French language books/CDs

July 13, 2005 10:26 PM

What are the best books and/or CDs to help me improve my French?

I'm travelling to Lyon in the winter as part of a study abroad program, so I really want to have a solid grounding of the language so I don't look like an idiot when I get there. I've taken a couple college-level classes, but I don't feel like I have that good of a grasp on it. I know the basics, but I really want to become at least proficient before I go.

I'm looking for "learn French in 30 days" type stuff to help me brush up on my grammar and vocab, but I'd like any recommendations for French novels/magazines/music/etc as well.

posted by strikhedonia to writing & language (15 comments total)

I learned French--after being dumped in France all of a sudden when I was fourteen--by reading Tintin and Asterix comics.

Tintin provides you with simple French that is extremely polite, and Asterix plays with language using many clever but simple puns.
posted by interrobang at 10:28 PM on July 13, 2005

I heard from friends that the "Berlitz " series is quite good, just check out amazon
posted by bluehermit at 10:53 PM on July 13, 2005

Interrobang is right, Tintin is great, especially if you can pick up the politically incorrect Hergé originals.

I know you were asking for books and cds but I found that watching french movies on DVD helped me a lot. If I ever got confused, I could pull up the subs and straighten myself out. Movies directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet not only are a visual delight but also help you become accustomed to the fact that once you get there, people will speak really, really fast. And not in those nice clear accents you hear on CD.
posted by cyphill at 10:57 PM on July 13, 2005

french.about.com is a very good resource for grammar. You might also try finding your local Alliance Francaise for a short course. I've recently returned to studying French, and my experience with AF has been very good.

I second interrobang, bande-dessinee such as TinTin are excellent. I've also been reading Harry Potter in French and have found that it's best to avoid relying on the dictionary if possible, you'll be amazed at how much you improve.

Maybe some French weblogs? I'd help, but I'm looking for recommendations myself. Bon chance!
posted by pipstar at 10:58 PM on July 13, 2005

on peut voir Muzzy!
posted by radioamy at 11:34 PM on July 13, 2005

I'll second the about.com for some mp3s you can listen to wherever. This series has been linked here several times. I think it's great. Not a book or CD, but there are a ton of episodes included and you can just hunt around until you find your skill level. And it won't cost you anything.
posted by jaysus chris at 12:51 AM on July 14, 2005

I haven't used the BBC French program (or the advanced level) but their German program is excellent. They also have some free stuff.
posted by grouse at 1:01 AM on July 14, 2005

You might find a question I asked about French music cds useful.
posted by handee at 1:19 AM on July 14, 2005

Well, I learned the basics of Spanish using the Michel Thomas CDs (an eight CD course). I found them to be REALLY good at getting the grammar correct. He does a "Learn French" CD set too. I then picked up extra vocab using some dual language books (the kind with an English language page facing a foreign language page), listening to Spanish language radio (difficult at first) and reading Spanish editions of magazines. I tried all this out when I went to Madrid earlier this year - it worked! Good luck with it!
posted by jonesor at 4:28 AM on July 14, 2005

I've found Real French to be a useful resource.
posted by Succa at 6:58 AM on July 14, 2005

I've used the Michel Thomas CDs that jonesor mentions and can't recommend them highly enough. I learned more from them than I did in 2 semesters of French in college.

His teaching method is VERY different from any other language course I've seen. Rather than starting with "My name is strikhedonia," which is gramatically very different in French and English, it starts with the areas most common to English and then branches out so it feels very natural and you don't realize how far you've gone. I think the "My name is" comes on disc 5 or 6. Also, the 2 students on the CD don't know French at all so, like a normal class, he teaches, they screw up, and he corrects. It's not scripted so it's natural. (Of course, you'll find yourself wishing the woman weren't quite so stupid, but still).

The other thing I liked is that it had a focus on learning at a natural, I might say "fluency" level. There is no note taking or memorization. You really understand what you are saying, there's no translating.

I highly recommend it.
posted by aaronh at 7:11 AM on July 14, 2005

"French In Action: The Capretz Method" is what I used in high school. Good stuff.
((French in Action, 52 half-hour television programs combines video, audio, ... French In Action: A Beginning Course in Language and Culture))
main.wgbh.org/wgbh/learn/instructional/french.ht
posted by Radio7 at 7:22 AM on July 14, 2005

I'm another fan of the Michel Thomas method - I took French long ago, forgot it all, and got it all back (and more) by running through the French Language Builder CDs in my car on the way to work.
posted by ChuqD at 9:53 AM on July 14, 2005

Listen to a French talk radio station over the web as you go about your day. Radio-Canada is very good, and the accent is not overly regional.
posted by zadcat at 9:59 PM on July 14, 2005

Thanks for all the ideas! I think I'm going to look into the free stuff first, and then go from there.
posted by strikhedonia at 1:53 PM on July 15, 2005