Berlitz Portuguese CD Pack

Book Review

Title:	Berlitz Portuguese CD Pack and Phrasebook
Publisher:	Berlitz Publishing Company, Inc., Princeton, NJ
ISBN:	2-8315-6346-1
Reviewed By:	Frank Fogg
Review Date:	May, 2001
Rating:

The Berlitz Portuguese CD Pack combines the well-known Berlitz phrasebook with an audio CD to assist the user with pronunciation. The course is packaged in a colorful compact CD sized case.

The phrasebook for this course is organized into color-coded sections. The order closely follows the presentation of audio material on the  CD. The topical material includes basic words and phrases, dining, traveling, sightseeing, shopping, and health and safety. At the end of the phrasebook is  a concise bi-lingual dictionary for quick reference. Each listing in the book has an equivalent English pronunciation in parentheses under the Portuguese spelling, and differences between Brazilian and Continental Portuguese are shown when necessary.

On the CD the audio material is first spoken in English, then repeated in Portuguese. Time is provided for the listener to imitate the word or phrase being studied.  For each section, practice is provided that allows the listener to play the part of one of the actors in a conversation. Additional instructions are provided  in English as the program progresses. Each phrase on the CD is also contained  in a highlighted section inside the phrasebook.

The audio quality of this program is excellent. The phrasebook has a large number of additional phrases not covered in the audio portion of the program to assist the user with unexpected situations while traveling. The phrasebook is also well organized with its color-coding scheme allowing quick  reference by topic. The entire program covers only those concepts that are absolutely necessary for speaking the language without covering or explaining any grammatical terms.

The Berlitz Portuguese CD pack is an essential requirement for anyone planning to travel to Portuguese speaking countries such as Brazil and Portugal. The audio material gives the user practical experience with listening  and communicating in Portuguese and the phrasebook provides a quick reference to assist with unexpected situations while traveling.

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