Mastering German: with 15 Compact Discs [Audio CD]

Foreign Service Institute (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812078691 | ISBN-13: 978-0812078695 | Publication Date: March 13, 1992

These intensive programs are complete language immersion courses, and were created by the federal agency that trains U.S. government personnel in foreign language proficiency. They start with grammar and vocabulary basics, then bring students to proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. This program contains a grammar textbook plus fifteen compact discs.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (March 13, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812078691
• ISBN-13: 978-0812078695
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.7 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,353 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent despite a few minor flaws, May 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Mastering German: with 15 Compact Discs (Audio CD)

Of course, everyone learns a bit differently, but I, for one, like the fact that all the dialogue is spoken quickly from the get go. Having lived abroad (France & Russia) I can attest that hearing the language spoken slowly during your studies only handicaps you severely later on. Much better to dive in and get used to it. The object is to communicate with Germans, regardless of their accents, speed of talking or diction.

Also, there is plenty of English during the oral translation drills. It is just that the tape does not waste your time doing a spoken English translation of the initial dialgue. Again, it is better to just listen in German and not let English become a crutch.

My only complaint is that the book is rife with typograpical errors. Intitiallly, when you do not know the language, you can get a bit confused. Later on, it is just annoying.

However, this program is so good, that I still feel it warrants five stars. Alright, maybe four and one half.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Works, April 22, 2006

By 

Jim Kane - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mastering German: with 15 Compact Discs (Audio CD)

The book is short and the cd course is very basic. You might be wondering why a short book has 15 cds worth of audio. That is because they have the same sentence repeated over and over (and over) with a different noun each time. It can be quite humorous at first. Even when you get into the later cds, the sentences are still pretty simple. The things it asks you to translate are pretty easy, it's just the speed and the duration that is challenging. While you suffer the repetition though, you really do get the most important concepts literally "drilled" into your brain.
I recommend it, but not as much as the Living Language Ultimate German Advanced 8 cd package.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely The Best, November 4, 2002

By 

"[e-mail]" (Logan UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mastering German: with 15 Compact Discs (Audio CD)

I never made it through the whole course. All I know is that I went through about half the tapes and I could speak faster, clearer and with fewer errors than any of the non natives in my 3rd year college german class (with the exception of one return missionary who put me to shame, but too bad it was such a big class). The teacher asked what experience I had, suprised at the clarity of my accent. I also speak french and spanish, if that affects it at all