Customer Reviews

Jicarilla Apache (Book/Cassette Course)

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

 

 

This course features dialogues, vocabulary, exercises, and cultural context. The tape is clear and was made by a native speaker. As a bonus, there is information about Western Apache and Navajo too. People interested in Apache need to realize it is VERY different from English and is much harder for English speakers to learn than French or Russian (which are related to English). You won't listen to this tape a few times and come up speaking Apache. However, if you have realistic expectations, this is a great course that can teach you much about Jicarilla, Chiricahua, and Mescalero Apache language and culture.

This book is very elementary; however, there is not very much pedagogical published on Apachean languages that is readily available (except, of course, Navajo). So, language learners will need to try to get all they can get their hands on.

The main purpose of this review is to advertise some recent works:

(1) a Jicarilla Apache dictionary is going to be published very soon, most probably this year in 2006.

(2) There is an advanced pedagogical grammar of a different but related language. Published just this year is Willem de Reuse & Phillip Goode's "A Practical Grammar of the San Carlos Apache Language" published by LINCOM. (ISBN: 3895868612).

I am very happy with the product. It was better than I had expected. It is a great beginning and I hope more is comming soon.

This book does have tapes, and gives you patterns, but I can't express how little you can say after going through it. The only Apache manual I know of so far, but still too little.