Customer Reviews

Contacts: Langue et culture francaises

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am using Contacts, 7th ed., along with the workbook/lab manual. I also purchased the CD set, which contained 14 CD's with about 40 minutes on each. I have enjoyed these materials immensely. Since I am studying on my own, the CDs have been a key part of my training. This book covers the equivalent of two semesters of college French. The pages are colorful, with many descriptions of contemporary French life. For those who are using it in a classroom setting, many of the exercises creatively get partners to have dialogues. I highly recommend it for self-study, study with a partner or in a classroom.

I have this book in a beginning college level French class. The book is excellent. Use of the lab manual and cassette tapes is a must with this test. The lab manual and the cassette tapes compliment the text and makes a difficult subject fun.

This lab manual, to be used with the accompanying recordings, is of extremely low quality. The mistakes are so frequent that you cannot use the material for effective feedback. I am about two thirds of the way through this course and, if anything, the errors are getting worse and more frequent. I am required to finish the material for a class, but am considering not doing any more of the lab work to focus on higher quality audio learning sources. This is my third foreign language and I have never seen such an incompetent attempt to throw together materials. Do yourself a favor and go with French in Action - it is in every sense a superior system of learning french.

From the moment I married a French woman, the need to actually speak the language became obvious...easier said than done. After flailing about with inferior texts for about two years, I finally happened on Valette et Valette's Contacts. True to the title, they skillfully prepare a cocktail of language instruction and cultural information - which entice the learner through a difficult subject. I would recommend it without hesitation; in fact, I am in the process of ordering a new hardback to replace my current edition (which now resembles a pack of cards).

This is the favorite French textbook I have ever had and I have been studying French for um... 6 or 7 years. It is well-written and easy to understand. The chapters are well-organized and I think the best part is how the authors explain verbs and verb conjugations... there are so many ways, ugh! However, there is a new 7th edition out now, so if you need this textbook for a class check to see which edition you need before you buy this textbook. Also, this book is geared toward beginning students so it may not be too helpful if you already know a fair amount of French.

I like this text. I studied French in college, forgot most of it, and used this book to brush up before I went to France. I obtained the tapes from a university bookstore, and they're now available on CD. I don't see the CDs for sale here. If you don't already speak French, don't bother with a text without an accompanying audio program.

Why does Amazon offer language texts with the accompanying CDs?

If you can find the CDs, this is the way to learn French or any other language. You need to use a college text such as this. There's no substitute for learning grammar.

Excellent textbook, workbook and CD's. Although I purchased it used, it arrived in excellent condition. I think perhaps the items were never used.

It's not a bad textbook; it has everything in a specific order, which is great for learning French for the first time, though some parts could be moved to earlier sections in the book. The book encases full-color spreads with photos looking like they came from the '80s, a great characteristic of most language textbooks. Unfortunately, unlike the 8th edition of the same book, this book does not come with audio CDs that help you study French audibly and verbally. The back pages of the book include a handy French-English (and vice-versa) dictionary of sorts for words that beginners will need as they begin to master the language.

This is the same textbook I used in college. It was so good I decided to buy a copy to refresh myself with the french language.

I used this book when I was back at my community college in Miami; even after the class was over I continue to study from it; I strongly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn the language.