Book & 2 CDs. Slovak is the national language of' Slovakia, a landlocked Central European republic of over 5 million people. Bordered on the .north by the Carpathian mountains, and on the south by the Danube, this territory was originally inhabited around 450 BC by the Celts, and a thousand years later by the Slavic forefathers of modern Slovaks. At various points in its colourful history Slovakia was part of the Great Moravian Empire, the Kingdom of Hungary, invaded by Mongols, became part of Czechoslovakia and then a Soviet Republic. Slovakia joined the European Union in 2004. "Beginner's Slovak" gives the reader a general overview of Slovakia's geography. history, politics and includes practical advice for everyday living, such as information about public transportation, money exchange, shopping, restaurants, and important phone numbers in Bratislava. The 10 situational lessons include greetings, transportation, asking for directions, dining out, shopping, hospitality and emergencies, progressing from rudimentary to more complex grammatical explanations. Each lesson includes dialogues, grammar points. and vocabulary lists. The book also contains glossaries of words and common expressions. The audio CDs provide easy-to-follow pronunciation guides for each lesson.