German in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) [Paperback]

Adrienne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1997 | Series: Gimmick Series

Here is the third in Norton's colorful reissues of Adrienne's popular guides to learning languages.

German in 32 Lessons is the rapid and practical way to master the basics and begin speaking the language. The book gives you the essential, simplified grammar plus the 3000 most-used words--words and idiomatic phrases that people use in real-life situations. The book can be used as a self-learner by beginners and also by those who want to brush up.

Adrienne's key to teaching a language is to eliminate "the boring repetition of inane exercises." She emphasizes vocabulary, and lots of it (grammar will then come naturally); frequent tests (indispensable if you want to learn the language in less than ten years); and writing right away, maybe describing your house or job. Jump in!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Adrienne's vocabulary lists are contemporary, practical, and uncensored--you'll find words here that aren't in any other language book--and they group together families of words, which makes expanding your vocabulary painless...Whether you're trying to learn the rudiments, travel with globe-trotting panache, or get out of a prickly situation, Adrienne will show you the way. -- World News Features, Gordon M. Quarnstrom

About the Author

Adrienne is the author of The Gimmick Series language books for Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (March 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393314979
• ISBN-13: 978-0393314977
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #727,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Idiots Need Not Purchase This, April 21, 2000

By 

C. J. Casey "cjkc" (Newport, RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: German in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) (Paperback)

This is the third Gimmick Book that I have used. My experiences with the two Italian Gimmick books were stellar... in less than four months, I was reading through newspaper articles, and I now live in Italy with a job that is greatly augumented by my fluency in this language. No, it's not a traditional format, and Adrienne's method is not like traditional language books, which is why it works so well. She requires you to (gasp!) think for yourself while you learn the language. She doesn't treat the student like an idiot, which is why idiot students should check out one of the thousands of glorified phrase books in order to say and understand a couple hundred stock phrases, and get upset whenever a native has the gall to answer differently than what the phrase book told the student the answer was. This is possibly the best book series available, and coupled with a good independent tape system that has the same philosophy (such as Pimsleur) the student will be well ahead of his or her fellow students, and also able to communicate beyond memorised textbook answers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Please update this book!, February 8, 2001

By 

GARY E OCONNOR (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: German in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) (Paperback)

I used "German in 32 Lessons" when learning German, and found it superior in many ways to other introductory books (and I looked at a lot of them).

However, there are a number of shortcomings which make it less useful than it could be--shortcomings that could be easily remedied. First, there needs to be a section in the front of the book on pronunciation. Second, there needs to be an alphabetical list of vocabulary words in the back of the book. Third, it needs to be updated, some of the slang is a little outdated. Fourth, it would be great if it had an accompanying cassette or CD.

If these four things were done, I think it would be BY FAR the best introductory language book on the market. It has great strengths--logical, bite-sized lessons, useful vocabulary, clear explanations of important grammar. But it needs a bit of tweaking. Adrienne, are you listening? W.W. Norton & Company, are you listening? Please update the whole series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars German survival guide, May 14, 2005

By 

Hallstatt Prince (MA. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: German in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) (Paperback)

After a few semesters of college German and a few months at the Goethe Institut, when I finally found myself living in Germany I found this book invaluable. It is not comprehensive but it is a great start in helping one to begin to communicate in modern Germany.
Recommended