Customer Reviews

A Pennsylvania German Reader and Grammar (Keystone Books)

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This book attempts to bring the reader, in one short volume, to a point where he or she can read the south German dialect known as "Pennsylvania Dutch". Of the two that I know - from Frey (separately reviewed on Amazon) and Haag - this is the less polished but more accessible to those without a background in High German. Readers who are serious about learning the language should try to find and work through both books and then tackle Haag's wonderful Pennsylvania German Anthology.

Haag's Reader is a worthwhile book and copies are more readily available, but J William Frey's Simple Grammar of Pennsylvania Dutch is probably a better choice for the absolute beginner. Frey's presentation of grammar rules is easier to understand and he explains the pronunciation of the dialect much better and more accurately.

However, Haag provides a larger vocabulary and better reading selections. The basic question is: Why do want to learn Pennsylvania German? If you want to speak the language, Frey is the better choice. If you want to read the literature, then Haag's reader is a better choice.