Product Description
Learn German with the most comprehensive, up-to-date text available!

Developed by the experts at Living Language, this book offers a highly effective combination of conversational German with grammar and culture. It covers the equivalent of two years of college-level study.

Content Include:        
40 lessons with lively, authentic dialogues including the most common and useful expressions for everyday conversation.
English translations and explanations of German grammar and usage, pronunciation, vocabulary, and cultural notes.
Quizzes and review sections to check your progress.
A complete summary of German grammar, and verb charts covering all major tenses.
A section on letter writing for business or social occasions.
Revised and updated with additional exercises, the latest in computers, the Internet, euros, and more!

While this book stands on its own as a complete course and an invaluable reference, you'll find that it's even more effective when used with the recorded lessons. Living Language Ultimate German cassette and compact-disc packages include this manual, along with the recordings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Excellent means of improving your German.
This book could be improved for beginners of German.I think if you first use Pimsleur before this book, it can be five stars for your purposes.But unless you get a good CD which covers the basics well, with enough repetition to master the declensions, this book would be too difficult to start out with alone.For German and Russian (and any other language with complicated declensions and other grammar), repetition is extremely important for most people, to learn the various endings.The Latin languages are not difficult in this respect, allowing one to breeze through the same material presented for German or Russian. The number of stars often varies depending upon what a book will be used for, and the level of advancement of the student.

An Excellent beginning course in German!
I am just starting this course and find it well organized, comprehensive, easy to understand, & fun.I especially like the design of the lessons with doing the book lesson first followed by the CD work.The grammar, vocabulary, & lesson tests are also terrific.And I look forward to purchasing the advanced version of this program once I finish this level.All-in-all, this is a terrific value in a language course!

Beginners only
This book is not for the advanced or intermediate student, the vocabulary is up-to-date and colloquial (though still hochdeutsch), but very sparse.

Suffice to say this is one of the cheapest primers out there with a near complete grammar, but the dialogues are what make me recommend it - they're actually amusing!Also the lessons are very short - 40 in all, each having 1-2 dialogs with excercises and quizes.There are only a limited number of reading passages making this a primarily converstaional primer.There are grammatical constructions included that don't often appear in a beginner's conversations, however.

*Despite the appendices and the section on letter-writing, there is not nearly enough common business vocabulary included to compose anything, recommend "Guide to Correspondence in German" by Charles J. James in addition to above title for readers with a business purpose (has vocab, sample letters, excercises etc.)

**Minor confusion in amazon listing:This book appears to be the reincarnation of an earlier Living Language edition in the "All the way" series, however the publisher is listed on the author line for Amazon's stub for this earlier title, so anyone looking for that book can get this edition instead.

Decent book, weak audio program
This product is better at teaching you the technicalities of the language than at teaching you to speak the language.I found the Pimsleur series both more engaging and far more effective at getting over that crucial barrier towards being able to actually use what one learns.The Ultimate text is decent, but rather dry and academic (even compared to my vintage high school german texts!).The audio program is simply ineffective; it is mostly vocabulary (a word in German, a word in English) and does little to teach one the use of the language. The book, however, uses a variety of approaches (blocks of text, exercises, diagrams and tables that document German forms, grammatical and cultural asides, etc.).I'd recommend buying the Pimsleur tapes, and complementing with this book/audio. The audio on the Ultimate German adds comparatively little, but is worth getting simply to help ensure you're correctly pronouncing the exercises in the book. Bottom line; the tape/cd is OK for pronunciation, but weak at teaching usage.

Not perfect, but probably the best bang for the buck!
I am taking German in college, and am in my 2nd semester now.I bought Ultimate German to supplement my college textbook.I agree with some of the other reviewers that the material is very 'bland'; however, for the money, it probably provides the best value.It comes with a set of CD's to use with the book, and another set that you can use w/o the book (ie. in your car).The material in the book, while no frills, appears to be accurate and gets straight to the point.The cultural notes are a nice, but the book could use some color and pictures.I've looked through several other 'inexpensive' german course, and I believe this one to be the best for the money.Sure there are probably better courses out there, but they are very expensive.The college textbook I am using is very good (its called "wie geht's", but the book alone was $107, and it only comes with a single CD.I would recommend Ultimate German to anyone who wants to learn German.I would recommend picking up some other reading, as you might get bored with only this course. ... Read more

Product Description
Available October 2003 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent
An excellent book for those who are serious about German. In addition I would suggest some further reading; see my list "Great German Books".

Product is as it says...advanced
For once, a product that is what it was claimed to be. The audio cd content is very helpful and at a level of having taken at least two years of college German. That's the level the cds start at. The textbook that accompanies it is amazingly helpful as well. Overall, the purchase was well worth the $.

