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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seminal start on Hindi learning; convenient cards., March 6, 2010
This review is from: Hindi in a Flash Kit Volume 1 (Tuttle Flash Cards) (Paperback)
My review and recommendations.
I. Before acquiring this item, the possible purchaser should know something. From the Introduction, p. 3: "is is assumed in this set that the student is already able to read the Devanagari script with some fluency." This was a little unexpected, but beginning on the next page is a smart setup which, with a touch of practice, can be utilized to self-teach the script. Thus, I recommend someone photocopy the spread of pages 4 and 5 of the included 31 p. booklet; keep a copy at their desk, in their car, and by the bed, referring to it several times throughout the day for a few days. This will begin the transformation of associating the characters of the script with the sound the mind should hear and the mouth should say when a particular Devanagari character is viewed. After at least 1/3 of the characters are learned, begin the cards.
II. The cards themselves are just a little larger than business cards, and are rather sturdy (though not indestructible). Grabbing a few cards (I started with 4 today, will build up to 10 over the next month)a day and putting them in a jacket pocket, these can be glanced while in an elevator, waiting in line, on lunch, on toilet, etc. Try to match a card with an item, event or something you would say that day. For instance, I took card 224 with me to the health club today and asked the clerk "How much paisa for the creatine?" Eventually, through gradual replacement, instead of saying your nose itches, you will think/say your nak itches. This process will certainly seem ridiculous to some. I used it to teach myself French, Latin (I've done tutoring in this), Anc. Greek (partially), and will now do this with Devanagari/Hindi and then Sanskrit and Tamil within the next few years.
III. I do recommend this product. I own over a dozen Hindi books and programs, and this is the set of 2 main items I recommend using: (1) This item, and (2) Living Language's "Hindi: A Complete Course for Beginners" with a fantastic coursebook and 6 audio CD's (though matching lesson 1 and text has a flaw, this is corrected by lesson 2). Acquire the free online Byki software (I like better than Ros. Stone -- [...]) program, but use it ONLY after familiarity with the script. I know item 2 is a bit expensive, but it is most thorough, and will take you far. Do a little every day. Don't force yourself to cram a chapter of an item in one sitting, rather make small visits 2-4 times through the day to this info. Worst case scenario, take a handful of these cards wherever you go. Small, compact, full of knowledge. Save your money. With these three items (2 purchased, 1 free) you will do the job and this investment will last for (I calculate) nearly a year of learning.
IV. I will buy Volume II the very first day it is available. Hello, people at Tuttle, do you realize you've created a market for Vol. II? I want it!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard to Find Something Better, February 1, 2010
This review is from: Hindi in a Flash Kit Volume 1 (Tuttle Flash Cards) (Paperback)
This is, probably, one of the best products on the market for learning Hindi vocabulary. For me it works much better than electronic word lists, such as BYKI, etc. The typographic quality is excellent, and it includes the card index in both sequential and Hindi alphabetic order.
To use this product fully a person has to know the Devanagari script and the basics of Hindi grammar, which is required to understand the related expressions and sentences demonstrating the word use.
The card words are selected thoughtfully and will help serious language learners. Adjectives, and often verbs, are given in pairs of opposites, which is very helpful. And many related words, such as some synonyms, are very useful as well, although many synonyms, such as 3 for "sky" and 4 for "but" can be confusing because there is no way to figure out which ones are more common since it's not clear in which order they are listed. There are some repetitions and redundancies, but, in general, one can expect to learn 3 times more words than given in the card index.
Some expressions are very useful as well, but not as much as the words themselves. The main sentence on the back of each card is simple, but very common in every day use. They also demonstrate the basic use of Hindi tenses. More variety for similar words, such as days of the week, would be beneficial. Most idioms and proverbs have little relevance for a beginner.
Also, most verb cards contain compound verbs, which are extremely common in Hindi, and which meanings in many cases don't differ from those of single verbs. Again, it can be confusing for the beginner to select what to learn and use. And to appreciate this information adequate knowledge of grammar is required.
And, the last, the set certainly emphasises the verb learning, which, along with with the verbal and sentence structure, determines the mastery any language.
So, overall, the set is very useful, for both beginner and intermediate Hindi learners. And I am really looking forward to see Volume II.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Product!!, March 20, 2009
This review is from: Hindi in a Flash Kit Volume 1 (Tuttle Flash Cards) (Paperback)
As an active learner of Hindi, I find these flashcards to be an excellent source of reference material for practice with words that are relevant to everyday language. My only gripe is that I can't find volume 2!!
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