Customer Reviews

SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This method works. Period. I have a bookshelf full of French language learning tools (books, CD's, flashcards), and they seem useless now that I am using SmartFrench. I listen to it six days a week. I'm going to be able to converse at length with someone on the street in Paris when we go this summer. I have been studying French almost daily for 3 months, and I was to the point where I wished for a program (like this new SmartFrench method!) that would just teach the basics: the most used verbs, and an easy way to become proficient in counting (pay attention to how many times a day you say numbers and you'll see why it's critical in learning a foreign language). Because I'm tired of only learning to ask, "I would like a croissant", or "Where is the bathroom?", I am thrilled that this method is helping me to have a two-way conversation in French. I'm already speaking French to my twin (a French speaker) and she just laughs--she is so shocked at my progress.

This is a simple, simple program. The SmartFrench Audio Cds Beg I, Vol. 1 Vol. 2 (separate purchases) figured out which essential vocabulary words, verbs (4 of them), and phrases you need to know to speak French quickly. This method also teaches you counting. It's unbelievable that this simple, easy approach has never been done before. I'm glad someone finally did it! Some of the most successful, useful inventions become obvious to the rest of us after someone comes up with the idea, and we smack our foreheads with the palm of our hands thinking, "Why didn't I think of that? It's so obvious!" SmartFrench is like that.

The teacher on the CD is really gifted. He speaks at a perfect speed, or tempo, his voice is easy to listen to, and he's SMART! It's literally like taking a French class without having to go to school. He gives you tips, clues, and ideas on how to remember things. You get the sense that he truly, truly wants to help you become proficient in speaking French.

Have you felt like giving up on learning French? Try this program and you'll get excited about it again. Have a Francophile in your life? This would be the PERFECT GIFT for them.

Side note:
*The "Beginner Level" and the "Intermediate/Advanced Level" CD's are also great, but have a different approach (VERY effective). Those CD's help tune your ear to the French language as you listen to native French speakers, at the same time teaching you to speak along with a really cool, innovative approach.
*The CD-Rom is also great. Very interactive. Nice to see the native French people speaking. Helps me to understand how to pronounce things even better and to see typical French mannerisms.

25 April 2008
One-and-a-half months after my last review I am still listening to SmartFrench. It is the best way to learn how to speak and understand spoken French bar none. The only way I can describe the reason that it works (since I am a musician), is that it is like listening to a song that you love. Once you have heard the melody a few times, it sticks in your head. The SmartFrench method makes French stick in my head. To me, French is very melodic, and it is a language that I love and want to learn. The narrator is the PERFECT teacher to teach you the 'melody' of the French language with its lilting sounds and liaisons. His voice quality, his flawless French and the way he explains each hint is perfect. He gives you all the secret phrases that every French person uses regularly, which you don't find in textbooks or other programs. Bravo, bravo, bravo! C'est vachement bon.

This is an excellent program for learning to speak French the way it's supposed to be spoken. School classes teaches the hard stuff, like grammar, etc., and not exactly how to speak/listen to the language. We tried a few other programs and were fairly disappointed until we got SmartFrench. This is an excellent program where you learn to speak, and as importantly, listen to French the way it's supposed to be spoken at different speeds. This first set of CDs (Introduction Vol 1 and Vol 2) will give you an introduction to simple everyday words, as well as some fundamental French language structure, and how to use them. Also, the 5 most used verbs are explained on their usage.

Finally, if you're an absolute beginner in the French language, this Vol 1 and Vol 2 will get you started in the right direction. Afterwards, the next sets (SmartFrench Beginner, Intermediate/Advanced) will get you further in developing the right speaking/listening skills. This program focuses mainly on the speaking/listening aspect of the language and it does it extremely well. This SmartFrench program should be used in conjunction with reading, watching French TV/movies, and working with other French grammar programs if you want total fluency in the language. Enjoy!

When I purchased SmartFrench's - Introduction to French, Vol.1 by Christian Aubert, I had already used another product to start me off on my personal goal to learn the French language. Being somewhat skeptical by nature, I thought I'd try Vol. 1 before committing to the entire series offered by this author.

Purchased as the CD versions, CD 1 was comprised with a track on the alphabet followed by a series of "learning numbers" tracks which varied the groupings of numbers in each phrase per track, i.e. 1-2, 1-2-3, etc. While this seemed an excessive amount of focus on numbers, since I had already learned numbers, it was somewhat challenging for them to be presented in this manner.

The last two tracks on CD1 brought in verb conjugations which for me was exactly what I had hoped for in purchasing this product. Unlike my previous language program of strictly memorization, Smart French was teaching me the fundamental building blocks to create sentences which could be used in any conversation.

