Instruct: Classify an Amazon review as either positive or negative.
Query: Needs more emphasis on grammar

If your whole intention of learning a new language is to memorize phrases that will get you by when you are travelling, then this book is adequate. However, if you really want to learn how a language is structured, forget this book. Learning the basics of grammar i.e. verb conjugation, etc. is fundamental and to me, the obvious starting point. It is of little benefit to memorize how to say "Excuse me, but where might I find the secretary?" if I don't even know which word is the verb or which word is the subject. The tapes do not necessarily follow the exercises in the book, so I got lost rather often. One advantage, though, is that the tapes are spoken clearly, and it would not take a person very long to catch on to the pronunciation (once you've memorized how to say "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss O'Donnell.")