Using German Vocabulary

I have not seen a better book anywhere else. Everything is well placed within the book. It is a book I would recommend to anyone who is studying German on their own and have a basic command of the language

This book is worth the money. I have been studying German independently for the past few months, and this book is already coming in very useful for expanding the amount of words that I can recognize while reading. The vocabulary is organized very efficiently, and it is easy to browse through and increase your knowledge based on the structure of the language.

It could be more handy (it's a fat book!) But it's a valuable resource! And I specially loved the chapter on "word formation"!

There is a good selection of German vocabulary books available on Amazon.com and this is one of the more expensive offerings. It is also without question the best value, going far beyond what I've seen in other vocabulary books. The author is clearly determined that people using her text will be able to develop an excellent grounding in German vocabulary and she has provided a very well-designed vehicle for reaching that goal.You may well be asking, "What can be special about a vocabulary book? Just a list of categorized words!" Seeming to have anticipated that question, the author has provided a lengthy explanation of how and why the words are grouped as they are - twenty thematic areas with multiple sub-themes, each presented in three progressively more challenging levels - as well as why there are a dozen different kinds of exercises and what each kind is designed to accomplish. All this based on academic research on how people learn foreign languages.For some, the introductory forty-odd pages will probably be worth the price of the entire book, covering word formation, tips on dictionary use, how best to learn vocabulary, a lengthy bibliography, how the book should be used and equally important, how and why the book is designed as it is. Users of this book benefit from the author's painstaking attention to detail intended to insure that readers develop the skills and knowledge they desire. No one should skip over this introductory material as it will handsomely repay your efforts in more efficient and effective learning.There are 20 Units covering a wide range of thematic areas, although because a unit may contain more than one subject area there are actually 43 thematic areas (e.g., Unit 7 contains three sub-units, 'Perception', 'Color and Light', 'Materials and Textures'). Each thematic area is broken down into three progressively more challenging Levels. The author was clearly successful in providing an arrangement from which the users of this excellent text will benefit and appreciate ever more as they work more deeply into the material. Words common to southern Germany, Austria, etc. are included and so identified, as are colloquialisms.Each level in each unit is accompanied by a series of exercises. Exercises are a significant component in vocabulary retention, but seem to have been an afterthought in most German vocabulary books. Not so here as Dr. Fagan has obviously given much thought to the creation of clever, challenging, and varied sets of exercises which strongly reinforce what has been learned. These exercises are the jewel in the crown as they are not lacking in subtlety or thoroughness. As you complete each level and accompanying excercises, you can be confident that you have not just memorized a list of words, but have mastered the German vocabulary.As I said at the outset, there are many German vocabularies, most of them less expensive. But considering the considerable time and effort required to learn a foreign language, the best tool becomes the least expensive tool and no one who uses this book is going to regret the time saved and the enhanced learning gained by having bought the best tool. Using German Vocabulary certainly seems to be just that - the best tool for the job.

What I like about this book:In short, Fagan has done the hard yards, looked at the German-English vocabulary lists on the market, found their problems and solved them. The opening chapter on vocab learning, gives very easy and practical tips for learners while backing it up with reference to the relevant literature (she pointed me to the  Nation study  on vocabulary learning which a lot of learners would benefit from reading). Each chapter is thematic and is broken up into 3 levels. The chapters are well organised, and while the content of the levels could possibly be disputed (perhaps a frequency list would produce some interesting results here), the organisation into 3 levels is without a doubt very useful. Each theme has a varied series of exercises for each level, which even serve to highlight the semantic range of words (for example, in chapter 1, die Kreuzung is learned 'intersection' and one of the exercises instructs the learner to find an extra meaning, which will yield 'crossing' in the sense of ' the crossing of a Dalmatian and a Poodle' and a 'cross' (the result of a biological 'crossing'). This is helpful for learners, and mean that the exercises actually learning new features of words, rather than simply reinforcement. An answers key is given in the back for self-study.What I dislike abut this book:The English translations, while almost always excellent, sometimes have an American bent to them. For example, Pfeffermühle is given as 'pepper mill' (where 'pepper grinder' is used in other parts of the world). But overall, the book is hard to fault.Where to from here:If you are looking for thematic vocab to learn, this is the book to get. It outdoes any other effort to date. If you don't want to make the cards yourself (and chapter 1 tells you why you need to be using cards, not lists - also, making cards yourself is an important part of the learning process), perhaps look at the  Hueber pre-made cards  which are good, but are monolingual (chapter 1 also shows you why bilingual cards are the most effective for learning).

This is a great resource for people who want to increase their vocabulary. Exactly what I've been looking for after 10 years away from the German language. I wish I had this when I was in college.

This is my second attempt at the C2-level German course, and while the grammar is quite well understood, learning vocabulary, has been tough. This book is perfect and allows you to effortlessly learn vocabulary in context, including words you might not have thought of at the time, but which increases and enhances your appreciation for word relationships and the German language in general. Fantastic!

bekam Meerenge nach vorne, sehr beeindruckend Inhalt von Buch