A Frequency Dictionary of German: Core Vocabulary for Learners (Routledge Frequency Dictionaries) (English and German Edition) [Paperback]

Randall Jones (Author), Erwin Tschirner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415316332 | ISBN-13: 978-0415316330 | Publication Date: January 15, 2006 | Edition: New Ed

A Frequency Dictionary of German is an invaluable tool for all learners of German, providing a list of the 4,034 most frequently used words in the language. Based on a 4.2 million-word corpus which is evenly divided between spoken, fiction and non-fiction texts, the dictionary provides a detailed frequency-based list plus alphabetical and part of speech indexes.

All entries in the rank frequency list feature the English equivalent, a sample sentence plus an indication of major register variation. The dictionary also contains twenty-one thematically organized lists of frequently used words on a variety of topics as well as eleven special vocabulary lists.

A Frequency Dictionary of German aims to enable students of all levels to maximize their study of German vocabulary in an efficient and engaging way.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Randall L. Jones is Emeritus Professor of German as Brigham Young University and Erwin Tschirner is Professor of German as a Foreign Language at the Herder-Institut, University of Leipzig.

Product Details

• Paperback: 14 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; New Ed edition (January 15, 2006)
• Language: English, German
• ISBN-10: 0415316332
• ISBN-13: 978-0415316330
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > German

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Be Prepared To Get Out Your Dictionary..., March 12, 2006

By 

Mikey (Portland Or) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Frequency Dictionary of German: Core Vocabulary for Learners (Routledge Frequency Dictionaries) (English and German Edition) (Hardcover)

The authors state rather sheepishy that this text is to be used in conjunction with a good dictionary. Well, that is certainly true. The authors give you the words but incredibly leave out of the listing 1)any indication of what the plural of the noun might be 2)no verb forms other than the infinitive is listed, even for irregular verbs. 3)No indication whether the verb is separable or not (unless you can pick that up in the sample sentence given with each word - Oh did I also fail to mention that none of these sample sentences are translated into English. 4)How about indications for when a word has an irregular stress? Nope, not that either. You say this is for learners. Then don't make us constantly have to look all this information up in a dictionary because you can't take the time, trouble or expense to do it. Not having the 3 verb forms and the plurals form of nouns included is simply unnaceptable. This is work you could have done once instead of making everyone who might purchase this book do the look-ups again and again. Having paid over $30.00 for this 189 page book, I think I have a right to expect that much.

20 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent tool for German instructors and serious students, January 8, 2007

By 

helenarose1 "helenarose1" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Frequency Dictionary of German: Core Vocabulary for Learners (Routledge Frequency Dictionaries) (English and German Edition) (Paperback)

As a college German instructor and textbook author, I can easily say that this book is an amazing contribution to the field of learning German. The reviewer below has very false expectations of what a frequency dictionary is supposed to do. Essentially, a frequency dictionary helps learners prioritize their learning so they know what words are most important to learn, and they authors have done just that. Their list is based on a very detailed and comprehensive study of contemporary German to provide a list that reflects the ways in which both the spoken and written German language is actually used today. The authors themselves indicate that the book should be used in conjunction with other learning materials so that students can see how the word is used in a variety of contexts, and that just using this book to memorize vocabulary will be less effective. Perhaps they left out the information the previous user is so desperately looking for to force learners to have to go to those other contexts. That's the process that maximizes learning in the end.

The authors of this book make no claims that they do not fulfill. In fact, I think they understate the usefulness of their book. Without this book, learners can't know which words are the most important ones to learn and might just go about memorizing words they'll never see or use again. This book can help students prioritize learning, making vocabulary acquisition more efficient and effective, and thus helping students improve language comprehension more quickly.

I highly recommend this book for serious students and especially for German instructors!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a GOOD german<->english frequency dictionary, December 22, 2008

By 

Seasoned "Seasoned" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Frequency Dictionary of German: Core Vocabulary for Learners (Routledge Frequency Dictionaries) (English and German Edition) (Paperback)

This has a good vocabulary of over 4034 words, although only 4034 are defined in the second group. Overall, I think it is FAIRLY well done. There ARE a few things I don't like, but I write this having seen the SPANISH version as well!

The first group, which is in order of frequency(most to least), has sections where common categories(such as fruit or animals) are listed EVEN if they aren't in the top 4034. Usage is also shown. Unlike some frequency lists, a word counts ONLY in its base form. Verstehe will NOT be listed, for example, because the base form of verstehen IS.

The second group includes only the first 4034 of the first group, but they are listed in alphabetical order. The english word/s is/are also shown.

The THIRD group is like the second, but ONLY a limited number are listed, and they are listed in alphabetic order under word form. So, I like it, but I wish it were more complete, like your spanish version.