Product Description

Who says you can't giggle as you become bilingual?

Make learning French second nature for your child with this activity-packed, 75-minute CD and book---perfect for kids ages two through seven. Listen, sing, dance, and learn Français anywhere, from the playroom to the classroom and even in the car!

Kids will play their way to new French language skills while they:

• Sing along to household words andfunny phrases
• Learn to sautehaut, haut, très haut (jump high, high, very high) by saying itand doing it
• Tell old stories in a newway--"Les trois petits cochons" anyone? ("The Three Little Pigs")

Customer Reviews (3)

Hop, Skip and Sing French
Fun and catchy, although the children dont have the proper French accent so it was kind of annoying not to hear the French word as it should properly be pronounced

Great tool for this Spanish speaking momma!
I'm in pursuit of introducing French and German to our four children before we attempt a European vacation. I'm bilingual, so teaching Spanish is a breeze for me, but I got a bit stuck when attempting the other two languages. Thank goodness for Ana Lomba's materials. I like the songs and the cute conversations. The children do get bored during the explanation parts of how to do the songs, but I'm able to reel them back in and still get some practice in. (That's why I'm giving four stars, not five) I wish the explanations weren't so prolific - having them in the pamphlet that comes with the CD would be great. It's just a little too much English for us (the kids are all five and under.)In my language learning, I like as much French as possible.

All in all, it goes well with Flip Flop French: Ages 3-5: Level 1, which we use for our "doing" lessons, and any explanations about how to put sentences together..., and then we use this for our listening lesson. They both have the CD's, but they are VERY differently presented, so the kids seem to enjoy switching back and forth. Hop Skip and Sing is well worth the money, but being a visual learner, I don't think I could get by without Yvonne Batot's Flip Flop French.

Teaching French to Pre-K through elementary
If you're familiar with Ana Lomba's other materials, you know to expect a quality product.I was pleasantly surprised that this new CD includes many songs/rhymes (and explanations) for younger kids.There are about 25 songs/rhymes on this cd, some original, others traditional.Most are suitable for young children, ages 3-4 and up.Many songs have hand motions, which are explained on the cd.There are some longer songs for older kids and these songs tell more of a story. (They're actually fairy tales, like Goldilocks and the three bears and Little Red Riding Hood.)A native speaker sings the songs and sometimes she is accompanied by native speaking children; the spoken French is excellent.An English speaking man's voice gives explanations and talks about the vocabulary in upcoming songs. His French is also very good.He also explains the hand motions or gives some cultural background.There is French and English text for all the vocabulary and lyrics in the booklet that comes with the cd.My favorites are L'escargot (track 7), a game (more a rhyme) with handmotions, Ouvre et ferme (track 15), a song with handmotions and Maman Cane (track 45), a song about mother duck and four eggs/ducklings; lots of crac, crac (eggs cracking) sounds and couac (quack) that my preschoolers will love.A great product! ... Read more

Product Description

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Customer Reviews (23)

It fills in the blanks
I have only one child so far and I try to speak only French to him during the day. Sometimes it's hard to think of things to talk about, especially since he's only 8 months old and can't talk back! So, we listen to this CD of songs and rhymes and it's fun to sing along with them for the baby. Once I turn it on, he perks up and smiles. I can bounce him on my knees while we listen. Although it is only audio, it keeps him entertained for longer than any kids show we've watched so far. Then, even when we're not home, I can sing him the songs or chant the rhymes. They're easy to learn and memorize. I also like how the songs cover lots of types of animals, numbers, days of the week andsome letters. I'm really glad I bought it!

Un,deux,trois...
This was a perfect way to introduce my 3 and 5 years old to this beautiful language. I went to a French elementary and secondary school and I must say this book brought back a lot of fond memories. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in teaching their children a second language.

Boring
I don't quite understand the other reviews. I am French from France. I bought this CD for my 3 year old daughter. I don't know 3 quarters of the songs!! France has so many wonderful and rythmic nursery rhymes. This has to be a selection of the most unknown ones. My daughter enjoys : "Un elephant qui se balançait, Jean de La Lune, Promenons nous dans les bois, à la pêche aux moules...", not this selection of cold songs. I believe that "fun" is a huge factor in teaching children a language (or anything else for that matter). There is not much fun in this book.

Not much music
The CD that came with the book is not too bad; as it repeats each rhyme at least twice. But there is not much music incorporated so I find it a little too "silent" for baby.

Excellent! Excellent!
This is a wonderful book. I myself sat down and enjoyed the rhymes beforeshowing it to my children. There's no English, besides the introduction. There's a great selection of rhymes and songs and each one is said by an adult female's voice and then by a child's voice. Wonderful! Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Our best-selling language series just went Beyond the Basics!

