Talk Now! Irish [CD-ROM] [CD-ROM]

Topics Entertainment (Other Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2002

Talk Now! is the world's best selling language learning CD-ROM series for beginners, used by more than three million people to date. Designed for newcomers to the language, Talk Now! is the perfect method to access a wealth of comprehensive fundamental vocabulary and accurate pronunciation in one user-friendly plan packed with useful words, a picture dictionary, and quizzes. Anyone over 10 years of age will find the program indispensable for improving listening, understanding and spoken language skills.

Product Details

• CD-ROM
• Publisher: Euro Talk; 2nd edition (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843520443
• ISBN-13: 978-1843520443
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,677,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars You won't hear real Irish in that!, April 1, 2003

By 

Un lecteur irlandophone (Rennes, France) - See all my reviews

I took this CD-Rom from a mediatheque close to home. I have to admit that I already speak Irish fluently and I just wanted to have a look at this cd-rom. I was really disappointed... Well, of course- this kind of CD rom just aims to teach you a couple of words and expressions like "how are you?", say what time it is, and name several items. But unfortunately, what you can hear on this CD isn't native Irish, the speakers have an awful English accent (an crampa gallda, as we say in Irish) - as most non-native Irish speakers have - and aren't able to pronounce the sounds correctly. Native speakers of Irish do thrill the r's as an Italian would do, they do pronounce dental t and d (instead of English alveolar t and d, that you can hear here), they make the distinction between "broad" (velarized) and "slender" (palatalized) consonants, which are so important in Irish, and the speakers on the CD just don't make this distinction at all.
I wonder if the speakers who have been recorded here are able to understand real native speakers of Irish... I guess they're not.
It's just as if you would ask to an English learner of French to record tapes for French language learning material. Of course he wouldn't have a perfect accent.
That what they did with Irish here... I hope that not many people will try to learn Irish with this CD-Rom ! I'd advise to buy Learning Irish (by Mícheál Ó Siadhail), Teach Yourself Irish, or Now You're Talking (if you want to learn respectively Connemara Irish, Munster Irish or Ulster Irish): on those recordings you will hear native speakers and their pronounciation is fine. Or go and spend a couple of weeks (or more) in Western Ireland, in the Gaeltacht. There you'll learn real Irish.
But forget about Talk Now Irish...
Ádh mór oraibh, tá súil agam gur Gaeilge bhinn bhlasta a fhoghlaimeos sibh !

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great CD for the first learner., July 15, 2003

By 

TpExchange (Everett, Wa United States) - See all my reviews

This CD is a great way to learn the basics of the Irish Language. As previous review indicates, it won't satisfy the experienced that is looking for totally formal language instruction, what it does do is give you the basics and get you on your way to speaking Irish.

Once mastered, then you will have the basic tools to go on to the more difficult Irish Instruction.

It is presented in an enjoyable, Game type formate that makes it easy and fun to learn.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars In Muster dialect!, March 13, 2004

By 

pietro merletti "[e-mail]" (Jesi Italy) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Well, I didn't expect that the less used variant of Irish and less spoken was used for a popular game, aimed for the absolute beginner.
Muster dialect has peculiarities, most of it are in grammar, so that it won't be useful even for those that want take a grasp in Muster dialect.
An Ulster or Connaught speaker would have a fairly low point in some games.
No explication about lenitions.
Which is the use of a game that teaches you only to tell correctly the time in Munster dialect? Perhaps to have a job at the local radio station...