Basic Hebrew 1 & 2

This is a passable, if pedestrianly produced, introduction to basic Hebrew. We watched the first tape, which contained eight sections, covering: alphabet, pronouns, days of the week, daily schedule, family circle, transportation, four seasons, and months of the year. Two instructors say each letter, word, or phrase, and leave time for the audience to repeat. Primitive drawings accompany many of the words, or the teachers are seen standing before a blackboard. For the sections dealing with word groups, such as days of the week, etc., the vocabulary session is often preceded by a short skit using the words and phrases to be taught. This is not a bad program, per se, and the serious student would likely gain much from this introduction to Hebrew. One only wishes that the visual aspects had been a little more exciting. The booklet, included with the tape, lists both the Hebrew and the English for the material covered. An optional purchase. (See JERUSALEM'S CARDO for availability.)