Now there’s a fantastic new way for language learners to take their French to the next level and go Beyond the Basics! Ideal for people who already have some introductory knowledge, the brand-new Beyond the Basics courses take students further in key areas, including vocabulary, grammar, culture, and natural-sounding conversational skills. Each course includes twenty lessons that feature more challenging dialogues as well as numerous examples, explanations, and practice exercises.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beyond the Basics:French (CD) (Complete Basic Courses)
Our small group has practiced Lesson 1.We're happy with the book and with the CD.Although when the CD is repeated the second time at a slower rate the segments are too long.

Living Language course rules!
I've used Living Language courses since high school. My opinion is that they are overall the finest way to be introduced to a foreign language.

They use sentences grouped by grammatical function so that one learns (unconsciously) the grammar along with the vocabulary. There also is supplementary grammar if one wants to dig more into the machinery of the language.

I still benefit from having had my first introduction to Spanish from these courses. Now, having decided to review my univerisity French, I find this is still the finest CD on learning basic French.

Recommended.

A good tool for those with some background in French
I have been using Beyond the Basics French for about a week and I've found it very useful--it is definitely worth the time and money.It is not for someone with no background (hence, their "The Basics" I'm guessing).In grad school I had twelve hours or French (six studying abroad in France) and this course has been not only a good review but has built my vocab and, thank god, explained some grammatical/idiomatic stuff that I'm sure we covered in class but that didn't quite click with me b/c I'm not wonderfully adept at learning a new language.

If you've had at least 101-102 French, you should be fine with this.My only complaint is that some conversations aren't spoken slowly enough for me, but putting this on your iPod or mp3 makes it easy to back up a little be as often as you need to.

If you don't have a great intro/intermediate French dictionary, Harper Collins' French Beginner's Dictionary is the best I've found. ... Read more

Product Description
This innovative film-based program is designed to motivate and inspire intermediate French students. Based on the French film Le Chemin du retour, Bien vu, bien dit is a completely integrated program for intermediate French.

Each chapter of Bien vu, bien dit, the textbook, is correlated to an episode of the film. The textbook prepares students for the film-viewing experience through the chapter vocabulary presentations and activities and through additional pre- and post-viewing activities. The vocabulary and grammar presentations, as well as the activities, recycle and expand on the dialogue and structures presented in the film. Pair and small-group activities enable students to talk about the characters in the story and their own lives. The cultural content of the film is also explored in cultural notes and readings in each chapter.

Le Chemin du retour, the film, is an engaging story about a young French journalist, Camille Leclair, and her pursuit of the truth about her grandfather’s past. Through Camille’s quest, students are introduced to many facets of today’s French and Francophone cultures, as well as to important historical events in France. They learn language in the functional context provided by the film, and concepts are reinforced by onscreen activities that help students verify their comprehension. The feature-length film (102 minutes) is divided into twelve episodes, and each episode includes onscreen pre- and post-viewing activities that make the film more accessible to students, on both a linguistic and cultural level. Episodes are approximately fifteen to twenty minutes in length and correspond to the chapters in the textbook. Three and a half hours of viewing allow intermediate students to explore the richness of French language and culture. By hearing French spoken with a variety of accents and at different speeds in the film, students will gain confidence in their ability to understood authentic, spoken French. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic Book!
I used this book for my fifth year in french, and even though i only used it for one quarter, i cannot tell you how much i learned. this book offers a wide array of vocabulary, very very meaningful and helpful grammatical review (which saved my life), and overall helped me achieve strong writing skills in French. It is also fun and interactive. perfect for college students and even advanced high school students. this is the best way to make students achieve. ... Read more

Product Description
This book has large pictures for looking and talking, surrounded by small, labelled pictures of 1000 of the most familiar things, to build up and practice French vo cabulary. This is backed up by an alphabetical word list wit h pronunciation guides. ' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Creative, Fun, Encouraging book for children (and adults new to French)!
I bought this book for my childhood friend's daughter who is 6 1/2, lives in Canada and takes French as a second language. It may be a bit too early for her to fully use the book but she seemed to really take an interest. The book is light, slick cover, longer in width and length than your average book but very light for children to carry around. The text and colors and the feel of the pages is great. The stickers come off easily and stick well. The French is useful, practical and very well done in all the photos. I wish I had a version to review my own French but it is always better to give gifts rather than buy for the self. Highly recommend for any children under 10 learning French, best for 8-10 years.

Grandson loves the book!
I bought this book for my grandson to use as a review before going back to school and beginning his second year of French.He was just thrilled with it; and there isn't a lot that gets him excited if its' not Hockey related. Thank You. Grandma

learning vocabulary
This is a fun book and a really fun way to learn vocabulary.I purchased the book to use my daughter to learn vocabulary.I specifically purchased this book because the vocabulary is in French and so my daughter can't read the vocabulary words.That is exactly the point.She has to really look and learn what it is she is looking at and then describe the picture.A different way to use this book but one that has proven to help her successfully learn new vocabulary and descriptions.Her own creative descriptions.

