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Claire Handscombe
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Conquering Babel: A Practical Guide to Learning a Language Kindle Edition

by Claire Handscombe (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 out of 5 stars 28 ratings
This time you're really going to do it: learn a language.
Yes, but how? Where do you even start?

"Conquering Babel" points you to useful resources, gives you hints and tips for maximising your learning, and answers common questions like "do I really have to learn grammar?".

Recommended if you are thinking about starting to study a language and need some practical pointers as to how to go about it
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  1. Print length
    78 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    29 Aug. 2011
  5. File size
    217 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product description

About the Author

Claire Handscombe has been teaching French, Spanish and English to adults of all levels since 2005. She has a degree in Spanish and French from the University of Cambridge and is a native speaker of French as well as English. She also works as a translator and freelance journalist, blogs about language learning at conqueringbabel.wordpress.com, and writes fiction under a different name.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005LBRBAA
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 29 Aug. 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 217 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 78 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Best Sellers Rank: 2,399,360 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Claire Handscombe

Claire Handscombe

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Claire Handscombe moved from Europe to DC in 2012, ostensibly to study for an MFA in Creative Writing, but actually – let’s be honest – because of an obsession with The West Wing.

She is the author of Unscripted, a novel about a young woman with a celebrity crush and a determined plan, and the editor of Walk With Us: How The West Wing Changed Our Lives.

Claire also hosts the Brit Lit Podcast, a fortnightly show of news and views from British books and publishing. She can be found tweeting at @bookishclaire.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
28 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the language learning guide highly motivating and appreciate its humorous comments throughout. They value the practical advice provided, with one customer noting it helps with understanding grammar.

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Advice levelMotivationHumor
8 customers mention ‘Advice level’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's advice level positive, with one customer noting it helps understand grammar, while another mentions it provides a simple glossary.

"Thoughtful, well-written and full of useful strategies, information, recommendations and links for language learners...." Read more

"...I love this book, it is easy to read, full of practical tips, highly motivating and also full of fun comments from the author...." Read more

"This book contains all the essential informations to get started on a journey to learn languages...." Read more

"This is a very thin book but there is a lot of helpful advice inside...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Motivation’4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly motivating.

"...Brilliant book! Easy to read and understand. Gets you motivated!" Read more

"...I love this book, it is easy to read, full of practical tips, highly motivating and also full of fun comments from the author...." Read more

"Not the the most comprehensive book in the world but gave me an extra kick to keep going with my language learning when I had started to give up!..." Read more

"...Motivational and helpful." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Humor’3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humorous comments.

"...full of practical tips, highly motivating and also full of fun comments from the author...." Read more

"...would-be linguists and its reading is made light by all the humorous comments that bring smiles and even laughs!..." Read more

"...The advice makes sense and is quite easy to do! The author is also quite funny so helps to keep you reading!..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book to start learning
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book contains all the essential informations to get started on a journey to learn languages. I bought it for my husband who wants to learn French and didn't know where to start. Claire gives practical tips and recommendations to get you on a journey that will hopefully last!
    Brilliant book! Easy to read and understand. Gets you motivated!
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  • Lily Marie
    4.0 out of 5 stars A nice little pocketbook written by someone who remembers what it felt like to be the student!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 March 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is a very thin book but there is a lot of helpful advice inside. Obviously, due to the size of this book, it is not an in depth guide to language learning but it is a good starting point. The author manages to cover quite a lot of topics though and in quite a practical way. A very quick read but worth it I think.
    One person found this helpful
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  • HappyLuckyAlix
    5.0 out of 5 stars well-written and full of useful strategies, information
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 January 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Thoughtful, well-written and full of useful strategies, information, recommendations and links for language learners. The author is a language tutor and clearly very professional, skilled and experienced juding by the content in this book. Unlike a lot of shorter Kindle self-help stuff which promise a lot and are basically a waste of time, this all killer, no filler and well worth paying for. I'd recommend to anyone, esp if like me you've been away from formal education for a while, or if language learning is new to you.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Rachel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, full of practical tips
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2011
    Verified Purchase
    As a French person who had to learn English, I know first hand the challenge of learning another language! I love this book, it is easy to read, full of practical tips, highly motivating and also full of fun comments from the author. Definitely great for any beginners and also people who shy from difficult academic books. There are also a simple glossary that helps to understand grammar and some recommended websites. Get it! It is a bargain!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • France
    5.0 out of 5 stars Solid and funny
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 June 2012
    Verified Purchase
    As a language teacher myself, I was interested in this little gem of a book whose title appealed to me. It is full of solid, good advice for all those would-be linguists and its reading is made light by all the humorous comments that bring smiles and even laughs!
    Follow the author's advice and you will be well on the way to speaking the language of your choice.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • DaisyDukes24
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 April 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Not the the most comprehensive book in the world but gave me an extra kick to keep going with my language learning when I had started to give up! The advice makes sense and is quite easy to do! The author is also quite funny so helps to keep you reading! Good little book that gets a thumbs up from me!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Alison Dale
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A brilliant guide full of information useful for all those learning a language, whether they are a complete beginner or someone with a little experience who is seeking further tips. The word practical really does describe-I would thoroughly recommend to anyone wanting to learn a language!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sarah Penninck
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best language learning intro
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Great, easy to read and to the point. I would recommend that anyone thinking of learning a new language should read this first. Motivational and helpful.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Casablanc
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference for language tutors
    Reviewed in the United States on 6 March 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I downloaded this book when a director from my former company asked me to tutor her in Spanish for one hour a week. It's a wonderful, down-to-earth compendium of what language tutors and learners need to think about as they set out on the quest to achieve fluency in another language. It was especially helpful to me, in the role of tutor, to go about defining what my student's language goals are. I was able to search for a textbook that will best help us meet those goals, and come up with a tutoring syllabus for the year. I know I will look back to this book for additional help as the weeks go on--and I will need fresh ideas in coming up with sources of language input beyond the textbook!
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  • Zana Hart
    4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable, motivational short read
    Reviewed in the United States on 24 January 2012
    Verified Purchase
    As an American who recently lived in Mexico for about five years, I have thought and blogged a lot about learning Spanish--as well as having worked on my own Spanish! I enjoyed this little book, with good comments about goal setting, mentions of some websites she likes, a bit about the necessity of studying grammar, and more. The author is clearly British and some of her references to the British educational system I didn't understand, but I did enjoy her wry British humor.
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  • Szilagyi Mircea
    4.0 out of 5 stars A sensible introduction to language learning
    Reviewed in the United States on 17 August 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I recommend it. Useful tips and arvices on hiw to organize your learning on your own or with a tutor.
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  • Ron Tissier
    5.0 out of 5 stars It is sometime beneficial to step back for perspective
    Reviewed in the United States on 28 January 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Although I am retired from teaching, I enjoyed and marveled at the author's clarity and brevity in his personal guide to learning a language. This is a must for someone starting a language course; even just for the "fun" of it without regard to social or economic advantages that the language might bring.
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  • Nico Ives
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book I just enjoyed.
    Reviewed in the United States on 15 June 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Why I liked this book, Because each chapter she broke down and explained how and what to do the easy steps. The steps she uses are not hard concepts to follow and I feel any one can pick up this book and feel after their done feel better they learned something great and new.
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