This third edition of Kenneth Katzner's best-selling guide to languages is essential reading for language enthusiasts everywhere. Written with the non-specialist in mind, its user-friendly style and layout, delightful original passages, and exotic scripts, will continue to fascinate the reader. This new edition has been thoroughly revised to include more languages, more countries, and up-to-date data on populations. Features include: *information on nearly 600 languages *individual descriptions of 200 languages, with sample passages and English translations *concise notes on where each language is spoken, its history, alphabet and pronunciation *coverage of every country in the world, its main language and speaker numbers *an introduction to language families
PLEASE NOTE - this is a replica of the print book and you will need paper and a pencil to complete the exercises. This absolutely essential language guide and workbook will expand your English vocabulary in no time. Spilling over with thousands of entries for useful words and phrases, this is the perfect study aid for any adult learning English as a foreign language. With 3,000 words across hundreds of pages, English Vocabulary Builder brings you everything you need to know and much, much more. From activities, family, holidays, science, and work to animals, feelings, health, sports, and weather, just about every subject in the English language is covered in eye-catching, illustrative detail. All the vocabulary is shown with both UK and US spellings, and every word can be heard with its own audio recording in the accompanying app available for download. Additional interactive exercises ensure language learning is an easy, entertaining, and educational experience. This book is part of DK's best-selling English for Everyone series, which is suitable for all levels of English language learners and provides the perfect reading companion for study, exams, work, or travel. With audio material available on the accompanying website and Android/iOS apps, there has never been a better time to learn English.
Kikongo (also known as Kongo) is a Bantu language spoken by over 5 million people worldwide, mostly by the Kongo and Ndundu people living in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and Angola. Kikongo was spoken by many from this region who were sold into slavery in the Americas. Thus creolized forms of the language can be found in the ritual speech of Afro-American religions, especially in Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti. It is also one of the sources of the Palenquerocreole in Colombia, and the Gullah language spoken in coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia in the United States. This unique, two-part resource provides travelers to Central Africa with the tools they need for daily interaction. The bilingual dictionary has a concise vocabulary for everyday use, and the phrasebook allows instant communication on a variety of topics. Ideal for businesspeople, travelers, students, and aid workers, this guide includes: 4,000 dictionary entries Phonetics that are intuitive for English speakers Essential phrases on topics such as transportation, dining out, and business Concise grammar and pronunciation sections
This fresh translation of one of the only surviving Mongol sources about the Mongol empire, brings out the excitement of this epic with its wide-ranging commentaries on military and social conditions, religion and philosophy, while remaining faithful to the original text.
Bilingual Edition English-Igbo "Am I small?" - Tamia is not sure and keeps asking various animals that she meets on her journey. Eventually she finds the surprising answer... Reviews "This is baby's favorite book!" -Amazon Customer Review from the United States "for children who enjoy lingering over pages full of magical creatures and whimsical details [...] told in simple and engaging words and imaginative pictures."-Kirkus Reviews "This has been my daughter's favourite book since she was 4 months old. The sentences are nice and short so she doesn't lose interest in the pictures while I'm reading each page." -Amazon Customer Review from the UK "Muito legal esse livro. Singelo, divertido e relacionado ao universo da criança. Bom pra desenvolver o vocabulário. As ilustrações são lindas. Meu filho adorou." -Amazon Customer Review from Brazil "You are small or big depending on with what you relate to. A simple cute book which exactly portrays this message." -Amazon Customer Review from India "Muy buen libro infantil. Dinámico, orgánico, perfecto para aprender en romaji. De fácil lectura y con una protagonista realmente encantadora" -Amazon Customer Review from Mexico "Beautifully illustrated and cleverly written." -Amazon Customer Review from Australia "We are in love with this book!"-Amazon Customer Review from the United States "Written in a very simple way but with a profound message for both adults and kids."-Amazon Customer Review from the United States "Whenever I have time to read to her, she wants this book. And she repeats words. That's insanely cute." -Amazon Customer Review from Canada "Mia figlia di due anni e mezzo è entusiasta dei disegni bellissimi e dei colori. Apprezza anche le vicende di una bimba nè grande nè piccola ma giusta così." -Amazon Customer Review from Italy "My three year olds love it and the story's concept will grow with them for several years to come making it a keeper." -Amazon Customer Review from the U.S. "A nuestra hija le ha encantado. [...] Estamos muy satisfechos con la compra." -Amazon Customer Review from Spain "I got this book to read with my granddaughters, one from the US and one from Portugal. It is so incredibly cute! They loved it, and I did too. I highly recommend this book!" -Amazon Customer Review from the U.S. "Ce petit livre est tout ce que j'aime !!! Le graphisme, les couleurs, tout y est magnifiquement soigné, poétique et charmant !!! [...] Une merveille de beauté et de magie à ne pas louper !!!" -Amazon Customer Review from France "My little boy loves this as a bedtime story. It's colourful and quirky. [...] I thought it would be uninteresting to a child, to be read to in another language, but he asks for 'Bin ich klein' and it melts my heart!" -Amazon Customer Review from the United Kingdom "readers will emerge from this book feeling slightly more confident about themselves-whatever their size."-ForeWord Clarion Reviews "This is done with simplicity at its finest. The art is whimsical, the message is clear and most of all my grandson loves it. I would recommend this book to any child provider as part of their reading library." -Amazon Customer Review from the U.S. Languages Available for every country in at least one official language. Please note: This book is a bilingual picture book with a 1:1 translation created by human translators (see translator's credits for details).