First thousand words in french
It was exactly what I need.It is an amazing book to learn and review easily french's word without translating.

Not Just for Children!
First 1000 Words is listed as a children's book to aid in learning French but this is also an excellent book to help adults learn French.The drawings of objects along with their French names enables the student to essentially "skip the middle man" of thinking through the English word and the student begins thinking in French.Additionally the phonetic pronunciations and English counterparts are listed in the back of the book to clear up any possible confusion.First 1000 Words is great for children, adults, and children learning French with adults! ... Read more

Product Description
The combined Workbook/Laboratory Manual contains a variety of exercises on vocabulary, grammar, and culture; a guided writing section as well as a journal writing feature; and complete listening and pronunciation programs.Its sixteen chapters correspond to those in the main text.Answers in back of workbook. ... Read more

Product Description
Attention: The novice in French should start with our SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1 and Vol.2 first, to study the basic grammar, conjugation and vocabulary that we observed you need in order to get a perfect foundation.

The horse - in French, is - Le cheval -. Would you like to be taught to say: - luh shuhvahl -, as taught by most products listed (which is correct only when you read), or: - luhsh fahl -, the way it will sound in a regular conversation and the way SmartFrench teaches? This difference is true for most words.

Learning French requests that you learn to speak French and that you learn to understand it. Vol.1 and Vol.2 will teach you to speak and these SmartFrench Audio CDs Beginner will teach you to understand and be understood.

If you enter a conversation in French with no training to listen to it, you will not be able to get what is coming back to you. Then your French studies will be worth nothing. On the other hand, even if you feel hesitant to speak French, you can have a conversation saying just “yes” or “no”, as long as you understand the other person. That’s why to develop listening skills is so important. With SmartFrench you will develop two-way conversation skills.

The audio CDs can be played anywhere. The CDROM - also available on amazon.com, is for the computer. It contains all three levels and some extras, as well as the videos of the interviews on which the lessons are based (to see people when they speak always helps.)

Also available: SmartSpanish, SmartItalian, SmartFrench for Travelers.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (108)

Smart French, the Light at the End of the Tunnel
I have been struggling with French for many years and these CDs were the light at the end of the tunnel for me. Now I can speak and understand easily and with much more confidence than before. So, whatever you take for grammar or for "speaking", give yourself a chance and add Smart French to your list. It made a huge difference for me.

Waste of money
What a horrible waste of money. If you want to learn French (even basic conversational French), do NOT buy this product.The only good feature is learning the numbers.The sounds and dialogues are absolutely worthless.There are no verb conjugation exercises or vocabulary drills.I do not understand how this product has an overall rating of 4.If there was a negative rating, I would use it.

Like this series
I really like the SmartFrench series. I took an introductory French class over the summer and I felt it gave me a huge advantage in the class, especially with what is arguably the most difficult part of learning French - the pronounciation. Probably most CD series would be helpful with pronounciation, as well as listening comprehension, but there is just something about the SmartFrench CDs that make them enjoyable and interesting. Their technique is a good one - analyzing real French language conversations to determine what the most commonly used words are, and also teaching with contractions. Christian Aubert has a nice voice to listen to, also. Good series.

best CD program I have taken
After purchasing various french language programs I finally found the one I always wanted and needed. The Smart French program has pushed me up to a level That I feel confident approaching natives in France and conversing about anything. No CD will replace actually living there, but this one gets you close. It is fun and challenging and is worth every penny you spend. David H. in Houston Texas.

Depends on what you want if for
I believe this item is ok if you already know good French reasonably well, especially the accent.I believe that anyone studying any language should first learn quality language before learning street language.For example, if one is from China, it is best to study good English first, such as is spoken by the educated class, such as people at ivy leage schools, before learning English as spoken by common people is southern GA or TX.This French course is for people who already know French as spoken by cultured or educated people, and want to better understand French as spoken on the street in fast conversation. ... Read more

Product Description
Planning a trip to a French-speaking country? Starting a business with a French connection? Looking to ace your next French test? Intermediate French For Dummies is the book for you. It offers all the help you need to improve your writing skills and become a better French speaker, listener, and reader, as well.

This friendly, hands-on workbook gives you practical examples and useful exercises so you can practice how native speakers use the language. From vocabulary and numbers to juggling tenses, you’ll get a clear understanding of the nuances of French style and usage that will have you writing better in no time. Plus, you’ll find multiple charts that provide the conjugations for all types of French verbs. Discover how to:

• Use fundamental French grammar — from nouns, adjectives, and adverbs to pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions
• Select and conjugate the correct French verbs
• Understand the importance of grammatical gender in French
• Ask and respond to questions
• Use a bilingual dictionary correctly
• Get a handle on French negatives
• Know whether to use the infinitive or the present participle
• Add descriptive flair to your writing
• Sort out pronominal verbs
• Avoid the most common French writing mistakes

Complete with plenty of room to practice you skills with exercises right in the workbook Intermediate French For Dummies helps you get your French writing up to speed toute suite! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Intermediate French for Dummies
I have been following Laura for years. I subscribe to her newsletter at [...]. Her web site is absolutely the best I have ever seen. I buy all her books. She writes as if there is a teacher at your side. The book can be read from the beginning to the end or you can also go directly to a subject of interest to you. Exercises reinforce what you have learned.She is an incredibly organized person and her writing reflects it.

