Basic German : CD/Book Package (Living Language Complete Courses. Compact Disc Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Glorified phrasebook with some grammar lessons thrown in.
Review: I agree with a previous reviewer gracejoy7. This course is little more than a glorified phrasebook with an all German CD accompaniment. Repetition/memorization may work for some, but there is no true learning of the language. Too many lessons focus just on adding new vocabulary or phrases, with very little explanation of the grammar or helpful historical/cultural notes. Conversations (or some semblance thereof) start at about lesson 33 out of 40, way too late. For the cost (about [$$$]) I suppose you get what you pay for, but I understand the Teach Yourself German (NTC series) is a better deal. If you just want a phrasebook and CD for a trip perhaps the Berlitz German CD pack or Fodor's German for Travelers would be a better deal.

Rating:
Summary: just what the doctor ordered
Review: I started using this course about a month ago and so far I have been extreamly pleased with my progress. The negative side of the course is that it tries to teach to much grammatical instruction to quickly. However, I am already able to have basic conversations in German and have a vocabulary of several hundread words. If you are trying to learn German either for business, or travel purposes this course is for you. While it can be a little boring at times it introduces you to a veriety of different real life situations such as how to order in a resteraunt, introduce yourself, ask someone for a light, etc. Living language says that you can finish this course in 6 weeks if you study half an hour a day. I'm doing that and at my current pace I expect it to take me about 12 weeks but i've always been a little slow in picking up languages.

Rating:
Summary: Extensive, yet not without flaws
Review: I would say that my experience with Living Language German has been generally quite positive. The lessons are comprehensive, including a mix perhaps one-fifth vocabulary, three-fifths worth of phrases, and a fifth of fully conversational material. From my point of view, (this being my first attempt at a foreign language) the learning curve is neither too shallow nor too steep. I wouldn't call the writing itself innately interesting, though. More worrisome, however, are the numerous small mismatches between the recorded material and the text. It could clearly have benefited from more careful editing before being published. Don't let that keep you from picking it up, though. Overall, it's a solid start that can easily be supplemented with more interesting secondary sources.