Try it
I don't disgree with any of the criticisms, and if I could I would give it four and a half.However, it my opinion, one needs to experience different, often vastly different methods.Most people benefit from all methods, tho in varying degrees, depending upon the individuals' aptitudes.Like study methods in high school or college, some work better for someone or anyone than others.

That said, try Pimsleur first, in my opinion, to learn the accent and basic speaking ability.The critism given to Pimsleur is that it is too repetitive and doesn't advance far enough.For me, that is what I want in Pimsleur.Repetition drills the information into your head until it sinks in, while teaching you to actually talk, and with a good accent.So first get Pimsleur, then Living Language for a larger vocabulary and a wider variety of situations.Then explore other programs, after first carefully reading reviews.You may find that a criticism may not apply to your own desires or needs.

A true tool for the advanced speaker
Excellent addition to the two years of German I took in College.A variety of topics are covered that touch on a wide range of vocabulary and practical expressions useful in a broad spectrum of situations.

Where's the answers?
The book does not contain answers to its problem sets, which I don't find very helpful.Also, the grammar rules are often not very thoroughly explained. ... Read more

Product Description
This English-German/German-English learner’s dictionary includes more than 15,000 of the most frequently used German words, phrases, and idiomatic expressions.You’ll find more than simple definitions - examples show you how the most essential words are used in everyday conversations, and all information is presented with the needs of the beginner-intermediate level learner in mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

FROM BASICS TO INTERMEDIATE IN 10 WEEKS
I followed the Chapter sequence. At first I thought this was a tough course. But, I said to myself: "let me take 1 week for each chapter, following the audio of the CDs". Let me tell you that I learned very much German in those 10 weeks. I advise that you learn the numbers in German with other learning easy programs. There are a lot sold here on Amazon. Leave everything else to this book. Every night that I repeated a chapter I learned something new, or a new light was lit in my learning. German is no easy language. Don't expect to learn in 10 days or one month. Don't desperate, after all, you will be advancing because you are in good hands with this book and CDs. Remember that you are at your own pace. The proof that this book is a very nice tool for learning German is that I am now taking the Deutsche Welle online free course, a course that is not easy to follow. I also can read simple writings. This book was helpful in all its aspects. Try it but study, study and study, that is the best task to learn. My next step is to see German language movies and hear music. I recommend this book as a great tool for learning German.

Good teach-yourself German course
I'm enjoying this conversational German text. It builds on words taught in lists, recycling them into coversations at the end of each unit. It seems relatively fast moving to me, but I am a first time German learner and it keeps me intersted. Commendably it uses words and phrases in rich, multi-layered social situations which make the language more memorable. I would recommend this course.

Very pleased
I received the CDs and book very promptly, faster than the estimated time. Everyrhing was in good shape as represented. I am very pleased.

hastily put together
This German course is cheaply put together, but not altogether awful. The audio on CD is worthless without the course book.The audio goes along extremely fast.The coursebook is a 460 page paperback novel-sized. I am on page 56 and have spotted around 4-5 errors already (duplicate sentences, sentences that don't match up with the audio) which indicated the cheap editing.The small dictionary that comes with it is good for beginners.All-in-all, you get what you pay for.I would recommend buying a PC based course available for the same amount of money.

Great set.
This course is great for someone who is best at learning a language by hearing it, and having a little book to refer to when hearing the conversation that's being spoken. One thing I have to note -- like another reviewer -- the booklet doesn't cover every single thing that is said in the audio, it only translates what's said in the main conversation in the beginning of each lesson and the new words that are introduced. It's not a major problem, not something that should have you looking elsewhere for another course, but it would be nice. Oh yeah, at the end of the booklet is little but helpful grammer guide.

This course won't make you fluent in german -- as if any course does btw -- but it will give you a good foundation to begin your road to fluency. How do you get fluent? Simple, by speaking german with german speakers and constantly hearing german through any means necessary, be it TV, radio, people...That way you get practice so that you reach the point where you can begin to speak without thinking about how your gonna say something, and also so that you get quicker at understanding what someone says.

Also, it won't make your grammer perfect. That matter should be left to other resources like books that teach grammer, or excellent german speakers who can help.

In all, despite its shortcomings, i give it a 5/5 because its effective. The shortcomings that i've mentioned in this review are not a problem because I don't see how it would help you anymore than the text thats already given in the booklet. ... Read more

Product Description
Packed with essential words for younger language learners such as colours, family members, numbers and animals, this dictionary has a conversation section containing phrases essential for beginners as well as topical pages introducing subjects to younger children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

nice
I really like this book, the only problem I have is I wish it came the phonics info for for this and this letter make this sound.