Good product
The book was informative.It was what I expected to be - and more.I recommend this product for beginners and anyone who does not speak French frequently (as a reference tool).

Just what I needed
Ten years ago I was headed to France on business, and picked up a teach-yourself-French book ('Idiot's Guide'). I learned some phrases, some pronunciation, some grammar, and some vocabulary. Then last year when I got serious about learning the language, I found Laura Lawless and her 'Intermediate French for Dummies'. What a revelation. It was over my head, as a beginning speaker, but I liked the logical layout of the book, and I felt I was really making progress. This is a grammar self-study guide par excellence. No culture tips, no map of France, no cartoons of Parisian bistros. And no pronunciation guides. But you will find clear explanations of the parts of speech (which are different in French than English, a fact which surprised me), the difference between reflexive and pronomial verbs, and the devious usages of pronouns and prepositions. And a guide to using bilingual dictionaries.

The chapters are self-contained, in that they can be studied in any order, and do not depend on each other to any great extent. There are self-tests at the end of every chapter, and while not exhaustive, they illustrate the subject of the lesson, and are a good reinforcement of the material.

The author has a very easy writing style, breezy but not chatty, authoritative but not dry. She's been a guide at About.com since 1999, for their French Language section, and on that site she has assembled an impressive self-study curriculum and community of Francophones. She has expanded the lessons in this book to a very detailed level, and has a number of native speakers who host on the forums and help answer the knottiest questions. There are forums for beginners, intermediates, and advanced speakers, as well as a section for teachers of French. The extensive quizzes are especially good. I believe that the experience on the website helped shape this book, with clear examples and an adult to adult tone.

Notwithstanding the excellent web presence, I still refer to this book because it is so handy (meaning I can handle it and write notes to myself in it) and because it is so easy to navigate. I have gone through it once, filling in the exercises in pencil, and I'm about to go back with an eraser to clean them up, and then fill them in again. Repetition and repetition is how I learn, but first someone has to explain it clearly, like Laura does in this book.

Intermediate French for Dummies
I am learning French through self-study. As my knowledge expands, and I obtain a greater comprehension of the French Language, I have a need for a slightly more challanging book. Intermediate French for Dummies helped to provide an avenue to enable me to continue my learning. I like all of the presentations by Laura. She writes as though she was sitting next to you and the explainations are simple and easy to understand. As I advance my knowledge I hope that she continues to produce similar books to learn from.

Gary

more eercises needed
Laura does a great job, but there is a lot of english explanations.
More exercises would be better.
... Read more

Product Description
Speak French with confidence in just 6 weeks!

Living Language® French Complete Course is a step-by-step guide to the basics of French conversation and grammar. This revised course uses the highly effective speed-learning method developed by U.S. government experts to teach foreign languages to overseas-bound servicemen and diplomats.

40 lessons on three compact disks
Begin with simple words and phrases and progress to more complex expressions.
Just listen and repeat after the native speakers.

Only French is spoken on the recordings, so you learn naturally, the way you learned English.
The accompanying French Coursebook includes the English translations.

Italian Coursebook
The pocket-size book contains all the translated phrases from the recorded lessons, plus additional vocabulary, detailed explanations, and quizzes.

The book also features verb charts with all tenses included and a comprehensive summary of French grammar.

French-English/English-French Dictionary
More than 15,000 words are defined.
Idiomatic expressions and common phrases show how words are used in everyday conversation.
The dictionary doubles as a phrasebook.
1,000 of the most frequently used words are highlighted for easy reference.

The best-selling language course that really works--revised, updated, and expanded!

For Beginners or Those Who Want a Thorough Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

One big flaw!
Basic French course was in great condition, but was missing one of the CD's in the set.

This set has given me confidence in speaking french.
Being a francophile, I have always wanted to really learn to speak and understand french.I had one semester of college french and thought it was impossible.But this book and the CDs that came with it really helped me to learn a great deal of french in an enjoyable way.With this set and a CD-Rom on pronunciation that I'm using, I no longer find it difficult to pronounce certain tricky french sounds and I now have confidence speaking basic sentences to french speakers.I have been complimented on my "good accent" on quite a few occasions.I can also understand many phrases and simple sentences when I watch french films now - which also boosts my confidence.The book does not explicitly teach grammar, and you learn it naturally through repeated listening and speaking.One difficiency of this set is that there isn't any listening comprehension exercises, which is a minor disappointment.Also, I find it helpful to use this set in conjuction with some exercise booklets and grammar books.In summary, you will not be fluent in french after completing this set, but you will be in pretty good shape doing things like ordering tickets, asking for directions (and giving them too), making purchases, etc.I liked this set well enough that I have ordered its sequal - "advanced french"!

