Colloquial Hungarian: The Complete Course for Beginners (Book with 2 CDs)

Colloquial Hungarian is a user-friendly guide to the basic grammar of contemporary Hungarian. Through dialogues and narratives of modern, every-day situations, the novice learner of Hungarian is led step-by-step through the intricacies of this very different and exciting language. Students will learn to speak about a variety of topics-including travel, shopping, sight-seeing, family, business, free-time, illness, love-as well as learn the different social registers of communication. The dialogues and situations are fresh, lively and realistic; the presentation of grammar is clear and direct. Each chapter presents approximately three dialogues (or the equivalent) that systematically introduce new situations with appropriate necessary vocabulary in both formal and informal settings. New grammatical constructions are introduced incrementally with each new dialogue, while at the same time re-enforcing the material learned previously. An introduction to life in Hungary is simultaneously provided through both the dialogues and cultural notes provided in each chapter. Thus while learning the language, the student is exposed to some exemplary Hungarian poetry and prose as well as historical notes and information on other cultural specialties of Hungary: dance, music, cuisine. The appendices containing irregular verb forms, noun classes and full noun paradigms also serve as a handy reference guide.