Book Description
Bestselling language courses now with audio CDs!
From Danish to Spanish, Swahili to Brazilian Portuguese, the languages of the world are brought within the reach of any beginning student. Learners can use the Teach Yourself Language Courses at their own pace or as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are based on the very latest learning methods and designed to be enjoyable and user-friendly.
Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including:
- Up-to-date, graded interactive dialogues
- Graded units of culture notes, grammar, and exercises
- Step-by-step guide to pronunciation
- Practical vocabulary
- Regular and irregular verb tables
- Plenty of practice exercises and answers
- Bilingual glossary
The new editions also feature:
- Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
- Self-assessment quizzes to test progress
- Website suggestions to take language study further
Customer Reviews:
I want my money back..........2007-01-18
The audio CD doesn't gives only one or two exercises where you can repond and focuses almost exclusively on listening. In addition, the written exercises do not follow what is on the CD so often you don't know if you have completed the exercises correctly or not. My husband is Brazilian and I speak fluent Spanish so I understand spoken Portuguese. I wanted something to help me with my pronunciation and grammer, but this wasn't it!
Annoying waste of money!
Poorly Organized.......2005-11-21
I did not have time to look through the small selection of Brazilian Portuguese grammar texts at the bookstore I bought this at, so I thought, usually the Teach Yourself books are pretty good (Italian and old French ones are great). I was thoroughly disappointed by this one however. The organization is terrible, grammar points are not thoroughly covered. It seems that only enough is explained to help you understand the specific conversation pieces throughout the text. This also was a pain, because over half the book is dedicated to conversations/dialogues that are helpful, yes, but very specific and the audio cassettes/cd's are basically essential here.
Overall a poor investment. I'm looking for another grammar book and I just bought this a week ago.
A pleasant introduction with some faults.......2005-08-16
The author of this book should win an award for the worst pronunciation guide. The examples for vowels and consonants are so vague, one really doesn't know when to use a nasal vowel or not, and the consonant 'r' needs a good deal more seeing how it is aspirated in certain instances. On the other hand, if you are looking for an enjoyable introduction to BP, this book will give you all the basics. I bought it to learn a bit of the language to make my ESL students feel welcome and to speak to my cleaning staff. One cannot learn a language with one book, but combined with the cd's you can get a decent start.
Brazilian Portuguese but British English!.......2004-10-05
This course is supposed to be for the Portuguese of Brazil as opposed to that of Portugal but the book is written in British English. This does not make much sense to me. It is for the Portuguese spoken in the American Continent but is written in the English used in Europe, why not in American English?
Another problem I have with this course is its lack of logical organization. It jumps from one thing to another. As you go through the units you build up confusion instead of building up competence in the language. I gave up half way through!
Not a favourite with me, you can tell. Sorry, but this is my experience of this course.
This book is okay if you already speak some portuguese.......2004-06-01
This book is Okay if you already know the basic words and phrases, It helped me to learn some of the different tenses, and SOME gramatical rules; but it is not put together in a logical way, where you can just turn to a certain chapter to refresh your memory on how to say a particular phrase. I would not reccomend it to people who have never studied portuguese or spanish before, becuase it will not give you the tools to form sentances properly. It seems to be more for a traveler who is planning to go to Brasil for a couple of weeks and only needs to know certain phrases. It also bothered me that it is written in British english, not North American. If you are trying to speak fluently, I would definitly not waste your money.
Book Description
Lounging in Lisbon? Teach yourself Portuguese!
With Teach Yourself it's possible for virtually anyone to learn and experience the languages of the world, from Afrikaans to Zulu; Ancient Greek to Modern Persian; Beginner's Latin to Biblical Hebrew. Follow any of the
Teach Yourself Language Courses Audiopackages at your own pace or use them as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are professionally designed for self-guided study, making them one of the most enjoyable and easy to use language courses you can find. Audiopackages include an instructional paperback book and two companion 60-minute audio CDs.
Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including:
- Step-by-step guide to pronunciation and grammar
- Regular and irregular verb tables
- Plenty of practice exercises and answers
- Practical vocabulary and a bilingual glossary
- Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
- An exploration of the culture
- And much more
Customer Reviews:
move cd files to your ipod and learn on the go.......2007-07-12
what i like the most about this product is that the language lessons are on cd. i just moved them over to itunes and then put them on my ipod. then i was able to practice them wherever i was going. i read the book but not that much ...just enough to figure things out when i had a question. being a fluent spanish speaker i didnt really need to study the grammar that much anyway because it's kind of the same. i (or anyone) just need to listen to the words and phrases over and over again so that I can say things with the right accent/pronunciation and to understand what's being said (at a BASIC level). so ...after studying and listening to the lessons from the course for about a month or so ...i just went to Brazil (Rio of course) and had a great time and was able to communicate fairly well with people who spoke neither english or spanish. it helps SO much to know the basic vocabulary when visiting a country ...thanks to manuela cook.
