Christa

Help! <BR> <BR>My parents are traveling to Slovakia soon. My dad is an ex-patriate Slovak (both his parents came over during WWI). They can't find ANY books (or most importantly, tapes) of how to speak Slovak. Plus, most Slovak travel guides center on Prague, which isn't even *IN* Slovakia! My fathers family is from the High Tatras region. Can someone help me find a good written/tape guide for them? I'm sorry if this message is so blunt but I'm quite frustrated! Thanks a zillion for any help!' <BR> <BR>Christa

cp

Christa- <BR> <BR>I'm also second gen. Slovak. The only English-Slovak books I've seen have been on my Dad's bookshelf. <BR> <BR>That said, Slovak is remarkably similar to Czech, If you can pronounce Czech, you can pronounce Slovak. <BR> <BR>As for the High Tatras area, the main city is Proprad, which links via electric cog wheel train to a string of mountain villages. <BR> <BR>In terms of Travel Guides, I found the Lonely Planet books to be the most helpful. The Cental Europe Guide addresses Slovakia specifically. They also have a Central European phrasebook, which (I think!) contained a section on Slovak. <BR> <BR>

elvira

I grew up in a Slovak/Polish town, so this fascinated me (I know all the naughty words). Check www.amazon.com search for Slovak language - bingo! A plethora of books - dictionaries, phrasebooks, etc.

Rex

Radio Free europe still exists and has live broadcasts on RealAudio daily - - www.rferl.org/bd/RAschedules/sl-realaudio.html - - not necessarily an easy way to learn, but helpful to try to pickout pieces that they can understand. <BR> <BR>Last year, I thought I was going to Bratislava (for one day - - between Hungary and CZ); while the trip didn't materialize, I did call the Slovak National Tourist Organization (or something like that) and they mailed me a rather nice packet of info. Surprisngly, I can't find their address anywhere on the web right now, but if you strike out otherwise, write back to me, and I may be able to find what they sent to me.

KT

The Blue Guide to the Czech and Slovak Republics has a good amount on Slovakia. Or at least it used to; I haven't seen the latest edition, and the newer editions tend to be less encyclopedic -- or more user-friendly, depending on your point of view -- than the old ones. <BR> <BR>

D.B.

Try this link, I think you can get books too: <BR> <BR>http://www.travlang.com/languages/cg...53&flags.y=475 <BR> <BR>

s.fowler

This is available at amazon.com. Ships in 24 hrs and has a cassette. It is part of a series that I have found useful. <BR> <BR>Colloquial Slovak : The Complete Course for Beginners <BR> <BR>The customer reviews cite reasons such as yours

Mary Ann

If they are members of AAA, get their free copy of "Europe Travel Book". It lists every country but has 4 pages, including mention of the Vysoke Tatry (high tratas, spectacular mountains) on Slovakia, including all the basics. For example it states you cannot import currency which means you should not get any in advance. We were just in Prague and drove thru Slovakia on our way to Budapest. Most of these countries will take German Marks for payment in many instances. You may also try contacting the Tourist Board, depending on how iminent the travel is, there are Slovak boards in New York and Washington DC. Good Luck.