Amazing
Berlitz Kid's German Picture Dictionary (Berlitz Picture Dictionaries)
This is way more than just a picture dictionary.It will really teach the language at the beginners level because it uses phrases with the pictures, not just one word.I liked it so much I ordered the Spanish version for me--the German version was to help my grandson just get an "ear" for German.I'd recommend it to anyone, especially those learning the language (including adults).

Great Tool for the kids
I am really pleased with this picture dictionary. I like the fact they include the word in a sentence, very helpful. My kids really like it too.

Great for all ages
My son wanted to learn German and I purchased this dictionary and an "Italian for Children" cd set. The cd set was for a much younger child (he is 12) but he enjoyed going through the dictionary and learning the words and pronunciation on his own.This dictionary helped his learn some basic words, while I find another program for him to use that has an audio.

Good introduction for kids and beginning adult learners.
A quick and easy introduction to the German language.

My kid picked it up and started reviewing it on her own which says volumes about the accessibility and presentation of the materials.Not only are the words defined but there is a brief sentence included which demostrates the grammatical usage of the word.

The only real shortcoming is the lack of a pronunciation key.The failure to include this important aspect of language training is the reason I gave this product review 3 stars.

Overall this is a good beginner book for identifying the basic written German translations of many common everyday items.Those looking for more advanced help in the area of speech, pronunciation and diction should definitely look elsewhere.

... Read more

Product Description
Now in a playful board book format, Milet's popular picture dictionary, in English and 12 bilingual editions.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Child's German-English Mini Dictionary
I bought this for my 2 yr-old grandson since his parents are bringing him up bilingually. They were very pleased with the little book and expect it to be both fun and educational. The pictures are cute and colorful! ... Read more

Product Description
This new volume of eight short stories with parallel English translations offers students of German at all levels the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of contemporary literature. The majority of these stories have been written in the past decade and reflect a rich diversity of styles and themes. Complete with notes, the stories make excellent reading in either language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

The only disappointing thing about the book
While all the positive views about the book hold true, let me point you to the down to earth and not even contents related issue that nevertheless marred my encounter with the text. Namely, it is printed on awfully cheap, grey and rough paper. It is still possible and bearable to read it ,but then you can hardly call it enjoyable. It is even more important when you need to read it over and over again as part of your study activities.

Excellent
The stories are well-written and whenever one has a problem with the German a quick reference to the English translation gets you back on the track. If you feel confident enough after reading this book I can recommend Die Biene Maja und Ihre Abenteuer (German Edition) which was written as a children's book originally but is much more entertaining than any book written for teaching purposes, and Das Kleine Dummerle und andere Erzahlungen (German Edition).

See my list "Great German Books".

Parallel text is a bit distracting
I bought this book to help me learn german but I found the parallel text a bit too distracting (german is side by side with English). It is just to easy to glance over, like watching a subtitled movie. I feel that full immersion is more effective.

Not for Newbies
I wish not to affect the rating of this book, nor discredit it.The reason being, I don't know enough.But there in-lies the point.As others have commented, this book is great for people who have an "intermediate" mastery of the language, or have gone through 4 years of German in college.But, if you're picking up the language on your own, though audio cds, flash cards, etc., this book is a bit overwhelming.

To the relative beginner, the sentences are long, with complex words and sentence structure.I would say that your average native English speaker with high school diploma would be in the thick of it reading the English alone.

I intend to hang onto this book until I know a bit more.Until then, I'm considering picking up some children's books in German, to get the hang of more simple sentences.It's not that I haven't learned anything from this book, it's just too much, for now.

Seriously boring stories
"Another boring story?"

(I read the next section)

"Ugh, that was nasty. Maybe this one will be better!"

(And it was not)

Normally, I love any type of German literature. I am an avid fan of learning the German language and would likely be considered an advanced student. However, this book was boring! The stories, although well translated, simply did not hold my interest.

Others may enjoy this book, but I would not recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.Maybe you can use it for just learning the language, but I warn you that you might find yourself yawning and looking out the window.

... Read more

Product Description
Communicating Series

Don't be reduced to silence. Give yourself the power to communicate by using ... the Communicating Series! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Don't Bother--REALLY
This is a poor excuse for a beginners guide. Not enough explanations are given for the first 14 chapters and afterward, its still bad. Look for something else. I hear the Schaum's German Grammer guide is good for beginners.