A definite help for pronunciation and understanding!
As a total beginner to French, this CD really helped me get a grasp of the sounds and how to make them.I was able to learn basic french and be able to speak it so the french people I spoke with were able to understand me perfectly.I was able to learn the basics so that I could travel in france by myself without addressing the natives with any english (the french HATE that!)Though my vocabulary was limited, the cds helped me learn to hear what the native speakers were saying so that I could understand them as well which helped me pick up more french on my own.I only spent 2 weeks in france, but I was complimented on my good accent on several occasions.I even translated a bit for another american who didn't know any french!There is lots of repetition on the CD, so this is an excellent tool for beginners to start with.I begins with vocabulary lists, then moves on to simple sentence constructions and builds on them gradually, so you know what you are saying. Must be used in conjunction with the book, however.I spent about 15 minutes in the evening with the book, and listened to the CD on my way to and from work the next day (approx. 30 minutes each way, so lots of vocal practice). I only got a little less than 1/2 through all the lessons, but it was still an enormous help. Highly recommended! It really added an extra dimension to my travel!

Improve your French Accent . . .
The "Living Language Complete Courses: Compact Disc Edition" are great to use in your car CD player or Discman. These CDs are available in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Japanese. The "French Complete Course" is very basic instruction: the repeat-after-me words and phrases that one learns in a high school or university language lab during the first year or two of study. A small coursebook comes with the three CD set that has the transcript of the spoken material on the CDs, which is only in French. There are forty "lessons" in all; many of these lessons include translations of the French words and phrases, and there are some short quizzes you can take. There is also a small French-English/English-French dictionary in the set, and it has over 15,000 words in tiny print.

This language course on CDs is not an intensive immersion-type instruction in French. However, it is the best way to form and improve on your French accent and sentence intonation. French is a difficult language to pronounce correctly and repeated drills are necessary. So if you are not in France, or another French-speaking country, and you have no one with whom to practice speaking French on a regular basis, these French language CDs will help you gain or regain confidence in your conversational skills. This boxed set makes a nice gift for someone who is planning a trip to France. (Living Language also makes audio cassettes in the languages mentioned above plus Hebrew, Portuguese, Russian, Hungarian, Korean, Polish, Mandarin, Czech, Arabic, and American English.)

Repetitious lists of phrases
This book encompasses a good range of vocabulary, but consists of a person reading phrase after phrase after phrase, without translation (making it nearly useless for a beginner who wants to learn in his/her car), and readmore slowly than actual French speakers speak.If you want to drill,drill, drill with the accompanying book in your hand, this is for you!Ifyou want to learn French as it is spoken, look elsewhere.In my opinion,this course is a waste of money. ... Read more

Product Description
These ever popular guides include study tips, test-taking strategies, score analysis charts, and other valuable features. Each book contains between 5 and 20 recently given New York State high school Regents exams. They are an ideal source of practice and test preparation. The detailed answer explanations make each exam a practical learning experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good.
This book prepared me for the regents in no time.It is clear and straight forward, but it could be more concise at some junctures.Barron's has yet another winner. ... Read more

Product Description

A fun, natural way for kids to take their first steps in a second language

A fun way to introduce kids ages three to eight to a second language, the On the Move series takes full advantage of kids’ natural talent for learning through song. Songs about an array of topics that matter to kids—including counting, family, holidays, school, animals, the weather, colors, and more—feature lyrics specially developed for easy comprehension and catchy melodies that make singing along irresistible. And the convenient CD format makes it easy for kids to have some fun with language whenever and wherever the spirit moves them.

Each package contains:

• 22 catchy tunes that entertain kids while exposing them to the basics
• Language games and activities that let kids show off what they’ve learned
• A warm, friendly narration that guides listeners to key words and phrases and reinforces important vocabulary
• An illustrated booklet with complete bilingual lyrics

Product Description
If you've already learned the basics of French and you want to become more fluent, then the French Verbs Skill Builder from Living Language® is right for you. The unique approach of this book introduces all the tenses and all major verb groups in a conversational format. In addition, the easy-to-use verb charts in the reference section offer instant access to more than 150 verbs arranged in alphabetical order. The French Verbs Skill Builder will help you master French verbs quickly, easily, and enjoyably.

CONVERSATION AND VERB REFERENCE COMBINED
IN ONE COMPREHENSIVE COURSE

40 lessons to teach conjugation and conversation
Complete conjugations of more than 150 regular and irregular verbs
Realistic phrases, expressions, and conversations to illustrate usage
Complete grammar summary and glossary of grammatical terms
Additional features that will help you perfect your French: pronunciation chart, tense-formation guide, and grammar summary

The French Verbs Skill Builder is the ideal companion to the French: Complete Course, Ultimate French, and All-Audio French, all from Living Language.

