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Rating: 
Summary: Might not be suitable for the very beginners!
Review: Ahoj! Som Ahmet z Ciprusu.
Hovorim po Slovenski ale len velmi malo. (24 November 2001) This book starts with the pronunciation and explains in detail, how to pronounce vowels and consonants in Slovak, which is quite different from English. The accompanying cassettes are very good for this purpose and I strongly recommend you not to ignore them if you will buy the book. The following chapters teach all the details of Slovak grammar.
So, if you manage to finish this book, I guess, you will not only learn the Slovak grammar and many Slovak words, but also be able to speak with Slovak people, as the name of the book, "Colloquial Slovak" also implies. However, I feel that there are also some drawbacks that have to be mentioned: First of all, if you are planning to study alone, like me, you will find this book very complicated and very boring. But with a Slovak teacher it might not be the same case. I knew some Slovak before using this book, but I guess for someone who sees Slovak for the first time in his/her life it will be very difficult to follow it because it does not have graphical illustrations and it, in my opinion, teaches all the details of the language not in a very logical order. In other words, the book is full of useful information which is not given in an attractive looking and easy-to-follow way. Perhaps, this might be used as a second book to improve yourself after you began with an easier-to-use and more attractive looking book, of course if you find any Slovak book like that... (6 July 2002) I am buying another book which seems to be better than this:
"Slovencina pre cudzincov"
Tomas Dratva and Viktoria Buznova
Edited by Ph.Dr. Pavol Zigo, CSc. and Taisa Nikolajevna Protasovova
Illustrated by Frantisek Jakisics and Eva Kyselicova I will soon write comments about it.
Rating: 
Summary: Colloquial Slovak- A waste of time
Review: I am currently studying from J.D. Naughton's book and I have come to the conclusion that it is the worst text book I have ever come across. The conversations in the book are not relavent to every day life and so usually a waste of time. Also he puts words in the conversations which have no translation on the page and are NOT in the Slovak-English dictionary section at the back. After extensive investigation you find that the word was mentioned and translated in a conversation some 10-100 pages previously, and only once! So what you have to do when you come to these words is look back through EVERY conversation in the book until you find it! It's ridiculous! I have learned many languages in my time and have a lot of Slovak freinds who after being shown the book also agree that it is more of a waste of time than it's worth. Don't get it.
Rating: 
Summary: Best available even if not the best imaginable
Review: I learned Slovak with this book and now read at an intermediate level and speak at a beginning level. I've been to Slovakia several times and successfully used what I learned. The cassettes provided pronunciation guides and speaking practice that work in Bratislava (I can't vouch for other dialects). What more do you want from a language book? Some of the other reviewers criticize this book for not being a systematic grammar. That's fair, since it's not a systematic grammar (though it does have grammar tables in the appendix). By introducing some major grammar points gradually over several chapters, it can be frustrating as a reference source. As a learning tool, however, there's a lot to be said for introducing things slowly. If you work systematically through this book and its exercises, and repeat (or memorize) dialogues, you'll learn Slovak. Some of the material is boring ("Zuzka hears a train crossing the bridge") though Naughton occasionally livens things up ("Don't be afraid! Kiss me!"). I'm not sure that any language-book texts can really be exciting. However, if I were giving Naughton advice, I'd add more paragraph-length texts about Slovakia and its people, along the lines of the Bratislava texts late in the book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent organization and practical information
Review: If you plan on spending any time in the Slovak Republic this is an essential investment. The book is well organized and easy to understand and it is geared towards the English speaker who wants to learn this language as quickly as possible. As a schoolteacher and frequent visitor to the Slovakia, this book has my ringing endorsement. Dobry!!
Rating:
Summary: Dobry Den
Review: This is a great course for adult learners! It was very easy to follow and to understand. I enjoyed it very much.
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