Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #105047 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

Synopsis
A course for anyone wishing to take the first steps towards speaking a new language or who would like to learn all the language needed for travelling and holidays abroad. The audio recordings cover a wide range of everyday situations and uses native speakers to deliver an active vocabulary of over 500 words. Lessons are bilingual, which means that it is possible to complete a PDQ course by simply listening to the recordings. The programme guide is packed with pictures and illustrations to give a feel of the country and set the scene for language learning. In addition, the course book reinforces the language learnt in the audio recordings as well as teaching reading and writing skills, which can be useful when abroad.

Customer Reviews

Elementary spoken Thai: Good audio, weak book.
This course is for elementary spoken Thai.

The perfect customer for this book would be somebody who visited Thailand on business fairly often and wanted to introduce themselves to their Thai colleagues, visit their home, talk about family, and do some sightseeing and shopping. This is done very well, with well chosen content. I will be backpacking, so I would have liked a bit more on travelling and obtaining accommodation and food.

The over 4 hours of audio is very good. Some courses just repeat a phrase three times, then on to the next one. This has ample time to tackle the subjects several ways to get the language to sink in. The recording style and quality is the best I've heard on a language course.

The 64 page book is well produced with pictures and tests. Perhaps sensibly for an elementary course, the Thai script is not covered, which leads to the BIG BUT: the transcription of the words into Roman script is much the worst I've come across, virtually unusable. As an example, the name of the language you are learning is apparently pronounced 'thay'.

Different people learn languages different ways. I find it difficult to just memorise phrases parrot fashion. I also need to have some feeling of the structure so I can understand why the phrase is said that way, and then be able to use the words in new phrases. Providing this does not need to be complicated. The Lonely Planet phrasebook has an excellent short appendix of elementary grammar, the PDQ book does not. To prevent confusions, it also needs some literal translations of the phrases. As an example, 'Take the first street on the right' is given as 'Liaw khwaa..'. What is not shown is that this is literally 'Turn right..'. So if I later use 'liaw' when I ask if I can 'take' something, it will come out as can I 'turn' something.
All this would also help to explain those puzzling little words in phrases, e.g. the Thai for 'where is?' : 'yoo tee nai', what are yoo, tee and nai?, I see them separately in other phrases, how and where do I use them?

Lastly, nearly 30 quid is far too expensive. I am glad I got mine secondhand.

Unflexible delivery
I received a form from the courier which stated, tried to deliver package while you were out. Contacted courier as suggested on form and tried to arrange new delivery date! suggested saturday morning ? sorry we do not deliver on saturday... How about Friday at 5.00pm ? sorry cannot garrantee delivery time ? I can however collect product, I need to travel 60 miles..... why pay packaging charges.

My recommendation is purchase the product and make sure your life stops because the delivery company being used is inflexible.