Customer Reviews

French Faux Amis: The Combined Book

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had for quite some time had copies of the Mr. Rosenthal's three previous "faux amis" books, and just when they were just about worn out from use, along comes this wonderful combined book. As a French professor, I find that this book is the perfect supplement for learners at all levels. For the beginning student, in particular the student who has never learned a foreign language, this work is a true eye-opener. So many beginning students immediately fall into the trap of "faux amis"; however, with this book, the beginner can, from the get-go, develop the skills necessary to avoid these commonest of common traps. For the intermediate and advanced student, this book is the perfect reference. Not only does the exhaustive list of "faux amis" provide the more advanced learner an easily accessible catalogue of traps, but also the entries for each "faux ami" go into great detail, explaining both where the potential problem lies and what the accurate translation(s) for the word or expression sought are. Get this book!

This is the book that you should have had in your beginning high school French class but didn't. It isn't just a book about watching out for false cognates,but gives you the phrases and the words that are actually spoken in any conversation in a Paris Bistro or on the Metro if you want to feel like a Parisian. The book has improved my understanding and speaking of French and has gained me some respect from my French friends and local shop keepers.Make no mistake, this is a very sophisticated book and one should order the other books in S. Rosenthal's series. One reason I didn't give it five stars is that the book should of had a disk attached on the actual French pronunciation of the phrases. Language is meant to be heard and spoken. And while this book and Rosenthal's other books are light years ahead of nearly all books on the meaning and use of French, there should be a disk of the spoken phrases attached so that one could hear the language and these phrases as they should be spoken.

ACEMAN

Why do French and English share so many words that have such different meanings? Rather than give up learning French (or English), do yourself a favor and buy this book. Clear and easy to understand examples will help you say what you really mean. Does it matter? Well, imagine that you wanted to tell your dinner guests that you used only the freshest, natural ingredients in your recipes - but instead you told them that none of the dishes contained condoms!

"French Faux Amis" is as fun to read as it is useful - VERY!

Faux amis is an excellent, reader-friendly resource for anyone interested in improving his or her listening and speaking skills in French. I recommend it to my students, especially those going abroad, because few academic texts cover these key vocabulary issues with as much thoroughness and clarity as Rosenthal. His engaging, down-to-earth style makes this an entertaining as well as a highly informative book.

The closeness of English and French gives Americans a false sense of the subtle differences between the languages. Some are obvious, such as the word preservatif, and create embarrassing situations. Others are more subtle, such as the French use of the word sympa, from the word sympathique. This book, a combination of the author's previous books on the subject, gives the student of French a tool with which to master some of the challenges of learning a language that is essentially the first cousin of English. Dr. Rosenthal provides a guide well worth the cost and the time to read.

OK, first of all, let me say that I just got this book, so I am going to reserve complete judgement (and a 5 star rating) until I've used it for a while. On first impression, this book contains invaluable information - lots and lots of great information. The thing that has me worried is the format. In general, the "faux amis" (the french word that is like an equivalent English word) are presented in bold and the *wrong* definition (what you might think the word means) is presented in bold next to it: un crayon - a crayon or un pinceau - a pencil. Then there are long explanations as to what the word really means. I'm a little concerned that all I'm going to remember is what the word *doesn't* mean because of the way the text is presented (what stands out most). It's definitely a book worth having, but I'd steer away if you are a beginner so that you don't accidentally write with your "pinceau" when you should be using your "crayon".