Review: A Beginner’s Guide to Tajiki

March 5, 2008 – 2:35 pm

‘A Beginner’s Guide to Tajiki’ is written by John Hayward, who is trained in teaching English as a Foreign Language, and the Tajik scholar, Azim Baizoyev.  The book is useful as an introduction to basic Tajiki grammar and conversational skills.  The book begins with an introduction to the alphabet (Cyrillic) and pronunciation of Tajiki.  In the following chapters, each chapter opens with a short discussion of a cultural or social topic, such as family names, traditional houses, marketing, etc.  Then there is a list of vocabulary and expressions and their translations.  Tajik words are all written in Cyrillic, and there is no transliteration, so you must learn Cyrillic to use this book.

Following the vocabulary list are between 15-20 short dialogues and their translations.  These dialogues present useful terms and examples of the spoken language, but there is sometimes ambiguity on the usages of vocabulary. While the dialogues do incorporate aspects of idiomatic and colloquial Tajiki, they do not fully address the differences between regional dialects, which may be useful for students intending to spend time in Tajikistan.  There are many useful facts in the footnotes, so don’t skip them!  In each chapter, three or four grammar points are introduced, with several examples.   The grammar explanations include linguistic terms and are well written, but can be a little difficult to understand at times.

Each grammar section is followed up by a series of exercises that check your comprehension of the lesson.  The answers to the exercises are in the back of the book, so it is possible to work through this text on your own.  Additionally, quizzes that re-cap the material are provided at the end of each chapter. In each chapter, a list of commonly used proverbs and their interpretations are included.  Because proverbs, which have meanings above and beyond the literal translation, are common in Tajiki, these lists are useful linguistically and provide cultural insight.  Additionally poetic selections and cultural notes (humor, short stories, social and political notes) are included in the appendices, and conveniently summarize useful information.  A master summary of the entire grammar and Tajiki – English glossary are also included in the appendix, for easy reference.    The text is among the most accessible and user-friendly volumes available to the non-academic student of Tajiki.  It is recommended for use for independent study or with instructor assistance.   This article was contributed by Aya Okawa

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