Customer Reviews

Learn in Your Car-German: 3 Level Set: Complete Language Course: Audio Cassettes and Listening Guides (Learn in Your Car Series - Includes Individual Levels 1, 2 and 3)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This course is excellent, either as an introduction to German or as a way to refresh or sharpen your skills if you are already somewhat familiar with it.

There are three levels, and each level consists of three 60-minute CDs. (You can buy each level separately; but getting the three levels as a set is cheaper than buying them separately.)

Each CD is sub-divided into 10 or 11 small lessons of increasing difficulty. The lessons start with very simple vocabulary, then simple phrases using that vocabulary, then simple sentences in the present tense, then more advanced vocabulary and phrases, and then more complex sentences, including the most common verb tenses and moods (present, past, future, compound tenses (I HAVE GONE), conditional (I WOULD GO), imperative (GO AWAY!), and subjunctive (I HOPE HE'LL GO.).

The range of subject matter also expands gradually. The first level covers what might be called "survival skills," the topics you need to know right away, like transportation, money, hotel, directions, restaurant, shopping, telling time, and numbers. Later lessons include vocabulary and concepts of a more general nature, though "survival skills" are also given additional, more advanced treatment.

All of the CDs follow the same methodology - the target word, phrase, or sentence is given in English, followed by a pause, then the German translation is given, followed by another pause, followed by a repetition of the German translation. I can tell you from personal experience that this constant repetition works very well. Having the CDs playing in your car or on a headset while jogging (my personal favorite!), is a painless but effective way to learn a new language or review a previously learned language.

Each level includes a 50-page booklet that contains a verbatim transcript of each lesson, so if you have trouble understanding a particular word here or there, you can cheat by looking it up in the booklet. (I would never do that! OK, well maybe once or ten times.) Also, some grammatical rules are explained in the booklet. I think that feature is very helpful. Knowing what the general rule is can help you see how individual phrases follow a general pattern, which helps the learning process. Putting explanations like that in the booklet, and not on the CD, was another good feature, since you don't want to keep hearing the same lecture on grammar over and over and over again on the CD.

Granted, there's more to German than what can be covered in just nine hours, but this is an excellent intro or refresher course, and has a lot of useful features.

I recently decided to learn German to help me in my business, I travel to Switzerland regularly. This course was the best I've tried to help me learn the language during my daily commute. The format is easy to follow, it leads up to more challenging information with each tape. The tapes must be listened to more than once though, to get the full benefit of the information being given (there is a lot to learn!). The workbooks are very good also, they give more information about verbforms and conjugation rules.

The "Learn in your car" series on languages is the best method I have come across in my attempt to learn a foreign language (short of taking a course). You hear actual pronunciation and don't have to follow along in a book to know what is being said. I current live in Europe and this course on tape really works. It starts with simple vocabulary building and works through all parts of speech and complex sentences. I highly recommend this to anyone tired of reading in a language book how a foreign word should sound. It also allows you to change the balance on your stereo so you only hear the foreign language part, which lets you quiz yourself even more. I have a 45 min drive to work and just playing these tapes back and forth I have a very useful and functional language ability. It easily allows for the repetition required in learning a foreign language.

This CD's helped me immensely, but only after acquiring a sufficient knowledge of the language and vocabulary. Helps tremendously in sentence structure and particularly in evoking the listener to come up with responses based on his/her own vocabulary and then comparing it to the programmed responses.

I do not think that it would be easy to start off with these CD's from scratch and hope to learn German from them. Start elsewhere, and then come back to these to give good verbal practice and repetition.

I listen to these C.Ds everyday, usually on my way to work. I can definitely rattle off a lot of helpful phrases. However, if you're looking for true command of the German language, this program is a supplement, not the tool. I now use an online program and a grammar book in addition to the C.Ds and I'm definitely learning faster now.

Wanted to brush up some very old high school german, saw this at the Library of all places and gave it a go. I have a 2 hour commute each day and this has definetly made this time much more productive. Very simple format, easy to catch onto and learn I've found. Found this product to be fairly useful and want to purchase a copy for my own personal use, outstanding product and a lot cheaper here then at the Penton Overseas website.

I bought this after reading the glowing reviews - I'm afraid I was disappointed. I'm sure it is through and would teach me German - if it didn't send me to sleep first! I'm not sure driving and listening to this at the same time should be allowed. All you hear is very dry and emotionless voices repeating words - a man says the English, then a woman repeats the German word twice. No hints on pronunciation, no cultural advice, no music, no enthusiasm, *nothing* except these two voices. You also need to listen to the tapes over and over again before you start to learn the words. However, I'm sure this would appeal to some people, and it is very through. Personally, I need a little more enthusiasm and joy in my life!

I'm returning this set. I can't rate the quality of the German language instruction, but the audio quality of the CDs (I've sampled disk 1 and 2) is disappointing. Strong male voice clearly and strongly articulates the English (on left stereo channel), wimpy female voice mutters in monotone the German translation (on the right channel).

I've tried to use these several times, but I just cannot seem to get into them. They put me to sleep on the road. I guess if you really were into learning, and supplemented the CDs with other material, especially written material, they would work, but I would not try to learn too much with these CDs alone.

The Complete Language Course is a great tool to learn German on the road or brush off what a person have learned in previous German courses. I drive 2 to 3 hours every day and I hate to waste my time behind the wheel. Now I use this time to improve my German while driving. It works! My German has improved 40% in the last 2 months using the complete Language Course.