Shalom - Book 1: A Beginners Comprehensive Course in Modern Hebrew (Shalom - a Comprehensive Course in Modern Hebrew) (Hebrew Edition)

This is a decent book to supplement a Hebrew course or Edna Amir Coffin’s college textbooks, but there are several drawbacks.1. As typically happens, vowel markings are missing in places where they could really help a student learn.2. The recordings do not always match the text. There are a male and a female voicing the text, but when there should be two females or two males, it sounds weird, AND one male or female must go by the text and read as if he or she is of the opposite gender! For instance, page 104 features two women according to the text, but the recording is voiced with a man and a women, the man having to use female verb forms, and the woman having to speak to him as if she is speaking to another woman, which she IS in the text but not on the recording. This also comes out with “your” in the singular, which is different for male and female. On page 110, there should be two guys, so the lady on the recording has to use the male verb forms for herself.3. There is simply not enough explanation. Why are there certain verb forms based on the letters Peh Ayin Lamed? This is not explained sufficiently. On page 53, it is briefly explained for Lamed Heh Pa’al verbs, but a fuller explanation at this point would help.4. There is no answer key. I’m fine with this, but I’m advanced enough in Hebrew to go without one in a book of this level. Anybody new to Hebrew would be confused.5. Page 111 has the male and female numbers reversed.6. A vav before an initial consonant with a moving schwa (unless the consonant is a yud) becomes an "oo". However, in modern spoken Israeli Hebrew, this is often ignored. It WAS ignored in at least one part, where it was "oo" in print but "v" when the Israeli spoke it. This could confuse learners, and was not explained. I learned this from a text by Coffin.7. Some of the text is in light gray, as if it were originally in a different color such as red but then printed in black and white.8. Page 144, "from whom" on the LAST LINE should be "from where".9. The online study guide needs to be cleaned up. For example, there are quizzes where you need to type in something in Hebrew. That requires downloading Hebrew font onto the computer. Then when you type in the correct answer without vowels markings, you're marked wrong, and the right answer comes up with the vowel markings, even if you typed on the right answer without the vowel markings.10. Page 154, "expansive" should be "expensive", and "thina" should be "tahini". These are more examples of typos or mistakes, which this book seems to have several of. I don't plan on editing this review any more.With all this, I DO like the font used in the book. I just think that a little more explanation, a few more vowel markings (always a help), and two men or two women when needed in recorded conversations would improve the book.

My tutor and I looked at several Hebrew books and chose this one because it it has other levels and online extras. We both had high hopes & the first few chapters we great but it has become more & more frustrating as we go on. First, none of the instructions are written in English so I never really know what I am supposed to do unless he translate it first. Also, many of the questions related to the dialogs are about me & not about the dialog. But what is probably our "last straw" is it took us over ½ hour to figure out that בפיצה האט is Pizza Hut in a the middle of a dialog about a student eating in a dinning hall. I want to point out the my teacher is not a native Israeli, but is a master linguist, who know 10 different languages, including, Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic & Greek. So finally finding out that it was the name of a restaurant franchise was particularly frustrating. At this point I think we are either going to switch to either Brandeis Modern Hebrew or or Routledge Introductory Modern Hebrew. Sorry

We use this book in our university with the author as the teacher. Definitely find the book helpful in that way... It's perhaps a little challenging to use without teacher's instructions.

I loved the format of the book and the clear and practical instruction. Very effective method. Website’s games are a great accompaniment to the book but book does also stand alone.

THIS BOOK IS ACTUALLY FULL OF MISTAKES.I don't think that the author actually knows Hebrew well.Page 111- they switched the female and male columns. NOT a mistake that is excusable for a language text book.AVOID if at all possible.

I've just finished this book and have started Shalom 2. My Hebrew has progressed well, and the learning is well structured so you progress with confidence. The accompanying website is fantastic and really helps you learn the words and improve your listening. I used this book in conjunction with a professional Hebrew teacher in Israel, and used the Italki site to arrange lessons. Using this book proved to be really valuable in our lessons and I would highly recommend this.Ive given it 5 stars, but I would say that you do need to put the time in and not jump sections. This book is aimed at complete beginners, which I wasn't, but friends who have used it with no Hebrew had no problems at all.I have tried a number of other books, and this one wins hands down for its ease of use and clarity.

The method is unclear and couldn’t follow up with it, sadly defiantly a big no from me

I liked the books and will use them when. I am advanced enough