Good Idea; Still Beta Quality
This is a practical little book concentrating on the vocabulary and grammer needed for basic encounters in a foreign country. The idea of a set of books advancing thru the same set of practical tourist and officeconversation topics in ever greater depth is a good one. Unfortunately thepublisher shipped the beta and there's still quite a bit needed for afinished product. First, someone needs to proofread and correct all theplaces where new German vocabulary is introduced without giving Englishequivalents. Next, to be useful for self study, it needs answers to themany reasonably good exercises. And glossaries, both German-English andEnglish-German are a must for those of us who study on the run and andprefer to skip the extra dictionary. Finally, I'd prefer a workbook formatwith room to write answers, so I don't need to carry a separate notebook. ... Read more

Product Description

Confusing Textbooks? Missed Lectures? Not Enough Time?

Fortunately for you, there's Schaum's Outlines. More than 40 million students have trusted Schaum's to help them succeed in the classroom and on exams. Schaum's is the key to faster learning and higher grades in every subject. Each Outline presents all the essential course information in an easy-to-follow, topic-by-topic format. You also get hundreds of examples, solved problems, and practice exercises to test your skills.

This Schaum's Outline gives you

• Practice problems with full explanations that reinforce knowledge
• Coverage of the most up-to-date developments in your course field
• In-depth review of practices and applications

Fully compatible with your classroom text, Schaum's highlights all the important facts you need to know. Use Schaum's to shorten your study time-and get your best test scores!

Schaum's Outlines-Problem Solved.

Customer Reviews (2)

My third and best grammar exercise book
I fill out these grammar books like they were puzzles.Why not have fun and learn at the same time?I just finished filling it out for several months.The other grammar books I worked with were so inferior to this one.I am spoiled.I don't think I'll ever find a better one.For one thing, it has very few errors.I only found one and it was insignificant.Most grammar books contain many more.It also was well organized, clear and complete.In short, it was perfect for what I needed.It took me about 2 months to fill out all 420.

excellent grammar practice
This book is great for anyone who needs a serious review of German grammar or for those beginning German studies for the first time. ... Read more

Product Description
SPEAK GERMAN WITH CONFIDENCE IN JUST 6 WEEKS!

The Living Language® German Complete Course teaches the basics of German language and usage. It uses a highly effective speed-learning method developed by U.S. government experts to teach languages to overseas-bound service personnel and diplomats.

THREE 60-MINUTE COMPACT DISCS WITH 40 LESSONS
•Begin with simple words and progress to complex phrases and sentences.
•Just listen and repeat after the native speakers on the recordings to learn naturally, the way you learned English.

GERMAN COURSEBOOK
•40 lessons from the recordings with translations, additional vocabulary, detailed explanations, quizzes, and reviews.
•Verb charts, a comprehensive grammar summary, and a section on letter writing are also included.

GERMAN–ENGLISH / ENGLISH–GERMAN DICTIONARY
•More than 20,000 words, idioms, and expressions.
•Examples show how words are used in everyday conversation.
•1,000 frequently used words are highlighted for easy reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not the Best Audio Language Teacher
Of the purely audio language learning systems I have used Living Language and Pimsleur.(Rosetta Stone, which I have also used, is computer-based).Of the two audio systems, Pimsleur is the most effective at building up the ability to speak.This is mostly a matter of approach -- Pimsleur builds from very simple questions and answers up to beginner conversational abilities; Living Language is focused on memorization of words and drills.

If you are taking a language course with a human instructor, Living Language provides some good supplementary practice and drills.But, if you want to learn to speak, Pimsleur is the right choice.

you can't just listen and learn
I wish I didn't buy this.

1.You can't just listen and learn:you MUST have the book with you.Why?THEY DON'T SAY WHAT THE WORDS ARE IN ENGLISH BEFORE SAYING THE GERMAN WORD.They just start speaking in German.

2.The only thing they do on the CD is pronounce things.

3.The CD track names are:Lesson 1, Lesson 2, etc and not things like:Numbers, Greetings, etc

4.The book is not very informative for beginners.I don't know what someone who already knows how to speak German would say, but I'm not really learning a thing.

It's all about repetition
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.

Leaves a lot to be desired
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.

Excellent- but you need dedication
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! ... Read more

Product Description
Mark Twain's classic work ... Read more

Product Description
Exceptionally fine poetry by Germany’s greatest literary figurespans a wide range of styles, forms and moods, offering a rich selection of the poet’s verse—from his earliest, "An den Schlaf" ("To Sleep"), written when he was 18, to his last great poem, "Verdächtnis" ("Legacy"), written when he was 80. Excellent line-for-line English translations of such masterworks as "Prometheus," "Rastlose Liebe" ("Restless Love"), "An den Mond" ("To the Moon") "Zigeunerlied" ("Gypsy Song"), "Der Zauberlehrling" ("The Sorcerer’s Apprentice"), and many more. Excellently translated by Stanley Appelbaum, with an Introduction, Commentary, and other apparatus.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