Teach Yourself Portuguese Complete Course Package (Book + 2CDs) (Teach Yourself . . . Complete Courses).......2007-03-09
Not very good-seems to jump around-not easy to get into and learn-luckily there is a native speaker in my home to help me-otherwise, good luck on your own with this product.
A diamond and a cubic zirconia.......2007-01-03
Boa tarde. My rating is a bit misleading, so I should clarify. I am rating the book only, not the accompanying CDs- which I rate 0. This was the first product I purchased in my effort to learn Portuguese, and I am thoroughly disappointed. I never buy anything from Amazon without giving due consideration to opinions of other customers. I gambled on this one and came up short. If you're reading these comments and reviews, don't ignore the warnings- great book, awful CDs.
If you're interested in both the European and Brazillian pronunciation, you might find the CDs useful, but I doubt it. I've since purchased other programs taught by native speakers, and I can tell you Teach Yourself does not do the language justice. There are other packages that really give you the true flavor of the language. On Teach Yourself, as a beginner I had trouble following. I feel that the tone, quality and diction of the male speaker's voice poorly demonstrate any language, much less a foreign language. The dialogue has no soul, no emotion, almost flat, making it hard to adopt the intonation, which is a very important dynamic of speech. I also feel that the announcer (the english voice that helps you know which lessons you're listening to) is extremely distracting. It breaks the flow of things terribly so. I hate to be so critical, but I could hardly bear listening to the CDs. The book is wonderfully constructed and informative, a true gem, but difficult to get the most out of it without the audio lessons.
I'm hard pressed to recommend any program, even the ones I like because learning styles and expectations differ. But I'm comfortable recommending that you DON'T buy this one. Search the internet and I guarantee you'll find some free basic lessons and reasonably priced books/CDs far better than Teach Yourself Portuguese. The best ones I've found you won't find on Amazon. For example: [...]
Good book, bad CD.......2006-12-04
The book is acceptable, although it does not explain an important feature of the Portuguese language which is the position of direct and indirect object pronouns. Since that is unique and features constantly in the language, the only way to understand it is to buy another book that addresses it!
The CD, however, is dreadful. It mixes European and Brazilian pronounciations constantly and in each dialogue so that it is impossible for the beginner to focus on one, or even know which is which (since that is not clarified). It is both confusing and chaotic. It would have made a lot more sense to separate both pronounciations, either by relegating certain lessons to one or the other, or repeating entire dialogues in one or the other (while specifying which is which), rather than having people constantly pronouncing the same words in different ways!
Not for those of us in the Western Hemisphere.......2006-11-22
This product consists of a paperback book and two CD's. It is quite well organized, easy to follow and reasonably priced. Although limited by the modest scope of its content, it can give you some meaningful exposure to beginning Portuguese. However, it has one feature that renders it nearly entirely unsuitable for anyone intending to learn the spoken Portuguese of Brazil - it devotes equal time to European pronunciations, which are starkly different from the Brazilian. In fact, my Brazilian wife (who speaks four languages fluently) has a hard enough time understanding European Portuguese. Trying to master these two very different sets of pronunciations is more than should be expected of any beginner. If you are an American going to Brazil, this is simply not the product for you. (If you want an introduction to the difference between the two types of pronunciation, however, this is not a bad introduction for the price).
Average customer rating:
- For tourists and residents
- My first choice
- Masterly Teaching
- This is a good Portuguese course
|
Teach Yourself Portuguese (Teach Yourself Complete Courses)
Manuela Cook
Manufacturer: Teach Yourself Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Phrasebooks - General
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0340870915 |
Customer Reviews:
For tourists and residents.......2006-01-04
This is a very good course in many respects, but one of its strongest points is its wide range of application. This is a course for the absolute beginner but also for the more advanced learner. I used it initially as a tourist and now I am using it (the more advanced units) for further study. It starts with the usual hotel, food, shopping, etc for the tourist. Then it moves on to more advanced language, for example, what you need when visiting the doctor or coping with a car accident. On a happier note, you learn what to say when you go to the hairdresser (men and women) and how to make social conversation at a party. You learn how to write a letter (social and formal) and how to make a phone call, not simple matters in a foreign language. At a further stage, this course really caters for the resident. You learn how to open a bank account, apply for a job, go about buying or renting a flat or a house. You even learn how to tell your domestic help how you would like the service done - cooking, house cleaning, clothes washing and ironing, feeding your pet. Nothing seems to be missing. Extremely useful indeed. A course I am very happy to recommend.