Also available: French Verbs Skill Builder cassette packages, which include this coursebook, together with four hours of recordings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent book.
This is an excellent book especially for a subject as dry as verbs conjugation. The tapes are excellent and cover all the material included in the lessons. It is a useful book for both beginners and advanced learners.

Great for advanced beginners
I just purchased this set - 4 audiotapes and a book.This set is not good for a beginner, but very good if you already know some French.I did two years in college a while back and now I'm prepping for my first trip to France.I like these tapes a lot.They are professionally narrated with very clear, distinctive speech and excellent sound quality.The pace is very good with appropriate pauses for the listener to repeat.Although the focus is on verb usage and conjugation, they throw in lots of good vocab words.

The best $25.00 you will ever spend learning French!
In a world of very expensive French audio and book courses, for example Pimsleur French at over $200.00 a section, almost $700.00 or more for the entire course, and a huge number of mid priced sets, many of them excellent, the Living Language French Verbs Skill Builder is absolutely the best $25.00 you will ever spend on ANY French learning tool.

It covers all essential topics, has a friendly conversational style, using many of the same voice actors as Pimsleur and Barron's courses, and employs realistic real world statements and dialogs to highlight and explain the use of verbs in ALL tenses. The only drawback is that it is still on cassette tape, not CD Audio, but hopefully Living Language will remedy this soon.

If you're beginning with French this is an invaluable asset, much more realistically useable than the massive "every French verb on earth" books of conjugation tables. If you already have some basic French skills you could use this set alone to significantly improve your speaking and conversational skills.

Superb. The perfect way to brush you on French verb forms
Having tried several other methods, I found this course the absolute best for reviewing French verb forms in a non-boring fashion.The tapes are well-organized and intelligently done.They do move on at a swift pace but that is exactly what one needs to brush up on a prior knowledge of any language.Normally I resist hearing anything but the foreign language on an audiotape course (the constant interruptions into English usually tend to confuse more than they clarify). In this case, case, however, the English is non-intrusive and allows one to use the tapes without necessarily consulting the written guide.I use it while I'm cleaning thehouse, driving, or doing some mundane chore.Highly recommended.Hope they create a CD version of these tapes soon.(For a more sit-down mode of learning, check out the spectacularly interesting, interactive Learn French Now! software available for both Macs and PCs. Innovative and intelligently-done software that is also fun- in short, a great companion to this series.)

It is something that I am looking for!
I like these tapes!I have tried some other tape courses, and finally find these tapes which truly worth with their prices!I am always poor in listening, so these tapes give me a good opportunity to practise.These tapes combine verb conjugations with listening and oral skills; therefore, you don't only get verb skills improved, but also oral skills brushed up.As you know, speaking and writing are completely two different things.I studied English and Spanish before, and made terrible mistakes of concentrating too much on written but forgetting spoken.So these tapes give me a good start to listen to what native speaker actually speak in the conversation.

Another thing I like these tapes was that the conversation part is suitable for intermediate level of students: not too fast and not too slow.The dialogues really made a good introduction to French conversations.

I did not give 5 stars because first, there are few faults between the book and the tapes.Sometimes the dialogues in the book do not completely match with those on the tapes.The second thing is that I feel the author should make more exercises on the tape for us to practise verb conjugations, a great part contributing to conversational fluency.The third thing is that the pause should be placed between the English translations and the French sentences, not after the English and the French sentences speaking right one after the other.

Anyway, these tapes are great bargin!The most important part of the language is to speak and listen, and these tapes does both!As I have tried some other tapes before, they are either not satisfactorily made, or does not worth their prices. ... Read more

Product Description

Immerse yourself in the French language and culture

Customer Reviews (3)

Content 5 stars, Usability 1 star
The content is outstanding for start to end, but some stories may be boring to some.They are misc. stories of common life.

The French pronunciation in the cd is very good, but not the very best.I don't like the fact that the book comes with only one cd.

French readers are a good place to learn French -- combine them with conversational French, which you can see on Amazon.Buy those that you can see samples of online.With that in mind, altho the content is excellent, it is far too difficult for beginners, except for advanced beginners.

I recommend buying this book with cd.I like the way vocabulary is on the side margins, next to where it is used.If the content is too difficult, try it anyway, get something easier, then get back to it when ready.

At last!
At last, a combination french reader with an audio to follow along.Of all the audio-reader combos I've tried, this is the best.The way this is set up, the reader is forced to think in french since the accompanying word lists are not intrusive.Following the recommendations given in the instructions, I found that my comprehension of spoken french has increased considerably.I wish I had this when I was studying french in school.