103 Great Poems Meistergedichte Johann Wolfgang von GOethe
Perfect for anyone who wants to read Goethe's peotry in German and understand it as well.For those familar with the German language, Goethe isn't the easiest writer to understand in German. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents an overview of the German economic structure and culture with an emphasis on business vocabulary. Helps develop the four skills (reading, speaking, writing and listening) within the context of the German business environment through its computer software and tapes of interviews with German business professionals. Each section is followed by oral exercises for comprehension and language practice. Includes problems and issues associated with the reunification. A sample syllabus facilitates class planning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book!
The book explains all the domains of business German.The vocabulary exercise are very useful since one can find that many of the words in common classroom German have different meaning in the financial world.I think, they should update it to a more modern German.The version that I have include the DDR though. ... Read more

Product Description
Over 130 poems by 23 poets, including Goethe, Schiller, Hölderlin, Tieck, Heine, Mörike, Storm, Nietzsche and many others. Excellent new literal English translations on facing pages, along with an informative introduction and concise evaluations of each poet. Unique opportunity to enjoy a rich sampling from one of the world’s great poetic traditions.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Love it
This book is great. The german is on one side and the english on the other and the poems it displays are well known.This book is a great way to learn some german or to just enjoy classic poems from international authors.

Full of Memories
There is beauty in the German words and phrases that is not translatable, but it is nice to have a literal translation next to the original when the reader doesn't have a dictionary handy. This is a nice collection of a good variety of poems.

Amazing!
The selection of poems is amazing! I have taken German Romanticism class in college and was very happy to see that all of my favorite poems were in this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a great overview.

Nice collection.
This is a nice collection of poetry, which I bought solely for the German, not the translated, poetry. The translations are usually pretty good, faithful to the language and the feeling of the original poem--as much as possible with a translation, of course. There were a few poems where I felt that the English word-choice was not what I would have chosen, and that another would have conveyed the flavor of the English word better, or, less often, that the change in the word-order, while making the poem read more "English," was not the word order I would have used. Nonetheless, for the selection of poetry alone, I give this collection 4 stars. It would probably be a nice gift for a high school student studying German (who enjoys poetry), particularly since adolescence is the perfect time of life to be reading the Romantics, which resonate well with the highs and lows of the teenage years! It would also be nice for someone who studied German years ago, but hasn't read it in a while, since the English side of the text can provide a bit of help when the meaning of a word or two escapes. It's also not a bad choice if you just want to read some German poetry and are having a hard time finding anything in the original, although it is a very slim volume.

1/2... Germany's Romantics
The Romantic Era was the culmination of a decisive break from the past. Eschewing the formal artificialities of the Classical Period, it gave emphasis to a new, more honest & personal style of expression. Emphasis on night, death, nature, & romance were highly pronounced through the artist's intense subjection to feeling.

In this fine bilingual anthology, Stanley Appelbaum compiles & translates the foremost poets of Germany's answer to the scene. Famous names share pages with lesser known ones. Goethe, Schiller, Holderlin, Novalis, & Heine are well represented here. There are a few duds ( Uhland, Lenau, Nietzsche ), but the rest are marvelous. The exquisite lyrics draw the reader into the poets' world, the verses vividly capturing & revealing these bards inner states in timeless sublimity.

The Romantic Movement extended throughout the Western Hemisphere, inspiring like-minded geniuses to create undying works of art whose influence has become a way of life. Reading this anthology reminds us of the beauty in being human. ... Read more

Product Description

Go beyond conjugation and learn the right verb tenses for speaking and writing in German

If you are looking for help memorizing German verb conjugations, then any German verb book will do. But if you are interested in becoming fluent in German, you'll need to learn how these language building blocks are used in everyday speech and writing. That's where Practice Makes Perfect: German Verb Tenses comes in.

The ideal reference/workbook for beginning to intermediate German-language learners, Practice Makes Perfect: German Verb Tenses shows you when and why to use certain verb tenses and gives you plenty of examples, increasing your confidence in choosing the right word.

Practice Makes Perfect: German Verb Tenses lets you:

• Learn when and why to use different verb tenses
• Reinforce your knowledge with everyday examples covering a wide range of topics
• Build your verb skills using more than 100 engaging exercises

With numerous skill-building exercises, comprehensive verb conjugation tables, and the proven Practice Makes Perfect format, you will learn to speak and write in German fluently in no time at all.

Customer Reviews (5)

Practice makes perfect
As someone else already pointed out, this book is not meant for begginers. It requires one to have a good deutsch vocabulary.

