Nowadays most German textbooks are packed with a great
variety of material, the purpose of which seems to be to address as many
teaching preferences and learning styles as possible, thereby appealing
to the widest possible audience. In the process, grammar seems to take a
back seat to dialogues and drills and cultural information. The
original title of this book was Deutsch ohne Überfluss,
which means "German without superfluity." Although the title
has changed, the content has not: vocabulary blocks, grammar
explanations, translation practice, and not much else. The student
learns words, grammar, and the application of these two language
elements in reading and writing German.
Some students will not want
to use this book. It is intended for those who already have a solid
grasp of English grammar or who will put in the time and effort necessary to
acquire it. Furthermore, this book will not satisfy the student's
speaking and listening needs; therefore it needs to be supplemented by
tapes or live voices, be they those of teachers, friends, or people
encountered on trips to German-speaking countries.
* * *
Check out my web pages with diagrams of 36 German sentences by clicking here.
* * *
|