Saxon.
I really applaud the effort to create a new, accessible book for today's learners, but Mr. Pollington would benefit from professional advice on layout and currriculum design.
There has been so much work done in the last twenty years on second language acquisition that could have informed this book.
Nonetheless, I want to thank Mr. Pollington for at least trying, but I really suggest that prospective learners use another text until the second, learner-friendly edition comes out.

I've been looking for a self study book of the Old English language for some time. This is the one I found that has stopped me from giving up learning.

Generally well-presented. I wish my short-term memory were better (I'm 73.); it's slow-going for me, someone who has prided himself on being able to learn languages. If I have problems, they're mine and not the book's. P.S.: I'm a retired language professor.

An easier to use book than Mitchell or Sweet and the exercises are well paced.

Great book. Layman friendly. You can buy an audio tape that goes with it seperately. Easy to use. These folks also sell Asatru ritual recordings in West Gothic and Old English among other things. Very helpful. A great book for people like me who are having trouble with some of the more egghead books on Old English. Wyatt Kaldenberg

Suggestion for writers, do not write and edit your own book. Have someone else edit. I do not recommend this book. The information does not flow, charts are not consisent, and verb congugation is not presented in a matter that encourages learning. I also loved (sarcasm) the surprise vocabulary that was not in the back of the book. The introduction states that one can teach oneself OE. NOT so. Do not recommend.