7. Languages What are Languages?: Eastern Tongues: Indo-Iranian: Elementary Modern Standard Arabic Oriental: Beginning Chinese Reader, Japanese for Busy People 1 Slavic: Russian Made Simple Western Tongues: Classical: Greek (An Intensive Course), Living Latin Germanic: Teach Yourself Further German Romance: Easy Learning French Dictionary, Italian Made Simple ------===ooo===------ What are Languages? Languages are the way we express our thoughts and our desires The first of the intelligent skills they should be practiced all life-long For when we master the subtle word we have nailed the world to a bench. Let's learn languages! ------===ooo===------ Eastern Tongues The eastern speech The eastern man The eastern reach The eastern can The eastern teach The eastern fan The eastern leech! The eastern LAN! The eastern bar The east The eastern car The east The eastern ha The east The eastern Czar! The east ------===ooo===------ Indo-Iranian Arabic and Persian, Hindi and Urdu These are some of the Indo, yes Iranian tongues. Kurdish and Tadzhik, Bengali and Punjabi Are some more. All can be deciphered In two ways, two fathers in this family. One based on Arabic, an easy cursive Flowing script, lines made alphabet Alphabet artified. The other more solemn From the Sanskrit drawn, which we name De-va-na-ga-ri. A mealy mouthful Spelled the Webster's way, thank God for Yanks. Anticipating our own ruled page, this script Runs a connecting line, along the top To unify the letters diverse. One with vowels The other lacks, an impediment for speechless reads. But listen! music of the Italians, song Of the Mandarins, lovely lilting sounds. So listen! when you read, when you speak Think on your ancestors mouthing those words. The Indo-Iranian speech. ------===ooo===------ Elementary Modern Standard Arabic: an excellent two-volume introduction published by Cambridge University Press. Large format and double-spaced make it a joy to use. Aimed for the absolute beginner, the first section is a 100 page primer on the Arabic script; a valuable demystifier. 45 solid lessons follow; each adhering to a fixed format: translated passage, vocabulary, grammar & drills, readings, extra drills. The explanations are thorough and faultless, the exercises carefully prepared. A great start to Arabic studies (1983). ------===ooo===------ Oriental Ching Chong Chinky Choo I can't understand a word you say! Vo Lay Say Ma It ain't gettin' any better! Dozo uchida, san san tu Fuck! It's a fuckin' Jap! Aa ri ga too Enough of this fuckin' shit! When we go oriental we close our eyes When we go oriental we start our lies. Let's go oriental! ------===ooo===------ Beginning Chinese Reader: a great way to begin your studies of this difficult language. John Defrancis has carefully sculptured this impressive work; the structure so vital to its success. 400 Chinese pictographs are presented (which comprise 70% of the encountered characters in everyday reading) in managable blocks of 10. These sets of ten form the basis of the 40 lessons. Combinations feature prominently, and the readings are balanced and progressive. An almost perfect work. Published by Yale University Press in 2 hardback volumes (1977). ------===ooo===------ Japanese for Busy People I: in 30 easy lessons the elements of Japanese are presented. From the outset kana is used to present the basic material, though translations are provided, and all the exercises Romanised. This early exposure leads to easy familiarity, a vital aquisition for later courses. Material has been carefully streamlined, focusing more on common constructs and useful vocabulary, rather than on extensive flab. A pleasant work all round. A 1990 print (first published '84) from Kodansha. ------===ooo===------ Slavic The Slavic slave Behave! Behave! The Cyrillic script Dipt! Dipt! Polish, Russian, Ukranian Li-thu-anian Polish, Russian, Ukranian Ha-ha-anian The Slavic slave Behave! Behave! The Cyrillic script Dipt! Dipt! When you spy A Russian spy It's K-G-B ! It's R-G-B ! Red Green Blue Hey Ho Hoo Red Green Blue I love u ! The Slavic slave Behave! Behave! The Cyrillic script Dipt! Dipt! ------===ooo===------ Russian Made Simple: another title in this excellent introductory series. Chaptered into 42 short lessons, and interspersed with regular reviews. Begins with an andante introduction to the Cyrillic script. Nice. A law-abiding 1967 print. ------===ooo===------ Western Tongues For a speaker of the English speech these tongues are just a tip away. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! We can go back to our ancient roots the Classical foundations of a former time Or stir about the stodgy soil meeting some of our Germanic Bruders But if you happen to feel Romantic one of our svelte sisters is likely by. Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! ------===ooo===------ Classical The classics are classics through the act of time Chosen and rechosen by the generations descending Down to us intact or corrupt, to peruse And build the bricks of the past. Classical. ------===ooo===------ Greek (An Intensive Course): everything you need to know about ancient Greek is contained within these two volumes by Hansen & Quinn. The main volume is the course itself, delivered in 20 hefty doses. The explanations are excellent, the drills and exercises well-planned. Readings of unaltered Greek are also included for more confident learners. The other volume is the appendix; the reference component of the set. Here you'll find noun & verb tables, a grammar summary, and a collected vocabulary; basically a distillation of the course. Published by Fordham University Press (1980, paper-bound). ------===ooo===------ Living Latin: a two-volume course by Ashley & Lashbrook. Now Latin is a tough nut to crack. There is a lot of grammar, and all the noun & verb classes can get a bit confusing. But this high-school course uses all the modern pedagogic techniques to render Latin as innocuous as possible. Chapters are short, with well-defined objectives. Sample sentences illustrate points of grammar, followed by repetitive drills to imprint patterns, and then readings to test understanding. A very effective ascending approach. Book 1 is the grammar, Book 2 the readings. From NTC (1988). ------===ooo===------ Germanic A German lout He's a krout Come hither, come hither Wie heissen Sie? What name you be? Danke! Danke! My thanks! My thanks! A German lout He's a krout Come hither, come hither Deutsche Welle ist das gut Weil das horen sehr mut Sprechen, sprechen, und so weit Denken, denken, ist nicht heit. The German speech so close to our own The patterned pounding could be our own. A German lout He's a krout Come hither, come hither ------===ooo===------ Teach Yourself Further German: once an introductory course has been mastered, this is the ideal next step. 10 substantial chapters form the core; each with a theme (travel, daily routines, etc), to build up specific vocabulary and situational awareness; and a grammar review, to reinforce, but also to unify, the necessary knowledge. A collected vocabulary rounds off a very classy work. By Paul Coggle. An almost indestructible, though elegantly attired, cardboard cover (1994). ------===ooo===------ Romance O my sweet! My love! How did I miss you those bygone days When you were away and I was gone Alone, and lonely, my friends no comfort The radio silent, the TV dead. I lay in bed Thinking about you, and me, and us And how we used to talk, and hug, and lounge around Doing nothing really And how these were some of my favourite times. I couldn't sleep I missed you too much. O my sweet! My love! How did I miss you! Romance. The dream that leads us on. ------===ooo===------ Easy Learning French Dictionary: paired with a simple grammar, a great way to learn the language. All words are given with sample sentences, with direct translations following. A judicious selection of words (somewhere between intermediate and high) ensures that mastery is a lasting achievement. From Collins (1997, pre-colour). ------===ooo===------ Italian Made Simple: 41 carefully graded lessons. Each lesson begins with a translated passage; vocabulary, grammar, and exercises follow. Nice use of bold. Cardboard cover with ultra-rigid spine (1997 print).