'The thrill is that you're actually figuring it out on your own. You're engaging with another language, not just parroting it... It's an excellent way to start, and leaves the listener thinking, Hey, Ich kann do dis.' - New Yorker, David Sedaris, humorist and author, on learning German with the Michel Thomas Method Looking for a convenient language course that fits your lifestyle and gets you speaking a new language in a matter of weeks, not years? The original no-books, no-homework, no-memorizing method is in tune with the way the brain prefers to receive, store and retrieve information. You'll stick with it because you'll love it. * Pick up Russian naturally and unforgettably without strain or stress * Learn from listening and speaking, without the pressure of writing or memorizing * Build up your Russian in manageable steps by thinking out answers for yourself WHY IS THE METHOD SO SUCCESSFUL? 'What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.' - Michel Thomas Before there was machine learning, there was Michel Thomas. For over 50 years he worked on decoding languages by breaking them down into their most essential component parts. These 'building blocks' are introduced to the learner sequentially in such a way that you reconstruct the language for yourself - to form your own sentences, to say what you want, when you want. This unique method draws on the principles of instructional psychology and works with the way your brain prefers to receive, store and retrieve information. Knowledge is structured and organized so that you absorb the language easily and don't forget it. The method is designed to eliminate the stress which prevents you from relaxing and allowing the brain to work in the way which accepts learning in a seemingly painless, very exciting and highly motivating way. HOW DO THE COURSES WORK? 'All stress inhibits true and effective learning' - Michel Thomas During the course, you will join Michel Thomas Method teacher Hara Garoufalia-Middle and two students in a live lesson, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. Within the very first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases by listening and thinking out answers for yourself without the pressure of writing or stress of having to memorize. You will learn at your own pace, pausing and repeating where necessary, and complete the course in about 20-30 hours. By the end of the course, you will understand and have the confidence to speak basic Russian. WHAT WILL I ACTUALLY ACHIEVE? 'I am the architect who builds the house. It's up to you to decorate it.' - Michel Thomas The Michel Thomas Method will help you kick-start, continue, and flourish in your Russian language learning journey. It is not intended to get you perfectly fluent, but it will get you speaking and using Russian, with proper pronunciation, faster than most any other method. It is designed to give you a strong foundation and good working knowledge of a language from which you can expand and later 'add decoration' to. It is a rapid method for learning, but still requires effort and concentration on the part of the learner. WHAT'S NEW IN THIS NEW EDITION? This new edition includes an audio review course to let you quickly revise and consolidate your learning once you've completed the full course. WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE COURSE?* Foundation Russian includes 8 audio Course CDs and 2 audio Review CDs to continue and consolidate your knowledge. The booklet is available to download from www.michelthomas.com. *Note that the course content is the same as the previously entitled Total Russian course, but the CD-ROM has been replaced with audio review CDs. LEARN ANYWHERE! Reclaim your pockets of free time to learn a new language! Don't be tied to chunky books or your computer, Michel Thomas Method audio courses let you learn whenever and wherever you want, in as little or as much time as you have. WHERE DO I GO NEXT? Intermediate Russian follows on from the Foundation course.

Japanese difficult? Study boring? No way Not with this "real "manga," real Japanese" approach to learning. Presenting all spoken Japanese as a variation of three basic sentence types, "Japanese the Manga Way" shows how to build complex constructions step by step. Every grammar point is illustrated by an actual "manga" published in Japan to show how the language is used in real life, an approach that is entertaining and memorable. As an introduction, as a jump-start for struggling students, or (with its index) as a reference and review for veterans, "Japanese the Manga Way" is perfect for all learners at all levels.

Wayne P. Lammers has taught Japanese at the college level and is an award-winning literary and commercial translator. He lives in Portland, Oregon.