My first choice.......2004-10-01
I first bought this course to give myself a good start before joining classes. Little I knew at the time that my class teacher was going to recommend this course. I am glad we agree on the choice.
The course is very easy at the beginning, just right for an absolute beginner. As you move on through the units, new information always relates to something you have learnt before. This has a double effect, it helps ou remember what you already know and sits comfortably on it.
The book deals with all sorts of topics you need. You start by saying hello and learn the basics for food, travel, accommodation, emergencies. In the subsequent units you go through all this again at a slightly more advanced level. And so on. I quite like this method.
You get lots of help in a number of ways. Pronunciation is one of them. The sounds are explained in the units, there is a detailed pronunciation table in the appendix and everything is also on the recording. You can't go wrong!
There is also another thing I quite like in this course, the way grammar is introduced. Grammar is there, but it is not overbearing. It is very clearly explained, it helps you understand what you are saying and the way you are saying it, but there are no boring grammar drills. That's good!
Masterly Teaching.......2004-02-14
This course is very practical and efficient. You learn exactly the sort of thing you need when you go to the country, starting with passport control and customs on your arrival, finding your way in town, etc. Every vocabulary and structure you learn you can visualize yourself in a situation where it will be of practical use to you.
Also useful is teaching you neutral Portugese you can use in any country where the language is spoken. This is very important in my case. Work often takes me to Rio de Janeiro in South America and Lisbon in Europe. All-purpose Portuguese suits me fine.
What I most admire in this course is how it goes straight to what you need to know. It seems to guess the problems you may have and provide the solution before you get into difficulty. Dr. Cook's method is very skilful. She must have many grateful students.
This is a good Portuguese course.......2004-01-25
I know how difficult it can be to find a good language course. I have found one. I'm actually quite enthusiastic about it and want to share my views with other learners.
Why is this course the Portuguese course for me ?
This course focuses on practical, every-day usage of the language and does not waste your time with too much detail on the grammar. The subjects covered are very useful for travellers and people intending a longer stay.
This course assumes no pre-knowledge of the language and explains even the most basic phrases and vocabulary step by step. The units build well on each other.
The structure of each unit is very logical: (1) dialogues you can read and listen to (2) good vocabulary help with the meaning of every word in the dialogues (3) question practice on the dialogues (4) pronunciation guide (5) the phrases used are clearly explained (6) activities at the end of each unit and revision units with more activities.
This is truly a course you can use to teach yourself. It gives the learner plenty of support and moves at a rate that can be taken on board by a self-taught student. Just one warning: the book alone won't do. You need the audio for the dialogues, pronunciation, and activities.
This is an excellent course for the money. It's enjoyable and you can go at your own pace. It gives you a quick fix in the first units, then progresses to further learning.
This is a good, solid course. This course is helping me. I hope my comments will help you.
Book Description
This course is aimed at the beginner, and a language survival kit is provided in the first five units. Although designed mainly for those with no previous knowledge, this course is equally suitable for anyone wishing to brush up existing skills. Key structures and vocabulary are introduced and revised in a total of twenty five units. The emphasis is on communication and practical vocabulary for a holiday, business trip or a longer stay.
There is plenty of help throughout: tips and `handy hints' on pronunciation and grammar; a pronunciation chart; verb tables; and two mini-dictionaries, Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese. In addition, plenty of exercises are available with a key so that learners can check their progress. Cross reference indexes at the end of the book enable quick access to the various topics and language points.
The Portuguese taught in this course is applicable to both Brazilian and European practice. The model dialogues focus on structures and vocabulary which are used on both sides of the Atlantic. The same applies to pronunciation. For a model the learner can identify with one of the Brazilian or European Portuguese native speakers on the recordings.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutely super!.......2003-05-14
Fun, easy and very efficient. Excellent audio, slow enough for a beginner, excellent dialogues with the kind of words and structures you need in a foreign country. The language is explained in a way that makes it easy to understand. There are absolutely lots of exercises to practice what you are learning. This is a course I strongly recommend.
