Customer Reviews

German with Book (Berlitz Basic) (French Edition)

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

 

 

This was the second German set I got when I first started to learn this language over two years ago. Not only is it a great source for learning German, it's also entertaining. Each scene deals with a different situation. It's not boring drills like some sets are. This is recommended it you're new to the German language. It took me quite a while to finish this, but it was worth it. Recommended.

I bought this course and have been working through it in the last month. I like this course, I remember things alot quicker when I can read along with a text book, without too much english.
I have pimsleur basic and find it difficult because I can't see the words. I have to remember strings of syllables that make up words, made harder by sounds that aren't in english. Berlitz have made an easy approach to learning basic german. I have worked through "Japanese for busy people 1" and "basic italian".

Berlitz theory, in practice since the 1870s, believes the best way to learn a foreign language is the way a baby learns a language, through listening to/repeating after native speakers. Berlitz Basic German comes with 3 hours of campy dialogs on 3 cassette tapes. I can imagine the actors in a 1940s radio studio, ringing bells, playing tapes of car engines, etc. First you're supposed to just listen to the tape to get a feel for the language, then participate with the actors, then follow the dialog in the workbook. The black and white workbook is a disappointment. Individual words are defined in the margins, instead of right over or under the German words, so it's time consuming to figure out the exact translation. An occasional grammar rule (such as a verb conjugation) as it applies to a particular word is given in the margin, but not in a way that you can easily generalize across the board. Words that are exceptions to rules are presented here and there, but not as a list where one can learn many at a time. Furthermore, grammar rules are often awkwardly written, so one must read them several times to figure out what's going on. I'd prefer a learning system that made more use of visual learning, with a colorful and more helpful workbook. Also, I'd prefer the tapes to contain some English, so one can easily learn German in situations where one can't consult the workbook such as driving or walking.