LibriVox Language Learning Collection Vol. 001


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(3.1 stars; 6 reviews)

This collection is part of an initiative to create a language learning resource at LibriVox. The LibriVox Language Learning Collections contain readings from various language learning books, grammars, primers, phrasebooks, dictionaries, readers and even other works which contain information on various languages, recount experiences of language learning and encountering new languages or provide guides for correct pronunciation, writing or discourse in a language. These works could describe English or any other language whatsoever, from Latin to Sumerian, Chinese to Wampanoag, Esperanto to Swahili (etc.).

This Volume includes a treatise by Sir Arthur Cotton, author of an "Arabic Primer". His daughter, Lady Hope, on page 523 of her biography of her father, writes that he "had very strong theories on the subject of learning “Living Languages,” his opinion being that, as every child who comes into the world learns its mother tongue orally, and at first without grammar… so the learning of all modern languages would be very much facilitated by a similar process." Also included are the orientalist E.G. Browne's opinions on language learning (taken from the introduction to A Year Amongst the Persians), the first lesson from Dr. Emil Otto's "French Conversation-Grammar", a talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the need for a universal auxiliary language, Samuel Johnson's "A Grammar of the English Tongue", several sections from Henry Sweet's "First Steps in Anglo-Saxon", Lessons 1 - 5 from "Esperanto in Twenty Lessons", two sections on language by Varro, a story in Latin from "Fabulae Faciles", "Greek Lessons: 1-10", the Phonology Section from a "Primer of Persian" and Lessons 1 - 19 from "A Practical Arabic Course". (Summary by Nicholas James Bridgewater) (9 hr 19 min)

Chapters

Beginning Latin, Lesson 1 10:49 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
First Steps in Anglo-Saxon, Be þissum middangearde 5:25 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
The Eighth Principle – Universal Peace 5:43 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
Esperanto in Twenty Lessons, Lessons 1 - 5 1:09:54 Read by Nadine Eckert-Boulet
Perseus, from Ritchie's Fabulae Faciles 12:26 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
French Conversation-Grammar, first lesson 7:39 Read by Bill Boerst
Greek Lessons: 1-10 34:33 Read by Bill Boerst
How to Learn a Foreign Language 10:07 Read by Bill Boerst
First Steps in Anglo-Saxon, Nouns section 19:19 Read by Bill Boerst
On the Science of the Origin of Words 12:03 Read by J.R. Omahen
On inflection and parts of speech 10:19 Read by Rachel Klippenstein
A Primer of Persian – Phonology Section 18:55 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
A Practical Arabic Course 41:56 Read by Leni
First Steps in Anglo-Saxon, Pronunciation section 8:41 Read by Leni
The Study of Living Languages - Part 01 1:02:05 Read by Rachel Klippenstein
The Study of Living Languages - Part 02 55:42 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
A Grammar of the English Tongue, part 1 49:05 Read by Leni
A Grammar of the English Tongue, part 2 51:57 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
A Grammar of the English Tongue, part 3 24:35 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater
A Grammar of the English Tongue, part 4 47:53 Read by Nicholas James Bridgewater

Reviews

Not a tool worth using.


(0.5 stars)

I sat down to listen to the greek lessons 1-10, and I'm very disappointed. You sit through listening to the importance of Greek, and the simplicity of learning the language (lesson 1) for 20 minutes. When you finally come to the second lesson, the actual learning-part of it, its cut short. It ends up being completely useless. I'd recommend it if you're interested in the usage of Greek language, or how it has affected English - however, it is not a tool for learning the language.