An excellent course.......2003-04-29
There are several reasons why I really like about this course: the method (you build up your knowledge of the language step by step); the authentic dialogues; the grammar notes and verb conjugation tables; the cultural points; and the letter writing. The course is lively, fun, and very efficient. The audio is good, at the right speed for the learner. The book also has lots of exercises with a key, another very good feature. I bought this course after having bought Portuguese Living Language (ISBN 1400020239) and I am using both. I think they make good partners.
A better way of learning Portuguese.......2003-04-17
If more than five stars were available, I would give them to this course. Some courses specifically for Brazilian or European Portuguese teach you local expressions and colloquialisms that make learning harder for people like me who want to use the language on both sides of the Atlantic. After struggling with a couple of such courses, I was fortunate to find this one. In this course the starting point is the common ground between Brazilian and European Portuguese. The differences are then explained and you can pick what you need depending where you want to use the language.
I bought this course last year and have gone through most of it. So far, I have used what I am learning in Brazil, Portugal and Angola. When I spoke Portuguese in these countries, it was a fantastic feeling to see that I was actually understood. The accompanying audio gives you different voices, which also helps with the various accents even within Brazil (they sound quite different in the north and in the south).
Another feature I particularly like in this course is that it is very communicative. Everything you learn can be used straight away, in authentic situations: formalities on arrival, finding the way, hiring a car, hotel and other accommodation, food, shopping, health, meeting people socially or for business, and a lot more. This course is a superb buy.
A Flexible Friend.......2002-12-12
My fiancé and I visited Portugal this year for a semester. Since neither of us spoke the language we decided to purchase a teach yourself course. Having reviewed all the available material, we found the above book and audio package to be the best value. Best because it also covers Portuguese as spoken in Brazil; our next target.
What appealed to us about the book was the modern day approach which the author adopted. Its flexibility by allowing us to go as far into a topic as we wished. That the same book would serve us equally as well when we visited Brazil. Also and the number of different topics covered.
Quite naturally, when you are a beginner, grammar can be the biggest obstacle. No problem here. The grammar is presented in small amounts, each piece being targeted to your progress.
Dialogues used in the book to demonstrate model sentences use expressions which can be found in everyday situations. In fact, they too have been pitched to cater for your confidence in using the grammar.
Equally the vocabulary used is very realistic and typical of everyday use. We particularly liked the vocabulary lists at the back of the book for quick reference of Portuguese to English and vice versa.
The range of topics to was invaluable. In the early stages of our visit we pointed to the phrase or sentence in the book to get what we wanted but as we read and immersed ourselves in the environment we spoke more.
You would have thought that because of the environment we were in, the audio assistance would not have been used so much. Not true, we found it very useful, particularly when we refer to our next target of Brazil. Having the ability to relate the daily Portuguese we heard to the audio aid and then relating it to Portuguese as spoken in Brazil made us feel comfortable over a next venture. There is little doubt, however, that we shall take our `Flexible friend' with us.
A course you can trust.......2002-12-12
This course gave me what others failed to. I felt that the author was always with me, informing, guiding, anticipating my problems and providing answers. Dr Cook must be a very good teacher!
You can go as far as you want, use the first units just to get by or go through the whole book. You can stop where you want and still have learned something. Pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary are very clearly explained. I strongly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn Portuguese, for Brazil, Portugal, and some countries in Africa or anywhere else where the language is spoken.
Average customer rating:
- Great help in helping build proficiency
- Excellent, the latest edition (2002) even better!
- Excellent, the latest edition even better!
- Excellent, the latest edition even better!
- Excellent, the latest edition even better!
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Teach Yourself Portuguese; A complete audio course for beginners (Teach Yourself)
Manuela Cook
Manufacturer: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Portuguese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Portuguese
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0844238198 |
Customer Reviews:
Great help in helping build proficiency.......2002-12-11
A while ago my company decided to expand into Portugal and I didn't speak a word of Portuguese. This course has helped me. The grammar explanations are excellent and there is a lot of guidance throughout the book on pronunciation. The vocabulary is practical and is supported by a two-way (i.e. Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese) mini-dictionary at the back of the book. The speakers on the tape have different accents, which has helped me 'fine tune my ear'. I believe that a sign of the quality of the book is the comments that I receive on my business trips saying how well I can speak Portuguese.
