Colloquial Albanian (book review)

Review: Colloquial Albanian (Latest Edition)

I recently purchased the latest edition of the Colloquial Albanian book from the renowned Colloquial series, and I must say—it’s one of the best tools I’ve come across for learning Albanian. A very pleasant surprise!

Colloquial Albanian – Latest Edition

What I Liked

• Clear and digestible lessons with simple grammar explanations and examples.
• More user-friendly than the older edition, which felt dense and bloated.
• Aligns with the official Albanian (Tosk dialect), as spoken in Albania.
• Includes practical, real-life word/phrase variants used by native speakers.
• Dialogue exercises that genuinely help you begin speaking Albanian.

Old vs. New Edition: Kosovan Elements Explained

The older edition contains many elements of the Kosovan dialect, which is based on the Gheg variant of Albanian. This is problematic for learners wanting to study the standard Albanian language, which is based on the Tosk dialect and used in Albania’s official education system.

Examples of Dialect Differences:

• Gheg (Kosovan): "kam me shku" – I will go
  Tosk (Standard): "do të shkoj"
• Gheg: "çka" – what
  Tosk: "çfarë"
• Gheg: "po du" – I want
  Tosk: "dua"
• Gheg: "qysh je?" – how are you?
  Tosk: "si je?"

These differences are not just grammatical—they influence pronunciation, sentence structure, and word choice. The old edition makes no mention of these dialect distinctions, which can lead to confusion or learners unintentionally adopting Kosovan forms.

Older edition – contains many Kosovan/Gheg dialect forms.

Thankfully, the new edition sticks to the official Tosk-based standard, making it more reliable for learners aiming for proficiency in Albanian as spoken in Albania.

Audio Materials

Free & Fast: The complete audio is freely available on the official Colloquial website—there’s really no reason to purchase the CDs.

However, a downside is that several dialogues are spoken at a very fast pace. This makes them difficult to follow for beginners. The editors should ideally have recorded at a slower, learner-friendly speed.

Drawbacks

• Errors: Like many books in the Colloquial series, this edition contains numerous printing errors, especially in the answer key.
• Overly Complex Grammar: Some explanations are too long and convoluted, making them difficult to grasp.
• Proofreading: Considering the book’s cost, the lack of editorial care is disappointing.

Conclusion

Despite its shortcomings, this book is one of the best Albanian learning resources available. It's modern, clear, and practical—an essential pick for serious learners.