The Albanian Language

Vocabulary Builder Albanian

Primarily aimed to meet the requirements of children from 4-12, Vocabulary Builder Arabic has proved popular with adults too!

Speech recording the chance to record cartoons and play them back in your own "cinema".

Nine games of varying difficulty, with points awarded for correct answers.

3 Options learn, games and record

Beautiful illustrations to reinforce your learning.

Gold award for completing all of the language games.

Over 100 words including colors, numbers, actions and simple sentences.

Help from the friendly tiger he speaks over 50 languages!

Mac OS X 10.2 or higher
Windows 2000/ME/XP/Vista

For more information visit Vocabulary Builder Albanian Software.

Talk Now Albanian

Talk Now! is the world's best selling language learning CD-ROM series for beginners, used by more than eight million people to date. It's ideal for travelers, holiday makers, business people, school children, students and families. Anyone beginning to learn Albanian will find the disc indispensable.

Nine topics first words, food, colors, phrases, parts of the body, numbers, time, shopping and countries.

Speech recording compare your voice with native speakers

Two quiz levels test what you've learned, earn points and monitor your progress.

Memory Games to improve your knowledge of key vocabulary.

Intelligent Software remembers words you get wrong and targets your weak points.

Automatic Localization lets you choose the language you learn from (more than 100 available).

Wide range of words from greetings and phrases to parts of the body, numbers and shopping.

Gold Award if you get all 1800 points when using the disc.

Printable Dictionary with color pictures.

iPod integration listen to Talk Now Albanian wherever you are!

Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher
Windows 2000/ME/XP/Vista
iTunes 6 required for MP3 function

For more information visit Talk Now Beginner Albanian Software.

Talk More Albanian

THIS program teaches basic conversational phrases with structures that can be adapted to fit different situations. It also tackles one of the main challenges in learning a foreign language: building the confidence to speak it. Talk More's recording function allows you to compare your accent with that of a native speaker. Perfect for building a learner's spoken confidence.

Will it work for me?

If you know some basic Albanian, but you don't think you could handle a full conversation, Talk More will get you talking. Because it's aimed at recent beginners, everything you hear will be clearly spoken at a speed that you can easily keep up with.

What will I learn?

In this program you'll start putting together complete sentences, as opposed to learning individual bits of vocabulary. We've selected a range of phrases you commonly need abroad, including many that you might find essential: for example, "I'd like to pay by credit card", "My camera has been stolen", and "Where is the pharmacy?"

Topics cover greetings, shops and restaurants, getting around, hotels, phone calls, emergencies, leisure and the basic vocabulary of business and technology.

How does it work?

Watch and learn! See and hear how to speak Albanian by watching video footage of native speakers.

Build confidence on a computer. Before testing your new speaking skills in the real world, record yourself, then play back to compare your pronunciation with that of a native speaker. (Note that we don't use electronic voice analysis: the human ear is usually much more accurate.)

Play interactive games. The comprehension quiz prompts you to react to real life situations, while a challenging recording quiz tests your knowledge and pronunciation.

You earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or on the ferry. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
QuickTime 6 or higher

For more information visit Talk More Albanian Software.

Talk Business Albanian

PICTURE yourself doing business with someone who doesn't speak your language. The chances are you'll need more than "holiday level" conversation to get by. That's why Talk Business was developed. It teaches you basic business vocabulary so that you can concentrate on the important stuff and not waste time searching for the right words.

Will it work for me?

Talk Business is aimed at people who already have some experience of the language. You must feel confident enough to start up a conversation and keep it going.

The specialist phrases in Talk Business Albanian are clearly spoken at a speed that you can easily keep up with and copy.

What will I learn?

Talk Business Albanian gives you essential vocabulary for the workplace. It covers basics such as "what is your website address?" and "my computer crashed and I lost all my files" as well as more advanced discussion of exchange rates, product guarantees and marketing budgets.

Topics covered are: - Trading, buying and selling - Marketing, advertising and PR - IT, Internet, e-commerce and communications - Banking, finance, stock exchange and accounting - Business meetings - Business travel - Careers - Negotiations - On the phone - General business vocabulary

How does it work?

