Has anyone ever used the the book Ultimate German to learn?
I can't decide what is the best language book. Someone told me the German for Dummies is better. The Ultimate Beginner/intermediate is quite expensive at $85. Is this a good investment. I'm just trying to take up the language on my own. So what book is the best for this method?
I need some recommendations.
Im using Deutsch Heute. Its pretty good, but expensive too.
Kristo,
I haven't used the German version, but I've tried the Ultimate series for French and Spanish. I do prefer the Ultimate series over the Dummies. The Ultimate series is expensive because you get two sets of CDs: one with four CDs all in the target language, and the other with four CDs of selected parts and English prompts, supposedly to be used when your without the book, eg., driving. I suppose some people like the latter, but for me, what makes the series worthwhile is the set of CDs in the target language. I agree with Steve K and others: the less English to listen to, the better. And getting four CDs worth of language is a little rare nowadays. The dialogues are much better than the old Living Language series.
The Dummies series seems okay for an overall introduction, but there are others in that category. I think you'd learn more with the Ultimate, if you really go over the recordings with the transcripts and translations. (And it goes for $50.37 from amazon.com.)
A few other suggestions:
The Assimil German course (German with Ease) is expensive ($72) but also good. You get 100(!) short, funny dialogues, with full transcription and translations. It starts out spoken slowly, and recommends listening carefully until you understand, before you try to produce. (With which Antimoon, Steve K, et al. would concur.) Very little in terms of grammar explanation in the book, but lots of language. A lot of work to do if you do it right, but your German would be pretty decent after 100 lessons.
If you want something less expensive, with more explanations, (along with a CD, which I highly recommend), check out German Without the Fuss ($14.93 from amazon.com). Fifteen lessons with thirty dialogues in all, very entertaining and contemporary.
Finally, if you have a fast Internet connection, you have a terrific resource for FREE, from Annenberg Media, the same folks who produced French in Action and Destinos for television. It's called Fokus Deutsch, and you can watch 36 fifteen-minute episodes online, as well as read the transcripts.
Thanks so much Mitch, you've given me a great deal of info. That web site is great.
Were you able to become fluent while learning on your own? Without attending language schools, but just from books and internet?
Can this be done, or to become fluent it is better to take official courses?