Afrikaans Self-taught: By the Natural Method with Phonetic Pronunciation (Thimm’s System): New Edition

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1. Logan Miller

   30 December 2015 at 6:10 am

   15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

   
   Avoid this book., September 7, 2007

   By 

   Logan Miller (Cumberland, MD USA) –
   
     

   This review is from: Afrikaans Self-taught: By the Natural Method with Phonetic Pronunciation (Thimm’s System): New Edition (Paperback)

   To begin, let me say that Afrikaans isn’t a difficult language for an English speaker to learn. The grammar is minimal and systematic, and the pronunciation is consistent (a few exceptions here and there) and not much trouble at all for a learner to pick up. The first half of the book focuses on wordlists, setting up three columns on each page : a column for the English word, another for the Afrikaans equivalent, and a rough pronunciation guide in the last column. The second half introduces elementary grammar, but it then goes back to the three-column structure and introduces short terms and sentences that read more like a phrasebook than a self-teaching guide.

   The style of teaching in the book is very similar to the method used in older Berlitz textbooks, relying entirely on rote memorization. The vocabulary in it is dated, and I noticed that the pronunciation guide is sometimes wrong. The only reasonable use I can see in this book is if you want to learn a little Afrikaans but are not entirely serious about it. Even as a phrasebook, it’s considerably lacking. My interest in the book is mainly for the wordlists (a dictionary of course serves the same purpose, but these lists are at least arranged by category) and for familiarizing myself with words no longer in use. As mentioned, a lot of the vocabulary is out of date, and the text makes no allowances for this.

   If you are serious about learning the language, I’d recommend “Colloquial Afrikaans” (excellent) or “Teach Yourself Afrikaans Complete Course” (very good). Both can be purchased with accompanying audio to hear how the language actually sounds, and both teach grammar and vocabulary in a way that’s more interactive and easier to learn. This book might be okay for someone just wanting to learn a few words or phrases, but expecting to learn the language beyond the scope of travel phrases and small talk would be a stretch.

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2. Book_lover

   30 December 2015 at 6:42 am

   4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

   
   Excellent!! My Afrikaans language skills are base on this book, September 7, 2007

   By 

   Book_lover (New York) –

   This review is from: Afrikaans Self-taught: By the Natural Method with Phonetic Pronunciation (Thimm’s System): New Edition (Paperback)

   I really recommend this book; it has helped renew my confidence in my Afrikaans language skills.

   This great book has been around for many years, coming out in newer and newer editions, so its been a bestseller and ther are many reviews of it elsewhere.

   But if you are lazy about learning a language avoid this book. It expects old fasion dedication but that which pays of handsomely in the end wit perfect Afrikaans.

   The book is based on the Thimm’s method which teaches you the correct pronunciation, If you follow the rules in the book from the outset (getting in to a good habit) the pronunciation should be perfect.

   The book is excellent as long as you take the time to follow the method.

   The Thimm’s method is one of the oldest methods and most language teaching methods are derived from it.

   This book is based on language progression and is intended for beginners to those wanting to brush up their Afrikaans skills

   I bought this book and I found it very useful.
   The way it is organized is the key to its success. There are no loose ends, everything leads on to something else, all is related and helps learners build up their Afrikaans with a greatly reduced effort.

   I have a linguistic background but am aware that many learners do not have grammatical knowledge. This course helps in this area too. Grammar is there but presented in a painlessly manner. Learners can get the concepts and put them to work in practice without the difficulties and boredom usually associated with grammar

   I was pleased to see that highly useful information regarding the language, such as the usual grammar notes and essential vocabulary dotted throughout the pages, was included and this has helped to propel my Afrikaans to a higher level than before.

   I took Afrikaans for three years in school and wanted to brush up, and this book was perfect. I can’t speak for those who have no prior knowledge of Afrikaans although as you can see, the author claims the book is suitable for beginners) since I already knew most of the vocabulary used.

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