German in Review

by Kimberly Sparks and Van Horn Vail

Book Overview

Recognizing that students in a second or third year course come from a wide variety of backgrounds and skill levels, German in Review is designed to even the playing field by letting all students come... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 015529590X
• ISBN13: 9780155295902
• Release Date: January 1967
• Publisher: Harcourt Brace College Publishers
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A good grammar and review

This book, actually written by Kimberly Sparks and Van Horn Vail, is a good review for German -- I used this text in my second year undergraduate German class, and have continued to refer to it as a ready reference. Although intended as a review rather than a beginning text, it does cover in good detail all the important grammar parts of German, vocabulary, pronunciation, and leads into basic sentence structure. Each chapter includes a particular grammar point explained in easy steps. This is followed by extensive drills and exercises to strengthen the use of that new point as well as previously covered grammar lessons. These drills include German to German exercises, as well as express-in-German drills, with vocabulary presented in a systematic manner. Students will learn a few thousand words with this book. This book can be used as a supplement to other texts to reinforce drills, as a review, and as a companion to a readings course (which is how the book was used in my course). It is not easy to find any more, but worth having if you come across it.

Concise, Excellent

I am a long-time student of German, and lived and studied in Germany for three years. I was taking private lessons for the six months prior to my first move there, and this book was the only one my teacher and I used. She insisted that I have a strong foundation in German grammar, claiming that the "vocabulary would come". She was right. With the proper understanding of German grammar, you will quickly know what to do with the new words you learn. This book is excellent and brief, and will give you all the fundamentals you need to speak correct German. Every time I return to Germany, I spend a week with this book just to get my grammar gears greased. I am a little overwhelmed by the price! I just dug out my copy, which I bought fifteen years ago: [price] at the Cal State Northridge bookstore!

Great Book

I used an earlier edition of this book in college. Of the many German textbooks I used during my 12 German courses, this is probably the best. It is simply a very well-arranged, orderly review of all the grammar that you need to know. Highly recommended.

More than a review

Don't be fooled by the title of this book. I used it when living in Austria and learning German for the first time, and found it invaluable. I haven't explored other German books, but I can't imagine one that's more helpful.

THE German Grammar book

While most language books that contain grammar rules also include extra lessons on culture and history, this book is purely grammar rules and exercises. A must for all native English speaking persons who are working to master German as a second language.