Platform: Mac OS, Windows 95 / 98 / Me
Media: CD-ROM
Features:
Punjabi language learning software
Study vocabulary, phrases, culture, and more
Recording tool lets you practice with native speakers
Games and challenging quizzes make learning fun
On-screen help available in more than 70 languages
This unconventional language-learning series offers games and quizzes that make the learning process fun, relaxing, and, as such, more successful. Ideal for beginners, Talk Now! Punjabi includes such topics as vocabulary, phrases, culture, and more. A handy print and picture dictionary produces entries with both text and pictorial references. This interactive software title also features a recording tool, so you can compare your pronunciation to that of native speakers (microphone required). Quizzes and a challenging memory game let you test your newly acquired skills. You can also track your scores and print awards to celebrate. Best of all, you can change Talk Now! Punjabi's onscreen help and menus to the language of your choice. With more than 70 languages from which to choose, this software makes learning Punjabi accessible to everyone.
Lonely Planet Hindi & Urdu Phrasebook (2nd Ed) $6.95
Useful and user-friendly, August 4, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from North Hills, NY USA
The books in the newer series of Lonely Planet phrasebooks are all excellent, because the authors make the assumption that the reader is an educated and literate individual, who wants to know something more about the target language than just a list of supposedly common phrases. There is a tremendous amount of information packed into this handy little book. Contrary to what another reviewer said, the book makes a very clear distinction between Hindi and Urdu words. The sections on script and grammar are well done. Overall, it is probably the best Hindi/Urdu phrasebook available.
Click UK or Canada to check for price and availability in those countries.
The Rough Guide Dictionary Phrasebook Hindi and Urdu (Rough Guide Phrasebooks) $6.50
The Rough Guide Hindi and Urdu phrasebook is a highly practical introduction to the major languages of India. Laid out in clear A-Z style, it uses key-word referencing to lead you straight to the words and phrases you want – so if you need to book a room, just look up ‘room’. The Rough Guide gets straight to the point in every situation, in bars and shops, on trains and buses, and in hotels and banks.
The main part of the Rough Guide is a double dictionary: English-Hindi/Urdu then Hindi/Urdu-English. Before that, there’s a section called The Basics, which sets out the fundamental rules of the language and its pronunciation, with plenty of practical examples. You’ll also find here other essentials like numbers, dates, telling the time and basic phrases.
Forming the heart of the guide, the English-Hindi/Urdu section gives easy-to-use transliterations of the Hindi/Urdu words, and to get you involved quickly in two-way communication, the Rough Guide includes dialogues featuring typical responses on key topics – such as asking directions. Feature boxes fill you in on cultural pitfalls as well as the simple mechanics of how to make a phone call, what to do in an emergency, where to change money and more. Throughout this section, cross-references enable you to pinpoint key facts and phrases, while asterisked words indicate where further information can be found in The Basics.
The Hindi/Urdu-English section is in two parts: a dictionary, arranged phonetically, of all the words and phrases you’re likely to hear (starting with a selection of slang and colloquialisms); then two compilations (Hindi then Urdu), arranged by subject, of all the signs, labels, instructions and other basic words you might come across in print or in public places.
Finally the Rough Guide rounds off with an extensive Menu Reader. Consisting of food and drink sections (each starting with a list of essential terms), it’s indispensable whether you’re eating out, stopping for a quick drink or browsing through a local food market. yatra sukhad rahe! (H) khariyat se jayehave a good trip! have a good trip!
mujhe bahut pasand hai!, October 19, 2001
Reviewer: Shayn McCallum from Ankara, Turkey
This is a great book for students who want a solid base in both written and spoken Urdu. My main interest at the moment is in Urdu sufi literature and this course really gives a great start (although its focus is mostly on more useful, everyday language it's not hard to jump to more complicated texts once you have a sufficient base). The "Teach Yourself" series is generally good and targets the most useful and relevant parts of the language to teach. This book is another great example.Mujhe bahut pasand hai!
This unique series opens the door to the fundamentals of reading and writing a language with a non-Roman alphabet. The interactive, accessible approach to learning presented in Teach Yourself . . . Script guides readers through lessons and exercises based on real-life situations and appeals to the student and tourist alike.
= Amazon.ca
