Customer Reviews

Get Around in France

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

 

 

For someone traveling to France, I think this slim volume can't be beat. I wish I'd had this book before my first trip to France (even though I'd studied the language in school). Not only is it a guide to what to see and where to go in France - it also presents the practical, everyday language you need to get the most out of your trip. So much information packed into such a small book, and so nicely illustrated!

I teach French to adults in evening classes, and for years I have looked for a book that is short enough to be used for a 6 or 8-week class. This book fills that gap admirably. The illustrations are insightfully chosen and gorgeous, the language is spot-on and very useful, and the recordings are done by native speakers (of course! - one would expect no less from the BBC).

If you're planning on doing some driving in France, for example, you can find all the phrases you need to ask the way, read road signs, rent a car, and buy gas. Then, for practice, there are short but totally accurate and relevant conversations about renting a car, buying gas, and so on. There are even a couple of short exercises to do for further practice - and the answers are given in the back of the book (hooray)! There's also a short (1000-word) French-to-English dictionary in the back of the book, along with a quick overview of French grammar. In addition, there's a separate booklet that tells you exactly what's on the tape.

From the language-learning point of view, however, here's a word of warning for true beginners:

(1) There is no side-by-side phonetic representations of the French words and phrases in the book. So you need to spend time before you go, listening to the tape and becoming familiar with the French system of spelling and pronunciation (there's a nice little summary of pronunciation in the inside back cover of the book). (Note: Though it might not seem that way at first, there IS a system to French spelling. It's just that the system - and the sounds - are so different from English that initially we don't think there's a system at all - we think French spelling is as crazy as English. But the good news is, it's not. After a few weeks of practice, you will probably find that you can very adequately pronounce new French words that you've never seen before - and so you'd be able to use this book in France even without the tape.)

(2) A beginner who tries to master all the language presented in this book might feel overwhelmed. So, if you're a beginner, please bear in mind that this a (high-class) phrasebook, not a course book. So if language-learning is your real aim, you'd be well advised to consider buying one of the many good course books available (e.g. Teach Yourself Beginner's French Audiopackage or Berlitz New Basic French (Berlitz Basic), to name just a couple).

Aside from the question of beginners, there are two minor flaws one should be aware of:

(1) the book comes with a tape only; there is (as yet) no audio CD version available.

(2) in the few places in the book where prices are mentioned, they are in in French francs instead of euros. But if you know that 10 F = approx. 1.5 euros, it will give you some idea of current prices.

In spite of these caveats, I still recommend this book highly (and did give it five stars, after all) - because it is an artful blend of phrasebook and guidebook, lusciously illustrated, clearly arranged, and with relevant & accurate language - worth every penny of the $17.95 it costs. Bravo and "merci mille fois" to Brigitte Rix for giving us this book!