I also like the fact that the book educates you as to the cultural aspects of the country eg Fado singing as well as historic landmarks to visit eg the tower of Belim. I have also found this useful in helping me build up business relationships in that I can show I know something about the country and I always have a place in mind for when I am offered as a trip somewhere as part of my visit! Yet another strong point is that the book also covers Brazilian Portuguese. I shall be needing that too.
Excellent, the latest edition (2002) even better!.......2002-11-29
This course is for both European and Brazilian Portuguese. It systematically shows the differences and tells the learner how to switch over between the two. Grammar explanations are more detailed than usual in most language courses. Vocabulary is very practical, what you need to communicate. The course is user-friendly and actually teaches you the language. Better still if you buy the latest edition, 2002. It has lots of extra real life material, exercises (all with key), and has both CDs and Cassettes.
Excellent, the latest edition even better!.......2002-11-29
Teach Yourself Portuguese by Manuela Cook is both for European and Brazilian Portuguese. It systematically shows the differences and helps the learner to switch over between the two. Grammar explanations are more detailed than usual in most language courses. Vocabulary is very practical, what you need to communicate. The course is user-friendly and actually teaches you the language. Better still if you buy the new edition, of 2002. It has lots of extra real life material and exercises (all with key) and has both CDs and Cassettes. Highly recommended!
Excellent, the latest edition even better!.......2002-11-29
Teach Yourself Portuguese by Manuela Cook is both for European and Brazilian Portuguese. It systematically shows the differences and helps the learner to switch over between the two. Grammar explanations are more detailed than usual in most language courses. Vocabulary is very practical, what you need to communicate. The course is user-friendly and actually teaches you the language. Better still if you buy the new edition, of 2002. It has lots of extra real life material and exercises (all with key) and has both CDs and Cassettes. Highly recommended!
Excellent, the latest edition even better!.......2002-11-29
Teach Yourself Portuguese by Manuela Cook is both for European and Brazilian Portuguese. It systematically shows the differences and helps the learner to switch over between the two. Grammar explanations are more detailed than usual in most language courses. Vocabulary is very practical, what you need to communicate. The course is user-friendly and actually teaches you the language. Better still if you buy the new edition, of 2002. It has lots of extra real life material and exercises (all with key) and has both CDs and Cassettes. Highly recommended!
Average customer rating:
- Very limited and misleading
- Not the best
- One or two not three
- You may feel cheated
- It won't get you anywhere
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Brazilian Portuguese: A Complete Course for Beginners (Teach Yourself; Book only)
Sue Tyson-Ward
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Portuguese
| Foreign Language
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Portuguese
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0844200441 |
Book Description
Functional and fun, this course offers full pronunciation guides, grammar summaries, dialogues, cultural notes, vocabulary charts, and irregular verb tables.
Customer Reviews:
Very limited and misleading.......2004-01-08
This is advertised as a complete course but gives you only the basics and not very clearly explained. As a course it lacks the usual building up from easy beginnings to more complete sentences. You just get the language from the dialogues and this is never well explained.The tapes are difficult to follow. You buy this course thinking you have a complete course and all you get is a poor beginners course.
Not the best.......2003-12-11
This course has nice pictures but poor teaching. Some dialogues are unrealistic. A lady has lost her handbag, goes to the lost property office, does not report the lost bag, but the officer promises to look for it. How did he know she had lost the bag?
The course is rather heavy on grammar but does not explain it well. It says that 'Faca o favor de trabalhar' means Please work. This is talking to one person. To ask more than one person you change the verb from 'faca' to 'facam'. Then it goes on to say that you may also hear another form, 'Faz o favor de trabalhar' with an identical meaning when talking to just one person. End of explanation, The book does not seem to be aware that in this case you change the veb from 'faz' to 'fazem' to ask more than one person.
Some verbs appear in early units but are explained only fifty or more pages later. The future is introduced in dialogue 1 of unit 1 and explained in unit 14. The past is introduced in dialogue 1 of unit 7 and explained in unit 15. The reflexive verbs are introduced in dialogue 2 of unit 1. There is a brief explanation in unit 2 and in the Grammar Index there is a promise of a further explanation in unit 20. But there isn't a unit 20! The last one is unit 18.
This is all rather disappointing. I shall not be using this course with my students.
One or two not three.......2003-10-18
This course is showing three star rating. How can it show three stars with so many ones and twos. Surely it does not add up to more than a two average rating. Myself I coudn't give it more. Fast tape, poor lessons, frustrating all around, I gave it up and bought another course.
