Reviews

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A Confidently Titled Italian Grammar

3 Italian, Books

I have mixed feelings about Barron’s Mastering Italian Grammar by Beatrice Rovere-Fenati. I find the grammar explanations responsible and thorough, but there are annoying popout bubbles that interrupt the larger grammatical narrative and brightly tell me…

Action Shot, Fluenz Mandarin Language-Learning Software

4 Mandarin, Books, Multimedia

Fluenz Mandarin is an interactive multimedia product, with audio, writing, reading, and speaking instruction. I am as of this writing on lesson 57 out of 75 lessons. When I first started using Fluenz Mandarin, I was surprised to discover that my…

Essential Portuguese Grammar: This Is a Great Little Book

5 Portuguese, Books

I have encountered only a few books like Essential Portuguese Grammar over the years of this language project: small, simple, and clear. It is a gift that, after seeing some of the junk out there, I do…

You Can Roam the City with This

5 Dutch, Books

This is not a language book, but rather, a guide from the Museum of the City of New York that reveals the layers of the past lying beneath our New York present. Exploring Historic Dutch New York…

My Essential Dutch Grammar Started Out in One Piece...

3 Dutch, Books

It’s not as though there are hundreds of Dutch grammars out there for English speakers to choose from. There just aren’t all that many English speakers looking for grammar books on Dutch. So Essential Dutch Grammar: A…

Don't Buy This

1 Hindi, Books, Multimedia

The book part of this Teach Yourself Hindi book-CD combo package starts out: “This course is designed to enable those with no previous knowledge of Hindi to learn to read, write and converse in the language with…

Teach Yourself Arabic? Nope, I Couldn't Teach Myself with This

2 Arabic, Books, Multimedia

I used Teach Yourself Arabic by Jack Smart and Frances Altorfer back in 2009, and it struck me as an example of language-learning marketing trumping actual usability. This book-CD combo was a total bust for me. I confess I…

Pocket German Dictionary with Pencil for Scale

3-5 German, Books, Dictionaries

This is a really, really tiny dictionary, and the font is really, really tiny, too. If you have bad vision, I can’t recommend it.  But if you have bionic eyes, go for it! Random House Websterâ€â€¦

An Ambitiously Titled Book: Complete Italian Grammar

4 Italian, Books

I like Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar by Marcel Danesi. It has clear explanations. In terms of level: according to the preface, Complete Italian Grammar is for intermediate and advanced learners. Although this…

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