Excellent
This book is very, very helpful.It introduces the grammatical concept, notes any important exceptions, gives a few helpful examples, and then lets gives you several practice exercises with a full answer key in the back. It is extremely comprehensive, covering the Present Tense, the Narrative and Conversational Past tenses, the Future Tense, and the Subjunctive Mood.The Modal Auxiliaries are given extensive treatment in all tenses.Early on I was frustrated that it did not seem to indicate which form of "Sie" it wanted you to conjugate, but then I realized the fragments in the exercises actually form a cohesive narrative and you can induce which form of "Sie" it is by simply following the story.This book is also an excellent way to build your vocabulary; whenever you encounter a verb or noun you are unfamiliar with you can jot it down and look it up.Overall highly recommended for the intermediate German student.(Beginners look elsewhere)

Practice makes Perfect is Perfect!
I'm a MS & HS German teacher and I think this book is a great resource for teaching students or teaching yourself. Each new section begins with an explanation of the grammar concept, followed by several practice exercises. The explanations & exercises are very comprehensive and the answer key is included in the back of the book. I own all three books in the series (Pronouns & Prepositions, Verb Tenses, & Vocabulary) and I recommend them all!

*Watch for Astrid Henschel's other book by the name of "German Verb Drills" (it's purple & white) it's handy, but for the same price the Practice Makes Perfect book is twice the size. Stick with this one!

Recommend Buying This Book
The German Verb Tenses book is a very helpful book if you have a working knowledge of German. It may be to difficult for the very beginner German student.

I have personally found the German Verb Tenses book to help me improve my correspondence with my German email friends.

I have an extensive vocabuary of verbs and their tenses; however, I am learning many new verbs and vocabulary in general from the Practice Makes Perfect: German Verb Tenses book.

I highly recommend buying this book if you want to be fluent in German, you won't be sorry.

Great information and drills but definitely not for beginners.
I picked this book up without looking closely enough at the actual exercises, of which there are many. I should have noticed that they actually require a fairly advanced German Vocabulary to even complete the simplest of drills. This was noticeable even at the very first set of exercises.

If you are somewhat advanced in your German vocabulary though, this may be very helpful as there are very many drills and exercises that follow the explanations of usage. It's just really not something a beginning German student would be able to use as its just too frustrating to complete the drill/exercises when you don't really understand what the words mean. A beginner would just require too much time spent using a dictionary.

If you're a beginner I would suggest a grammar book that offers a more balanced presentation of information; one that starts the student at the beginning and requires little, if any, prior knowledge of German.

I should probably condition my rating as being '2 stars' if your a beginner and '4 stars' if your advanced enough in your overall German to be able to understand the exercises. ... Read more

Product Description
Basic Germanis suitable for independent study and for class use.
Features include:
*Clear grammatical explanations with examples in both English and German
*Authentic language samples from a range of media
*Checklists at the end of each unit to reinforce key points
*Cross referencing to other grammar chapters
*Full exercise answer key
*Glossary of grammatical terms.
Basic German is the ideal reference and practice book for beginners, but also for students with some knowledge of the language.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Carefully organized, comes with answer key
It's nice to have a book that comes with an answer key for a change.Too many of these come with questions but no way to determine if you got it right.This one could use a pronunciation guide but other than that it's pretty good. ... Read more

Product Description
Thinking German Translation, Second Edition, is a comprehensive practical course in translation for advanced students of German, which focuses on improving translation quality whilst giving clear explanations of the theoretical issues involved. This second edition brings the course up-to-date, has been fully revised to give clearer explanations of key terms and features revised chapters on genre, compensation and revision and editing.

Based on detailed analysis of translations problems, Thinking German Translation features new contemporary material taken from a wide range of sources, including:

DT Business and politics
DT Press and publicity
DT Engineering
DT Tourism
DT Literary and consumer-oriented texts

A variety of translation issues are addressed, including:

DT Cultural differences
DT Register and dialect
DT Genre
DT Revision and Editing

Thinking German Translation is essential reading for all students wishing to perfect their translation skills.It is also an excellent foundation for those considering a career in translation.

A Tutor's Handbook for this course, giving guidance on teaching methods and assessment, is also available in PDF format from our website. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Translation Bible
This book is a valuable resource for people who wish to translate from German to English or are learning to do so. This edition has been rewritten from earlier editions and it is a great improvement. The explanations are clear and there are lots of examples. Perhaps the only drawback for American readers is that the authors taught in Scotland, so the English is British English. This is not really a problem in the text, but some usages in the translated examples may sound a little strange to American ears, but this is a minor problem, given the excellent presentation and explanations. I highly recommend this book. === nbz

Thinking German Translation
For anyone that is interested in translating texts from German to English, this is an essential.This book will help you understand how complicated and multi-faceted the art of translating is and it is also a good place to start for anyone interested in translation.Great examples from actual published translations and good commentary that follows. ... Read more

Product Description

"Wow! This book is simply amazing -- visually stunning, rich with information, and overflowing with detail... Essential for students of any of these languages, lovers of language, and any library supporting a language program or multilingual patrons."-- Library Journal (starred review of first edition)

35,000 terms per language and 6,000 color illustrations.