Watch and learn! See and hear how to speak Albanian by watching video footage of native speakers.

Build confidence on a computer. Before testing your new speaking skills in the real world, record yourself, then play back to compare your pronunciation with a native speaker. (Note that we don't use electronic voice analysis: the human ear is usually more accurate.)

Play interactive games. The comprehension quiz prompts you to react to real life situations, while a challenging recording quiz tests your knowledge and pronunciation.

You earn points for every game you play. High scorers can go on to win bronze, silver and gold awards, which you can print out as a record of achievement.

You can learn on the move. Carry on learning in the airport lounge or on the ferry. Just print out the phrasebook sheets included in the program and take them with you.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 or later
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or above
CD ROM Drive (+ computer microphone)
QuickTime 6 or higher

For more information visit Talk Business Albanian Software.

Each Instant Conversation Course includes the first 16 lessons from the Comprehensive Level I. 8 hours, interactive audio-only instruction. Language learning with real-life conversations.

The Pimsleur® Method provides the most effective language -- learning program ever developed. More than one million people every year use it to gain real conversational skills in new languages quickly and easily -- without books, written exercises, or drills.

Easy and Practical

This package contains sixteen lessons that will get you started speaking today! Simply listen, follow the instructions, and then respond out loud, just as you would in an actual conversation. Complete one lesson each day, in consecutive order. When you've finished this program, you'll be thrilled to realize you can hold a real conversation in Spanish!

Go beyond the 8-lesson Quick & Simple -- and double your language skills

Simple, step-by-step instruction

No classes to attend -- learn at your own convenience and pace

No books, written exercises, or memory drills

Listen-and-respond method lets you self-test your mastery

For more information visit Pimsleur Albanian Instant Conversation CDs.

The just recently declared independence of the enclave of Kosovo has refocused attention on the various territories of the former Yugoslavia and Albania, and the various languages spoken in the region.

At the heart of current events is Kosovo, though a series of wars apart from the Kosovo war were fought in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990's. Kosovo's days old declaration of independence is rejected by Serbia, of which Kosovo was historically a part of, and by Serbia's biggest patron, Russia.

Geographically, Kosovo borders Serbia to the north, Montenegro to the east, and Albania and the Republic of Macedonia to the south.

Kosovo has a population of approximately two million. The population is primarily Albanians, though populations of Serbians, Turks, Romani , Goranis, Bosniaks, and other ethnic communities also reside there. Pri%u0161tina is the capital and largest city.

With approximately more than 90% of the population of Kosovo being ethnic Albanians, the Albanian language is recognized as an official language along with Serbian. Other languages including Turkish, Romani, Bosnian, Gorani are also spoken.

In addition, to Albania and Kosovo, Albanian is also spoke in Italy, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, and by immigrant communities in many countries throughout Europe, as well as in communities in Egypt, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and Australia.

The history of Kosovo's struggle to independence is quite complicated. As a province within Yugoslavia, Kosovo was first formed in 1945 as the Autonomous Kosovo-Metohian Area to protect Yugoslavia's Albanian minority largely localize in the region.

The history of Kosovo however dates back to antiquity when according to Authur Evans, Kosovo was known as Dardania which is derived from the Albanian word dardhë meaning pear; after the Illyrian tribe known as the Dardani.

The key differentiator between Albanians is their adherence to Islam. This is connected historically to the Ottoman conquest of Kosovo.

The conquest was a significant achievement for the Ottoman Turks as the minerals resources in the Kosovo region proved a needed asset to the Ottoman empire. The establishment of Ottoman hegemony in Kosova initiated a new era culturally and religiously. The religious makeup of the region was complicated with the existing Catholic population in a delicate if not unfavorable relationship with the new Turkish regime.

The beleaguered status of the Roman Catholic Church led to increasing oppression of its members. Religiously selective taxation as well as threats to national assimilation by absorption into the Serbian Orthodox Church led to a mass conversion of Albanians into Islam further cementing the cultural, religious, and linguistic differences that continue today.