You may feel cheated.......2003-10-01
This book claims to be a complete course and a teach yourself one. Well, it's neither. This is no more than a feeble introduction to the language. Claiming that it is a complete course is misleading. For a teach yourself book it does not give you enough support. I had to buy a dictionary because the vocabulary is only part explained. I had to buy a grammar because the language explanations are unclear, to say the least. I had to pay a native speaker to help and pronounce the words because the recordings are too fast. The native speaker disagrees with most of the book, she says that this is not Brazilian Portuguese, is foreign Portuguese. Buying this course has been a frustrating experience and money badly spent. I feel positively cheated.
It won't get you anywhere.......2003-08-16
1: I bought this course. 2: There wasn't enough vocabulary to explain the dialogues and I spent more money buying a dictionary. 3: There wasn't enough in the way of explaining the language and I spent yet more money buying a grammar (Prista's, very good). 4: The recordings were too fast and not clear, I gave them up. 5: The course is disorganised, goes back and forward, not in a steady progression and I got frustrated. 6: I gave up the course all together. Not a happy story. I cannot recommend this course at all.
Average customer rating:
- A good friend
- Incremental steps
- Fine for a quick learn? Yes. Long term/fluency? No.
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Portuguese: A Complete Course for Beginners (Teach Yourself (Book & Cassette))
Manuela Cook
Manufacturer: Teach Yourself Bks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
Portuguese
| Languages
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Portuguese
| Instruction
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0844238694 |
Customer Reviews:
A good friend.......2002-12-09
I owe most of my Portuguese to this course. It offers more than most. It explains the language better than usual in a course for beginners. It is also very friendly. The author always appears to have the learner in mind. For the words in the dialogues, a literal translation is given in addition to the normal translation; grammar is carefully explained; the words you learn come around again so you don't forget them; and so on. You feel that the author really cares. For me each page was a step forward. I progressed steadily and I can actually speak some Portuguese. I am a very satisfied customer.
Incremental steps.......2002-11-10
Perhaps the most striking feature in this course is the gradual progression from the known to the unknown, in easy incremental steps. Grammar is explained thoroughly and then practice is given in exercises (there could be more exercises, though, for extra practice).
Another good point is the everyday vocabulary, very practical. Brazilian variants are shown throughout, so you know to say `comboio' in Portugal but `trem' in Brazil.
Fine for a quick learn? Yes. Long term/fluency? No........2001-03-20
First of all, this is my first try at the Portuguese language, although I've studied other languages before. The book takes an awful approach to learning the Portuguese alphabet -- although the letters look the same, oftentimes they're stressed completely differently, depending on where the stress is, etc., but all this book is to lay it out in a 8 or 9-page table in the beginning of the book. For someone who doesn't pick up accents very easily, this book barely even tries to explain the difference between an accented e ("is") and regular e ("and"). This book takes the viewpoint (as far as vocabulary) of the tourist -- o aeroporto, etc. -- and does include useful phrases. To its credit -- as far as I know -- it does a fairly good job saying which phrases are Brazilian-only and which are vice versa, as well as pronounciation differences, but as I said earlier, it does such a bad job anyway on pronounciation: on the tape, to teach the alphabet it just has a native speaker reading a list of words which happen to have the letters in them. Nothing about how to pronounce them, the tapes don't even play the regular vocabulary words at a reduced speed, so it's entirely possible to miss whole syllables. I haven't read all of the book, but it does an OK job explaining word differences in general...althoguh it has a Portuguese-English dictionary of terms in the back, there's no vice versa. Especially for the intended audience -- a would-be tourist who suddenly forgets the word for "toilet paper"...It does a fairly mediocre job of explaining verb tenses and conjugations, too -- the main redeeming feature of the book is fast process. Yet because of the horrible job explaining pronounciation -- even with two tapes -- whatever process you may have may well be rendered unintelligible to an authentic native of Brazil, Portugal, Guinea-Bissau, etc. Buy it if you need a quick course -- especially in writing -- it's OK, and the exercises are adequate, although there's no space for writing. All in all, I'm going to use it... but if you're serious, get another book and do yourself a favor.
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Say It in Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese-English Dictionary & Phrasebook: English-Brazilian Portuguese (Hippocrene Dictionary & Phrasebooks)
Essential Portuguese Grammar (Dover Books on Language)
Quick & Simple Brazilian/Portuguese (Pimsleur Quick and Simple)
Portuguese in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day Series)