Good book for conversational french
I have studied French for several years and lived in France. I found this was a good book to increase my facility in conversational French. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A brand-new title in BarronÂ's Foreign Language Guides and the latest in the foreign language Grammar Review series, this book covers virtually every rule of French grammar and usage. Following a summary of rules for correct pronunciation and spelling, the author goes on to review verb tenses, as well as reflexive verbs, the subjunctive, the imperative, and infinitive verb forms. Rules governing nouns, pronouns modifiers, prepositions, interrogatives, and negative forms are also examined in detail. The bookÂ's final chapters cover miscellaneous topics such as numbers, time and dates, idioms, synonyms, antonyms, and cognates. Interesting French cultural notes can be found throughout the text. This book makes a fine reference guide and review manual for intermediate students of French on a high school or college level. Includes practice questions with answers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Best thing I've ever purchased
This is everything you need to know about french grammer. I am using this book in addition to the 500 French verbs book to teach myself French. It is that easy to follow.

not what I was looking for
I should have researched this purchase better.It is not a complete grammar, just too simple for my needs.The same goes for the Italian grammar. I would have been better off buying Schaum's Grammar or something similar.It is useful, but more for beginners.

Useful tool
I have found the French Gammar Review very helpful as a tool for self studies. There are plenty of exercises, a good list of regular and irregular verbs explaining the conjugation. There are one or two spelling errors and some inconsistencies but they are only minor irritations. Overall a good reference book to get an understanding of the French grammar. ... Read more

Product Description
French Verbs JUST GOT AS EASY AS 1-2-3

Great news!
Whether you’re learning French for fun, school, or work, 2,000+ Essential French Verbs makes everything simple–conjugations, tenses, irregulars, and even conversation.

• 2,000+ French verbs in alphabetical order
• Translations, prepositions, and regional usage
• ALL major tenses and regular and irregular verb forms covered
• Help with forming tenses, explained in clear English
• Sample sentences that show verbs in action
• 40 engaging dialogues that bring verbs to life
• More than 100 practice exercises
• Special help for tough verb questions

And for extra practice, FLASH CARDS help you memorize key verbs! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Look elsewhere
First, the CD with Before You Know It software:It works, which is about as much as one can say in its favor.If you're using a Mac with an up to date OS, be prepared for a hassle.The vocabulary list files will not work unless you first email customer support at the company.They'll send you a link that allows you to download an updated version of the software.(The download is very slow.If you're using a dial up connection, be prepared to pack it in for the night.)Once installed you may yet fall into a minor trap--that of having vocabulary lists you've already spent time creating, being completely deleted without warning by the updated software.

The lists that eventually do work are relatively small in size.Hence, the option for you to do the lion's share of the work in creating your own.

The usability of the software is below average in terms of intuitiveness, convenience and efficiency.Opening new lists, switching out of the list you're already in and more, is not done from an easy to use master menu, but is discovered over time by clicking through illogically organized windows and wordy options.It comes close but doesn't quite win the ignoble label of geek-ware.

The book's contents are well-designed but spare.And, unless I'm missing something, there are not 2000 verbs in this book.

I purchased this book out of a desire to replace an aging copy of 501 French Verbs: with CD-ROM (Barron's Foreign Language Guides).My copy of this contains many more verbs and more explanatory content.I should have purchased a newer version of it.

My advice--skip this book and CD.Go for the 501 French Verbs.You can easily make your own flashcards.For pronunciation, explore the growing number of French language podcasts on iTunes and elsewhere.

French verb conjugation made simple
This book will help you to master French verbs without doubt. This book achieves to present the intricate tense formation and use in a clear and simple format. It presents French tenses with clear definitions and well-created guided exercises. The book provides plenty of examples and practice exercises to master French verbs. The interactive CD is an excellent supplement to the text; it allows you to personalize the activities for specific needs. I use the CD to create my own flash cards and quizzes to practice words, and structures that were a challenge to me. I have one small problem with this book, even though the exercises are excellent and follow a clear format in the second part "French Verbs in Action" some tenses are presented in groups, which can be confusing and there are not practice exercises for some tenses. Since this is just a minor problem and the book goes well and beyond in presenting French verbs I will give it five stars.

Fantastic Verb Coverage
Whether you're a student of French, travelling abroad, or just want to learn to speak it, this book has got everything you need to know about verbs.It has practically every verb you can think of, tons that you never would think of, and all the tenses and conjugations of every single one.This is the essential French verb book. ... Read more

Product Description
Now available in paperback editions, The Oxford-Duden Pictorial Dictionaries provide parallel English and foreign word lists containing 29,000 items for each language. Based on the premise that pictures can more clearly convey certain kinds of information, these dictionaries present a list of vocabulary relating to a subject together with a picture illustrating that subject.

Each double-page spread links the words by number to the picture situation drawn from everyday life; 384 sections cover a broad range of subjects in the fields of science, medicine, technology, industry, commerce, and arts and leisure, including astronomy, automobiles, swimming, supermarkets, nuclear energy, nightclubs, and much more. Both English and foreign words appear on the same page for easy use. The dictionaries also provide fully alphabetized indices in both languages which refer the reader not only to the various subjects and contexts in which a word is used, but also to the correct translation and vocabulary of the entire subject.

