French by Association (Link Word) [Paperback]

Michael Gruneberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0844294454 | ISBN-13: 978-0844294452 | Publication Date: January 11, 1994 | Edition: 1

Introduces a basic French vocabulary and the first principles of French grammar through word-association techniques.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Michael Gruneberg is an internationally respected authority and author on memory enhancement. He is the president of the American Society for Applied Research in memory an Cognition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 11, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844294454
• ISBN-13: 978-0844294452
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #486,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most effective way to learn a language, August 8, 2000

By 

MR M MERVYN (Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French by Association (Link Word) (Paperback)

I was first introduced to the concept of learning a language 'by assocation' by a friend in my French class. Having experienced it's effectiveness I promptly bought the book 'French by association'. The book has completely transformed and re-invigorated my desire to learn the French langage. The method used in the book has removed all stress of learning the language and has allowed me to apply the principal method of association with every day learning of the language. The book is very easy to read and follow. Unlike any other language book - it bring's alive the words and keeps one's interest sustained. The book is very well structured allowing one to develop their vocabulary and grammar as one progresses through the book. What is normally a diificult subject in any language - the grammar is very easily explained and very easy to understand. One can work their way through the book quite easily within a week and certainly a weekend if the time is set aside. The book simply associates an English word to a French word through images in the mind. Some of the images are truly bizarre but have that added effect of maintaining one's interest and has the effect of relaxing the reader whilst learning the language at a rapid pace. I would describe the book as being totally unorthodox and totally different to traditional ways of learning the language. This is very refreshing. I would truly recommend this book and it's other language equivalent books to anyone learning a foreign language of whatever level. Having found the effectiveness of this technique I intend to apply it to Spanish and German in the near future when I hope to have the oppurtunity to study them as well. One the principal difficulties of learning a language is the inability to switch from English to French. There is no so trouble with this method as it utilises one's own knowledge of the English language to vividly capture those French word's and grammar which were previously difficult to learn. Another of the principal failures in the French language is 'memory loss' and the incorrect use of gender. This can be embarrassing and very common! The book largely overcomes these problems by allowing the learner to readily conjure up those words that were previously difficult to learn along with the correct gender if necessary. It puzzles me that this method of learnig is not more widely used. Having myself studied the French language using various techniques and even had one to one lessons with French speaking teachers - I can truly say that is by far the most effective way of learning a language.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teach an old dog, December 25, 2002

By 

Kim F. Hill (Rockford, IL. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: French by Association (Link Word) (Paperback)

I have tried many books and tapes to learn French as I vacation there every year. Most are as forgetable as the french you are trying to learn. French by association by comparison has worked wonders, I actualy use the french I have learned in this book and It's very rewarding. This book has built up my french vocabulary wonderfuly.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Exciting Approach To Learning A Foreign Language, August 15, 2003

By 

M. Morgan (Montreal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: French by Association (Link Word) (Paperback)

I have taken many French courses and purchased many French language books but have had difficulty retaining want I had learned. Learning through memorization became tedious and started to feel more like a chore. However French By Association offered a different approach. Through its "learning by association" principle, I have been able to learn new words very quickly in a fun way and more importantly, I have been able to retain the information. I have learned to create a mental image of the words so that when I am thinking of a word a mental image appears, the wackier the better. This is my first review of a book on Amazon. I thought it would be important to share my view with people who may be experiencing difficulty in learning another language. I highly recommend it. Best of Luck!