The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey. It is now a cliché that the world is a smaller place. We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com.
A New York Times Notable Book for 2011 One of The Economist's 2011 Books of the Year People speak different languages, and always have. The Ancient Greeks took no notice of anything unless it was said in Greek; the Romans made everyone speak Latin; and in India, people learned their neighbors' languages—as did many ordinary Europeans in times past (Christopher Columbus knew Italian, Portuguese, and Castilian Spanish as well as the classical languages). But today, we all use translation to cope with the diversity of languages. Without translation there would be no world news, not much of a reading list in any subject at college, no repair manuals for cars or planes; we wouldn't even be able to put together flat-pack furniture. Is That a Fish in Your Ear? ranges across the whole of human experience, from foreign films to philosophy, to show why translation is at the heart of what we do and who we are. Among many other things, David Bellos asks: What's the difference between translating unprepared natural speech and translating Madame Bovary? How do you translate a joke? What's the difference between a native tongue and a learned one? Can you translate between any pair of languages, or only between some? What really goes on when world leaders speak at the UN? Can machines ever replace human translators, and if not, why? But the biggest question Bellos asks is this: How do we ever really know that we've understood what anybody else says—in our own language or in another? Surprising, witty, and written with great joie de vivre, this book is all about how we comprehend other people and shows us how, ultimately, translation is another name for the human condition.
Use this one-of-a-kind practice guide together with any Chinese book or language program, and dramatically enhance your speaking and listening skills. No matter what book or course you're using to learn Chinese, it takes a lot of practice. Here is a wealth of effective practice activities--including more than 16 hours of audio material!--to help polish your spoken Mandarin Chinese. This book corresponds to Basic Spoken Chinese and allows you to move from complete beginner level to basic proficiency. Downloadable content features over 16 hours of audio material, as well as (printable) PDF files of hundreds of additional practice pages and exercises. Basic Spoken Chinese Practice Essentials includes carefully designed activities to help solidify every aspect of your spoken Chinese skills, including: Pronunciation exercises. Vocabulary and Grammar summaries. Substitution drills. Transformation and Response drills. Role Play & Listening Comprehension exercises. Dictation exercises. Translation exercises. The downloadable content contains: 16 hours of audio by native Mandarin speakers. Printable practice pages. Printable exercises and activities. Together with or after this book, you can use Basic Written Chinese if you want to learn Chinese reading and writing. It introduces the highest-frequency characters and words in a systematic way. About the Series Respected Chinese language expert Dr. Cornelius Kubler, who has taught diplomats, business people and students, presents a learning system that uses separate but integrated "tracks" to help you efficiently master the basics of spoken and written Chinese. The materials in the Basic Spoken Chinese series allow you to move from complete beginner level to intermediate fluency.
Colloquial Hebrew provides a step-by-step course in Hebrew as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Hebrew in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Key features include: • progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills • structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar • an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises • realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of scenarios • useful vocabulary lists throughout the text • additional resources available at the back of the book, including a full answer key, a grammar summary and bilingual glossaries Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Hebrew will be an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Hebrew. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download freely in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.