An essential reference for general readers, translators, travelers, and business people, The Oxford-Duden Pictorial Dictionaries serve as an invaluable supplement to other foreign language guides.

The Oxford-Duden Pictorial French and English Dictionary, Second Edition has been completely updated and revised to include the most recent innovations in science and technology and to offer increased coverage of all major fields of reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

recommended
Unlike a dictionary, this book presents a vocabulary associated with a topic.Example topics are animals, plants, woodworking, construction, ships, cars, planes, etc.As a result, if you want to build your vocabulary in order to discuss some topic with someone, you can learn that vocabulary much more quickly than by skipping all over a dictionary.

I recommend it.

The Oxford-Duden Pictorial French and English Dictionary
This is an excellent dictionary for teachers wanting to tie technical subjects, such as agriculture, forestry, industrial arts, or ROTC into their French teaching.It provides finely detailed drawings of machinery,terrain, plants and animals.JH/HS teachers may find it sparten and humerless, but extremely interesting and accurate. It is a good source for a student wanting to pursue an area of technicalThe Oxford-Duden Pictorial French and English Dictionary interest for a portfolio or project.

a must for anyone serious about the language
LOVE this book!I have a bachelors in french and lived in France for three years. How else do you tell the Darty repair man that you think there is a clothes dryer hose you need?Do you learn those terms in french class?....not usually...but you can find it in here.You can even find the french term for fern spores!INSANE amount of vocab that really comes in useful in everyday living when the french word for "furniture dolly" escapes you in the middle of <> which is sort of like our Lowes or home depot(c'est 'camion à main'if you were wondering...and no they didn't have one...but the guy at the Renault delearship did and lent me one to help with my move.)Buy with confidence it will come in extremely handy......

The Oxford-Duden Pictorial French and English Dictionary (Paperback)
Very good book with a very wide vocabulary ... Read more

Product Description
More than any other Beginning French program, Vis-à-vis captures students' attention and engages them as they build a solid foundation of language and culture. The fifth edition of Vis-à-vis achieves this through its unique blending of contemporary culture and digital tools with the building blocks of the four-skills approach. The innovative features of Vis-à-vis engage students and connect them to the content. Students will be intrigued by the cultural content and delighted by the new features such as pronunciation tips and mini-tutorials on French slang.Plus, there is a robust suite of digital components, all conveniently available in one location, Centro, McGraw-Hill’s exclusive digital platform. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Prevents Confusion
Let's face it, French can be quite confusing for a non-native student.This book to helps clear up some of these confusions.And we really need to have them cleared up, for French speakers don't like their language spoken with mistakes.

If you want to learn French, buy this by your second of third year of high school or second or third semester of college.It only tackles a limited number of problems, but French requires several books to learn right, and this is one of them.

Wealth of Information Found in Slim Volume
Don't let the slimness of this volume fool you, in under 100 pages author Norman Susskind pinpoints key problem areas in French grammar and suggests ways in which the native English speaker can master them.Each tip is assigned a three digit number which is nicely cross-referenced in the back in a thorough index.All of the tips are grouped under the following twelve chapter headings: Articles, Object Pronouns, Relative Pronouns, Passe Compose and Imperfect, Agreement of Participles, Reflexives, Passive Tense, Subjunctive, Interrogation, Certain Effects of Certain Verbs in Certain Tenses and Moods, Faire, Falloir, S'Agir and Time.
In addition to concise information, formatted in an almost encyclopedic style, Susskind sprinkles his French gems with a liberal coating of humor and grammar usage illustrating his points with actual sentences. My only complaint here is the lack of English translation for all the sentences however simplistic.I realize that Susskind intends the book for advanced students who have already encountered rigorous grammar exercises and can easily recognize the sore subjects Susskind so thoughtfully summarizes with a knowing wince, but I do think that a beginning and most definitely an intermediate student will benefit greatly from this compendium.My absolute favorite chapter is Certain Effects of Certain Verbs etc. where Susskind turns his attention to the devoir, pouvoir, vouloir, and savoir and explains their usage in the different tenses with English translations.This is most appreciated!Kudos Mr. Susskind

An invaluable tool for the French student and teacher alike!
This is one book that no French teacher/student should be without! From his very first paragraph and throughout his entire book, Professor Susskind will delight every Francophile with his witty yet extremely practical approach to those rather "prickly" points that seem to characterize French grammar. Norman Susskind will have both students and teachers alike howling with laughter as they encounter some funny and very effective illustrations which help immeasurably in simplifying some rather troublesome grammatical topics: relative pronouns, object pronouns, etc. This book should be required reading for ALL French students and their teachers.(It is especially relevant to native speakers of English who are trying to master French). There is nothing else like it on the market. C'est formidable! Buy this book!! ... Read more