French the Easy Way [Paperback]

Christopher Kendris Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812095057 | ISBN-13: 978-0812095050 | Publication Date: February 1, 1996 | Edition: 3

This new, improved updating of a popular teach-yourself book introduces the basics of French grammar and vocabulary. Learning is kept interesting with use of colorful dialogues, concise explanations, and challenging exercises and puzzles.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)

True-to-life dialogues with translations

Illustrations and notes that capture the spirit of today's France

Skill-building exercises and fun-to-solve puzzles

Verb Conjugation Charts

Vocabulary

Pronunciation Tips

Grammatical Terms

Idioms

Greeting

Numbers, Telling Time, and more --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 436 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 3 edition (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812095057
• ISBN-13: 978-0812095050
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,071,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Christopher Kendris, an accomplished linguist, has worked as an interpreter and translator for the U.S. State Department at the American Embassy in Paris. He holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and diplomas with Mention très Honorable at the Université de Paris (en Sorbonne), Faculté des Lettres École Supérieure de Préparation et de Perfectionnement des Professeurs de Français à l'Étranger, and at the Institut de Phonétique, Paris. He is former Chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages and Supervisor of 16 foreign language teachers at Farmingdale High School, Farmingdale, NY, and has taught foreign language courses at various colleges and universities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, March 9, 2005

By 

N. St-Amand "Nat" (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French the Easy Way (Paperback)

What you'll find in this book:

LOTS of vocabulary
Idiomic expressions
Prepositions
Pronouns
Some noun grammar
Reflexive verbs (eg. je me sers)
Numbers
Imperative (commands)
Adjectives
Negations
Present and passé composé verb conjugation
Lots of exercises in each chapter with answers
A small dictionary

What you will NOT find in this book:

Any sort of middle-intermediate or advanced grammar
Any pronounciation guide
Other verb tenses besides the present and passé composé (like imperative, conditional, etc,.)

If you're beginning French or would like to brush up on the basics, this is a must read. Very well done. If you're already knowledgeable of some French grammar or are looking to better your French accent, this is not the book.

Overall, a well done book with very little clutter.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, But With One Big Flaw, February 6, 2006

By 

Alcee Arobin (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: French the Easy Way (Paperback)

This is a nice book for anyone looking to learn the basics of the French language. It's essentially what you might learn were you to take French 1 in high school or an introductory college level course. The exercises are fun and engaging but there is still one flaw that is excruciatingly annoying if you are attempting to use this as a self-instruction medium -- the pronunciation guide is essentially non existent. Half a page for covering the complexity of French pronunciation? It's ridiculous that an author would create such a fine work, include so many helpful exercises and prompts, claiming that the purpose of the book is for "communication purposes," and then give essentially no detail-oriented instruction on the pronunciation of the language. More over, the pitiful little pronunciation guide is complicated to comprehend and in some cases, either blatantly unconcerned with certain special cases of French pronunciation or just flat out wrong. Perhaps I'm too much of a conspiracy theorist, but one paragraph inparticular from the introduction caught my attention. It reads, "The guide to pronunciation of French sounds...is merely a guide. If you want to improve your fluency and pronunciation of French, I would recommend "Pronounce it Perfectly in French," also issued by Barron's Education Series, Inc." Well, isn't that convenient.

All-in-all, it's a book ample in practice exercises, grammar points, and vocabulary, but Dr. Kendris' insistence that he wrote this as a communication guide, not for the purposes of merely comprehending writings, and the subsequent lack of pronunciation points is something that I simply cannot move past. So, if you know nothing of French or haven't already purchased a copy of the Barron's French pronunciation guide, be aware of this book's one serious flaw.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book For a French Student., December 5, 2000

By 

Barrett Chancellor - See all my reviews

This review is from: French the Easy Way (Paperback)

My French teacher had this book on her desk one day and I looked through it. We weren't using it as a textbook, nor were we learning very much French, but my teacher said that she would grade the work that I did in The Easy Way. I have been using this book for a few weeks and I have improved a lot. It has great dialogues with vocabulary translations at the bottom of the page, and great grammer explanations and practice. You'll be amazed at how fast you learn. I now know the most French in the class. I recommend, though, that you have somebody on hand who speaks French, just in case you get confused. Most likely, however, you won't be. It's in a very simple format and the explanations are easy to follow. I highly recommend French The Easy Way.