Unparalleled in its scope and detail, The Firefly Five-Language Visual Dictionary features 6,000 color illustrations labeled with 35,000 terms in each of English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Each key word or phrase is connected to an illustration that makes identification and translation quick and accurate.

Customer Reviews (3)

Firefly
Great book! Exactly what I have been looking for. The perfect book for learning proper terminology.

Great educational tool for interpreters
This is a fabulous resource for educational interpreters working with students that use or are learning other languages other than English, including ASL.It is also a wonderful resource for sign language interpreters enabling us to see the picture of the object to give us ideas as to which classifiers to use in the interpretation as well as how to set it up as we prepare for the classroom.It is also very helpful in the tutoring environment as a picture is worth a thousand words.It is very detailed in its drawings.I spent a long time comparing different resources like this one and kept narrowing it down to this one.I am very thankful I finally purchased this book as I am pleased with it.It meets my expectations.

Helpful compilation
I purchased the Firefly Five Language Dictionary to complement my study of German, French and Spanish.

Although I am fairly literate in English and some people even say I am fluent in Spanish, I find that the illustrations in this Dictionary consistently provide me with names even for items I see daily but have never associated with a precise English word, let alone the appropriate term in another tongue.

As a visual dictionary, it obviously isn't full of adjectives, verbs or other parts of speech.It is essentially just illustrations with words that identify each component part in five languages (along with gender for the non-English tongues).

From oil rigs, to bicycles, to insects, to the human body, the pictures in this Dictionary gives you names of parts for which one might not even know the proper English term. ... Read more

Product Description
BERLITZ RUSH HOUR GERMAN

A musical language course for people on the go


Have you ever noticed how you still remember words to a song you haven t heard in years? Berlitz Publishing knows that putting words to music makes the words easier to remember. Rush Hour uses the power of catchy melodies and dynamic rhythms to introduce you to basic German expressions and vocabulary for everyday life. Rush Hour German holds listeners interest by following a day in the life of its main character, Jon, who wishes to learn the foreign language of a girl he wants to date. As he learns German, so will you! Original music and catchy songs help you remember everyday words, phrases, and sentences and the romantic, exciting storyline keeps you involved.


What do I get?

*2 audio CDs (2 hours total)

*1 bonus music-only CD of favorite Rush Hour songs (1/2 hour)

*Listener s guide so you can follow along with the audio


How does the course work?

1. All audio course listen and learn at home, at the gym, in the car, on the plane

2. 10 short lessons fit easily into your busy lifestyle

3. Get additional support online--go to berlitzpublishing.com for a downloadable audio script and learner s guide


Topics include:

*Greetings

*Telling time

*Transportation

*Weather

*Jobs

*Food

*Shopping

*Sports

*Leisure activities
... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Well Done! Fun, Easy, Entertaining
To really learn German fast and efficiently (just the way I like it:), I am simultaneously listening to and practicing with Rosetta Stone Version 3: German Level 1, 2 & 3 Set with Audio CompanionV3, Pimsleur German I, II and III (Comprehensive) with Audiofy USB Reader (Audiofy Digital Audiobook Chips), Mostly Martha (and other movies in German), this Berlitz Rush Hour, and others, and I'm really enjoying this as one of the best for beginners.

There's a story going on between the characters, so in a way, you're motivated to keep listening to find out what will happen and how the story ends.

It covers the basics to say at home, at work, when travelling, eating out, etc. It's for beginners so there will be some English dialogue that makes it easier to learn the German sentences. The German sentences are also put into songs, which makes me remember them easier. I like this and I'm looking for something Intermediate since I'm close to memorizing/learning every word and phrases on this one.

Very Basic, But a Lot of Material, and Keeps It Light...
First, I've already used Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, and Michel Thomas to learn conversational German.I purchased the Rush Hour German for a basic refresher while back in the states.

This course will NOT teach you to speak conversational German; however, it does cover alot of basic phrases/words, and is a lively lisen.

There are a total of 10 learning modules-each one is about 10-15 minutes long. Subjects covered: numbers, alphabet, basic greetings, describing people, the office, the house, the restaurant, travel, telling time, things to do, etc...

A good product for the price-I bought for 29.95 at Barnes and Noble.You get 3 CDs, a CD carrying case, and a book that covers everything that is on the CDs.

