French in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) [Paperback]

Adrienne Cecile Rich (Author), Adrienne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1984 | Series: Gimmick Series

The rapid and practical way to master the basics and begin speaking the language. The book gives you the essential, simplified grammar plus 3000 of the most-used words and idiomatic phrases that people use in real-life situations. The book can be used as a self-learner by beginners and also by those who want to brush up.

Adrienne's key to teaching a language is to eliminate "the boring repetition of inane exercises." She emphasizes vocabulary, and lots of it (grammar will then come naturally); frequent tests (indispensable if you want to learn the language in less than ten years); and writing right away, maybe describing your house or job. Jump in!

The Gimmick Books are based on the author's many years of successfully teaching languages to tourists, business people, diplomats, and other international travelers.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Adrienne's vocabulary lists are contemporary, practical, and uncensored--you'll find words here that aren't in any other language book--and they group together families of words, which makes expanding your vocabulary painless...Whether you're trying to learn the rudiments, travel with globe-trotting panache, or get out of a prickly situation, Adrienne will show you the way. -- World News Features, Gordon M. Quarnstrom --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Adrienne is the author of The Gimmick Series language books for Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

Claire Bechet is a French novelist and playwright. She won the Premier Roman prize in 2001 for her novel Entre Parenthèses. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (June 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393045315
• ISBN-13: 978-0393045314
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,870,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars French in 32 Lessons, August 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: French in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) (Paperback)

I found this book in my local library and decided that I just had to have it! Where else does one search but at Amazon.com ... and there it was! I'm not a beginner in speaking French, but I found that there were plenty of opportunities to brush up on grammar points that I had half forgotten. I'll be recommending it to my students as a useful tool to have on hand.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, June 22, 2011

By 

Drew Samson - See all my reviews

This review is from: French in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) (Paperback)

This book is indeed, like the name implies, split into 32 sections/lessons. But don't let that low number fool you, it covers a fair amount of important subjects in French that other books may miss and will help you a lot with grammar. However, I would like to point out that this is intended for beginners -- but not complete beginners. To understand this you will need to have a basic grasp of French. You will begin with easy lessons at first, and then move on to topics that are a bit more advanced. The lessons generally consist of: a list of phrases with translations, questions that require translation (answers at back), and a review of related vocabulary. They are very effective when you participate and practice writing like recommended. I recommend this book for anyone trying to learn French. This in addition to a dual language dictionary, Cliffs Notes, and other materials. Now, you might note that I haven't given this book 5 stars, and the reason for that is because there are a few small mistakes in this book. As well it does not contain pronunciations, which some people may need.

4.0 out of 5 stars Revisit the indicative mood, September 30, 2011

By 

David Ames (Eastern Mass.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: French in 32 Lessons (Gimmick Series) (Paperback)

If you forget your high-school French, this book will remind you of the vocabulary you had and you will get comfortable making certain set types of sentences.But you will not get le plus-que-parfait du subjonctif from this book, and if you want to review for college, or in college, you ought to count on getting a more traditional book soon after hhis.

There is at least one misprint in the French, and some impolite expressions are mentioned along the way.