Learning Hebrew with Pimsleur or Rosetta
Stone
The Hebrew language is a Semitic
language of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages. Hebrew is
currently spoken by more than seven million people throughout
Israel as well as many people in Jewish communities all over
the world. It is one of the two official languages in Israel
along with Arabic.
Hebrew is the native tongue of the Samaritans. The Hebrew
language is studied by Jews as well as many students of
Judaism. Archeologists and many linguists who specialize in
Middle Eastern studies also choose to learn the Hebrew
language.
The Hebrew Bible, the Torah, is written in Classical Hebrew
and the Hebrew language is considered to be the Holy Language
by many Jews.
In addition to the millions of native
speaking Hebrew throughout Israel, this language is spoken by
approximately two to three million people throughout Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Palestine and
Panama, along with the UK and the USA.
Pimsleur Hebrew (Modern) I Complete
Course
Dr. Paul Pimsleur
The unique audio method allows the listener to learn
pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar without repetitive
role learning, in a similar way to how we acquired our
native language components.
» More Info
Hebrew is typically written and read
from right to left in horizontal lines. This is much
different from English and other languages in which text is
reach from left to right. Many of the Hebrew letters have a
final form which is always used when these letters appear
at the end of a word.
There are also no separate numerals in Hebrew. The standard
western numerals are used. Long vowels are typically indicated
by letters such as alef, vav, and yod. Short vowels are
typically not marked except in some publications.
Learning the Hebrew language is no more difficult than any
other language once you have mastered the basics.
Learning to read from right to left may be the most
difficult aspect for most people. Still, this language is
easily learned once you have a firm grasp on the basic concepts
on communication. Using a foreign language learning program is
typically recommended for those who do not have time for formal
learning sessions.
Programs such as the one by Pimsleur, which is a CD program, can be very
helpful.
These CD’s typically run about thirty minutes each and
provide a good overview for speaking the Hebrew language.
On the other hand, Rosetta Stone offers a program which can
help you to learn the language through written
communication.
Using computer software, this program has a large database
of images, videos and other aspects that can help you to master
the written Hebrew language. Both programs offer a wonderful
learning experience and can help you to quickly and easily
learn fluency in this or any other foreign language.
As with learning any foreign language you should be prepared
to spend time with the actual learning process. You simply can
not learn the Hebrew language if you are not willing to devote
adequate time to the process.
You can spend approximately one hour each day learning the
basics of speaking as well as reading and writing and master
this language skill very quickly. Be sure that you are studying
in a quiet setting and always ensure that you stay completely
focused on what you are learning.
Learning a foreign language may seem difficult but in truth
it is actually what you put into it. If you are willing to
study and focus on your learning experience there is no reason
why you can not quickly and easily become fluent in the Hebrew
language.
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