German Complete Course : Basic-Intermediate, Compact Disc Edition

Rating:
Summary: It's all about repetition
Review: I bought this item because I have never learned German and this has audio. I will not buy any language program that does not come with audio. I'm concurrently using it to supplement my work through the three volumes of Pimsleur German, and am more concerned with vocabulary building. Studies have shown that there is no limit to how many languages the human brain can absorb. This has emboldend me to try my hand at different languages and has made me an enthusiastic language learner. Thus, patience and enthusiasm are needed to make this program useful, for it is not effective for learning German instantly. For one thing, the phrases are said just once. In my experience, phrases should always be repeated at least twice, if not three times. I am thus forced to continually rewind my cd player, and waste time rewinding instead of practicing. Secondly, I strongly feel there should be the English translation on the audio, before the word is said in German. Without it, I am beholden to the text book. I cannot be mobile or do anything else while practicing, which is a hinderance to my busy schedule.
On the up-side, I am pleased with the pleathora of basic vocabulary and basic grammer it offers and the audio is very clear. In figuring out how to learn another language (I've taught myself basic Cantonese and intermediate Mandarin), I've realized that repition is key. If you want to use this program and really learn from it, I recommend you do as I now do. I listen to a set of 3-7 vocabulary words, and as each word is said I repeat it fast for 3 times, in the silence before the next spoken word. I do two rounds of this, dividing each round with other sets of vocabulary. Then on the third and fourth rounds of the same set of vocab., I do the same as normal, except that I pause the audio before each word is said, look at the English word, and try to recall from memory how to say the German word. This really forces me to learn it. I do this routine for at least four days. So, by the end of the fourth day I've heard a given new word 100 times, said it 240 times, and recalled it 40 times. Chances are, I'll then know that word and the correct pronunciation forever, and I'll go back and review from time to time. This routine is time-consuming, but yields highly staisfying results, and makes an otherwise ineffective program a highly effective one. If you follow the course as the instruction manual tells you, as I have attempted, then good luck with that.
After I've gotten through this, I'll probably move on to the Ultimate German series, which I hear is much better. The excellent Pimsleur series is really helping me to make sense of this program as well. Thus, I think this program is good for building a basic foundation but ought to be supplemented with other programs.

Rating:
Summary: Leaves a lot to be desired
Review: I had already been trying to teach myself German for a little while before I bought this course. I primarily purchased it for the CDs, so I could listen to German while driving to work. I have found the CDs quite helpful; they are a great way to practice pronunciation and after listening to them over and over I've unconsciously memorized many phrases. My major problem with this course is with the written materials. Compared to the other German coursebook my friend brought me from Germany (Deutsch in 30 Tagen/German in 30 Days by Langenscheidt) the Living Language course is abysmal. For example, the book never once mentions the existence of the double 's' letter (it looks like a capital B), which is a common German letter. The grammar explanations are hopelessly inadequate for a beginner, and if I hadn't had the other more helpful text I would have had no idea what they were talking about. I asked my German friend about some of the words and phrases, and found out they have included many old-fashioned words--like teaching people learning English to say "my Lady." The dictionary also is just terrible compared to the other German dictionary I've purchased, and I gave up using it altogether after consistently trying to look up words that weren't included. I would only recommend this course if you, like me, want CDs to listen to; however, I would highly recommend finding a superior text to learn from.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent- but you need dedication
Review: I plan on working towards being a diplomat after leaving college, so I take learning languages very seriously. I can only assume I'm the kind of person this course was designed for: there's no english on the cd, you need to follow along w/ the book to make any progress, and there are 40 lessons in the coursebook, which is about 400 pages long. I usually come home from school and spend about 30 minutes to an hour to go over 1 lesson several times until I understand everying in that lesson. Having said that, dont buy this if you just want to learn a few quick phrases in your car, but for someone like me this is a godsend. It takes a long time but it works (I have several german friends and can function perfectly well with them in german). So, to anyone considering this book, I warn you- FOR THE ENTHUSIASTIC LEARNER ONLY!

Rating:
Summary: Leaves a lot to be desired
Review: I've been living in Germany for two months now and bought this before I left the US to start learning a little German. The lessons consist of hearing & repeating and short explanations of the rules of grammar. To get the most of this, my advice is to imagine yourself actually using & hearing a word/sentence in conversation.
Shortcomings: 1. There are a few typos in the text...which is unprofessional. 2. A few of the terms in the book aren't really used in practice. (I've tried them out and have gotten blank stares.) 3. The explanations of grammar are TOO concise to be especially helpful.
You'll end up learning some German, but not enough to "put it all together." I ended up buying Na Klar! and am teaching myself from a more comprehensive source (textbook). My German friends approve.
All in all, this Living Language package will get you started, but you'll need to do more if you want a two-way dialogue in German.

Rating:
Summary: A Decent Start
Review: I've been living in Germany for two months now and bought this before I left the US to start learning a little German. The lessons consist of hearing & repeating and short explanations of the rules of grammar. To get the most of this, my advice is to imagine yourself actually using & hearing a word/sentence in conversation.
Shortcomings: 1. There are a few typos in the text...which is unprofessional. 2. A few of the terms in the book aren't really used in practice. (I've tried them out and have gotten blank stares.) 3. The explanations of grammar are TOO concise to be especially helpful.
You'll end up learning some German, but not enough to "put it all together." I ended up buying Na Klar! and am teaching myself from a more comprehensive source (textbook). My German friends approve.
All in all, this Living Language package will get you started, but you'll need to do more if you want a two-way dialogue in German.