French for Dummies | 
 enlarge | Authors: Dodi-katrin Schmidt, Michelle M. Williams, Dominique Wenzel
Publisher: For Dummies
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy Used: $2.99
You Save: $22.00 (88%)
New (36) Used (33) from $2.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 77025
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 7.4 x 1
ISBN: 0764551930
Dewey Decimal Number: 448.2421
UPC: 785555006140
EAN: 9780764551932
ASIN: 0764551930
Publication Date: January 15, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Used - Good
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Product Description
If you buy into the Pepe Le Pew stereotype of the French–arrogant, stuffy, overly amorous, and rather odiferous (Pepe Le Pew was a skunk. Talk about stereotypical!)–then think again. Not only are the French people some of the most relaxed, pleasant people you'll ever meet, but their society is one of the oldest, most culturally rich societies in the world. So it's no surprise that French is known as perhaps the most beautiful of all languages. Listen to someone speak French–sure, you don't have a clue what she's saying, but aren't you enraptured by the sound of it? Unfortunately, just because a language is beautiful doesn't mean that it's easy to learn. Although French has many things in common with English, French has had many, many centuries to evolve into the language it is today, which means it's had all that time to become more complex. That's where French For Dummies can help. Written in partnership with the language experts at Berlitz, this book can give you what you need for basic communication in French. French For Dummies covers the following topics and more: - Basic pronunciation and gestures
- The nuts and bolts of French grammar
- Meeting and greeting in French
- Situations in which you can use French: Making small talk, dining out, shopping, and talking on the phone
- Traveling to France: Dealing with French currency, staying at a hotel, and getting around town
- Top Ten lists on ways to pick up French quickly, things you should never say in French, favorite French expressions, and important French holidays to remember.
- Appendixes with verb conjugation tables, as well as a French mini-dictionary
French For Dummies also comes with a CD that has audio transcriptions of all the exercises in the book, so that you can actually hear the French pronunciations. So whether you're taking a business trip and need to pick up a little French quickly; you're cramming for your high school French final; or you've always wanted to learn a new language but don't have the time to drag yourself to a class once a week, French For Dummies can get you well on your way to becoming fluent in no time.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Salle de bains? July 31, 2008
Dumb indeed. Even as a basic guide to useful travel phrases, this was disappointing. For example, nowhere will you find the French for "Where is the bathroom?" which I for one figure qualifies as THE most important useful phrase to learn. The dictionary at the end (admittedly very short) did not include "bathroom" or "toilet." Not to dwell overly on this tender subject, but isn't that an important consideration for the traveler?
 Not bad May 9, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
It can be a good book for beginners...it is for sure. I did not expect anything as i knew already it would be presented like that.
In general, you can find really necessary material there, so , good luck to the learners of French!!!;)))
Should be called French BY Dummies November 5, 2006
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
The written portion was pretty good and concise. Though I wish it had some sort of abridged French to English dictionary. The CD, on the other hand, is quite possibly the dumbest CD I've ever listened to. First they do a long conversation in French b/t two people (various topics: i.e., flying on a plane, making a reservation at a restaurant, etc), then they go through each line one by one, and give you time to pronounce it yourself. Sounds good, right? Well, they neglect to tell you just what the heck you're saying. They NEVER translate it to English. A couple of the conversations can be found in the book (though you have to search for them, the audio CD doesn't tell you where) but most are not in the book, in English, to follow along. My wife and I were AMAZED they didn't give you the English translation. So, if you use this CD, you'll end up with great French pronunciation, you just won't know what the heck you're saying. This dummies book must have been written by a bunch of dummies.
 Good primer for beginners December 13, 2002
29 out of 32 found this review helpful
No book can make you fluent in a language. But this is a great resource for those who only want to learn enough to get by while traveling or who want a good back-up for other instructional methods.
You'll get a solid working vocabulary, easy-to-understand pronuciation tips and a foundation in basic grammar.
Good as a supplementary learning tool November 18, 2001
46 out of 53 found this review helpful
I have come to the conclusion that one can NOT learn french without attending the old-fashion French class-room based seminars! I tried books, audio-cassettes, and interactive PC softwares yet I made no progress! But once I started attending the classes, all the books and cassettes I had helped me to advance at a rate faster than all my class-peers!Having that in mind, this book is a good book to read once you start a French course. It's comprehensive on the basic concepts and it's fun to read as well. It will give you some tips that your French instructor might miss or overlook. It will also enhance your vocabulary. The CD however is quite disappointing! It pronounces the alphabet, which is good. But only few of the conversations are available on the CD. I think that if they had the pronounciations of various words available as well then it would've been much more helpful. If you're expecting to learn French by reading a funny book or by listening to cassettes while driving, then get real! Learning a new language is a difficult task. Don't expect that a book or a cassette will make it any easier.
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