The songs are cheesy (intentionally so?), but the audio quality is par excellence, and again, the tongue in cheek approach to learning German is refreshing. If you have little/no exposure to the German language, or just want a basic review, this is the product for you.

silly, but surprisingly helpful
I bought this before heading to Germany for vacation and I had already been learning some German on my own via other sources for a few weeks. I listened to this CD in my car for about a week and though the running storyline for the skits is a bit cheesy, the songs stuck in my head and the dialogue was actually very helpful and the pronounciation was very good. My kids even starting repeating the phrases. I recommend it for anyone that wants a no-stress beginning German review or to start with some basics.

Rush Hour German CD Review
The CD's are helpful and the musical aspects help you pick it up fast.For someone who wants to be able to have basic conversations in German in a few days, this product is quite useful.

Torture!
I'm a great believer in the "listen and repeat" method of foreign language learning.Unfortunately, the opportunity for repetition is foregone in favor of these ridiculous ditties.Each lesson begins with large chunks of dialogue, mostly in English, before launching into an endless stream of irritating songs which seem to serve no purpose other than to reduce the clarity of the vocabulary. The "engaging" scenarios are just plain dumb. I was seduced by the Berlitz name; more fool me.

"Drive Time Italian" was much more useful for actually beginning to speak the language and I supplemented the vocabulary with Rick Steve's little wonder book.So, I'm good for Italy but will have to depend on recall from high-school for Germany. ... Read more

Product Description
BERLITZ ESSENTIAL GERMAN

All you ll need to know to teach yourself German!


A comprehensive beginner-level language course with 20 chapters, each featuring an engaging dialogue, vocabulary, grammar lessons and activities, Essential is a well-rounded course for any style of learner.


What Do I Get?

*Lesson book

*Audio CD


Completely REVISED edition featuring:

*Grammar explanations that make sense

*Dialogues on audio CD hear German as it s really spoken

*A variety of exercises for quick and easy practice

*Glossary for easy reference


Learn online 24/7

*Access authentic German websites to boost your language skills

*Download additional audio to improve your pronunciation
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book, but not for the casual learner
I bought this book after my friend returned to Germany and another friend will be teaching English there. I have finished the first three lessons and have learned quite a lot. My previous studies in Spanish and French have helped, though. I have retained much of what I have learned after one sitting. This book is best used to learning the language in the long run, not as a pre-travel/phrasebook (Berlitz has books for that). I use it conjunction with <[...]>, which is free!

All the Berlitz 'Essential' Books are excellent!
My first Berlitz course was an 8 week total immersion Russian course. It was one on one 8 hours a day. And the book we used as the base of my learning? Yep, Berlitz Essential Russian. The books seem basic but what they are doing is building a foundation of the language in a very precise and methodical way. This foundation then allows you to easily learn the language at an accelerated rate by simply increasing vocabulary. I speak Russian well now and work in Moscow often without problems. It takes a great deal of work, but Berlitz knows how to teach languages. I'm now doing the same with German. This book is not for the casual traveler looking to learn a few quick phrases. This/these books will give you the building blocks necessary to learn and speak the language effectively.And remember if you are self-teaching, you will need some sort of audible version of the language. Rosetta Stone is an excellent substitute for an instructor.Good Luck!

Skip this one
This book is increadibly basic. The lessons are sparse and cover only a couple words at a time. There are weird useless games and fill in the blank activities that get you nowhere. Just look at the table of contents! When it does get into making important points about grammer it is vague and misleading. A beginner would be much better off with either the "Berlitz Self Teacher" or "German : how to Speak it and Write it". ... Read more

Product Description
BERLITZ INTERMEDIATE GERMAN

Advance your German today!


The perfect follow-up course to Basic German, Berlitz Intermediate German helps language-learners take their language skills to the next level and get comfortable in conversational situations. Featuring everyday language presented in the context of high-interest topics, Intermediate German consists of six easy-to follow units on three audio CDs and includes a full-color course book. Includes a free downloadable audio script and a free Berlitz lesson discount coupon good at any participating Berlitz language center, worldwide.


What Do I Get?

*Course book

**Variety of language-building activities

**Culture and language tips

**Pronunciation activities

**Easy-to-understand grammar explanations

**Review exercises

**Cumulative tests

*3 Audio CDs with native speakers


What Makes It So Effective?

*Listen to native speakers and engaging, real life conversations

*Gain international language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking with ease and confidence

*Short effective lessons so you ll never feel overwhelmed

*Compatible with your iPod® or MP3 devices
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Intermediate German
This is a super book for those who think they have mastered the basics. It is very well presented and the scenarios on the recordings are interesting and easy to follow. ... Read more