CD2 continued this pattern with each track focusing on a new verb or tense of the verb. One of the most useful concepts of this author's technique was to reuse certain parts of a sentence throughout the CDs as examples, rather than adding new ones. For example, he used the nouns "book" and "market" repeatedly which kept the focus on the "verb at hand" rather than introducing new nouns to complicate the lesson.

After several months of daily commuting to work while listening in my car, I was hooked enough to purchase Vol2. As with Vol1., I was very happy with that purchase as well. For me, this series has a wealth of information within and I continue to review the material and on occasion pick up on little pieces I had missed in previous sessions.

I find the author, who also narrates the lessons, very easy to listen to. At times, I have referred to the transcript which is included on the CD's for clarification (did the word have a "p" or "t" used in the pronunciation). The color coding system used for the silent letters in the transcripts is awesome!

I would certainly recommend this CD to anyone who wants to actually learn French and speak the language. The Editorial Review / Product Description listed in Amazon is really a good synopsis of this product.

One of the most impressive aspects of my Smart French purchases was when I contacted them via email with a somewhat unusual personnel request. In this world of limited customer service, I was pleasantly surprised. The author himself, Christian Aubert, replied to me and had gone out of his way to fulfill my request.

They have a customer for life.

This is a wonderful learning tool. After listening to this for the first time, I knew that this was exactly what I was looking for to begin learning French. Just a few minutes in and I said to myself, "This is just what I need!". You get the basics that you need to truly build a solid foundation for learning the language. The pacing of the lessons is just right, and they are very pleasant to listen to as well. You feel like you're in the hands of a good, smart, wise teacher. I love using it, and I recommend it strongly.

I wouldn't recommend these CDs, and it's very difficult for me to believe the number of 5 star ratings. There are some very decent products out there with a lot of effort behind them. Some for less money than this one.

The key is to understand what these CDs are, and what they are not. SmartFrench is not a comprehensive language course. At all. It is only a set of 7 dialogues which are repeated at different speeds to help tune your ear to French, and help with your pronunciation. It is not a competitor for Pimsleur, which develops your recall response in the foreign language, or Learn in Your Car, which hones your grammar skills, or any variety of CDs available to build your vocabulary. These CDs do none of these things.

If you're looking to purchase your primary language learning tool or need a review, this definitely shouldn't be it. This should be way down on your list. If your French vocabulary is excellent, but your pronunciation is lacking, then these CDs might help. Then again, it would serve you just as well to rent a french movie with the subtitles on.

I've tried learning other languages over the years and this has been the only time I've actually learned and stuck with it. The lessons on the disks are challenging but go at a really comfortable speed. Repetition is so key in learning a language and mimicking the conversations over and over teaches me the right way to say things, the tempo, and the more times I do it the more I am understanding the words. I find that it's providing a really nice foundation to build upon and as with any sort of learning, this is a great tool to use with others.

I found The Smart French series volumes 1 and 2 a very effective way to study French. They easily teach the useful words that you hear in everyday conversation. They do this in with a minimum amount of time spent vs words you learn. I think the most helpful aspect of this series for me is that it plays the words as they sound in a real environment. A number of other courses I have purchased in the past seem to be built around words and phrases that you will probably never hear, and are unlikely to use (unless you need to buy a bowler hat.) I would recommend these products.

I love the SmartFrench products with native French speakers in conversation, but the Introduction to French, Vol 1 and 2, I, personally, would skip, because they are "explanations" of grammar, and I think it is more effective to go right to listening to the conversations, and absorbing the sound and flow, and than speaking. Even with no previous French, I think this is the best way to learn, because this is how I learned the language years ago. So, while this is a good product, I personally would invest in the CD-ROM or CDs with the conversations by native French speakers....and would bypass the CDs which explain grammar.

Dear Mr. Christian Aubert:

Merci beaucoup for offering the great learning tools Introduction to French, Volumes 1 & 2, and SmartFrench Audio CDs~Beginner. It is apparent that much time and thought has been spent on how best to present the lessons.

Learning a new language is very challenging. There is a big difference between memorizing phrases and formal greetings; and a person actually being able to hold meaningful conversations. Your methods of teaching not only encourage retention, but also provide practical advice on how to speak the everyday language. No wonder you earn such glowing commendation on Amazon.com.

The more time spent utilizing the audio CD's and supplementary materials the more the true essence of the French language is understood. The auxiliary tools offered on [..]. such as the Verb Blog, have provided added support, which is greatly appreciated.

I will definitely recommend your product to others interested in learning to speak French.

I purchased this set of audio CD's in anticipation of another trip to Paris. My French instruction goes back many years, and I'm presently taking an extension class. These CD's drive home my previous book learning! There is nothing better than hearing the language spoken slowly enough to "get it." The instructor is clear and does an outstanding job of getting the concepts across in a very organized manner.