Teach Yourself Beginner's French with Book (Teach Yourself (McGraw-Hill)) [Audio Cassette]

Teach Yourself Publishing (Author), Catrine Carpenter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1994 | ISBN-10: 0844238791 | ISBN-13: 978-0844238791 | Edition: Pap/Cas

Ideal for those who feel threatened by traditional classes and texts, the simple style and illustrations in these books make learning a language fun. Graphic icons call quick attention to key words, grammar notes, dialogues and exercise sections. Teaches basic vocabulary and grammar and their applications to everyday situations. 2 cassettes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Catrine Carpenter is a native French speaker and university lecturer. She is the author of the current edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Teach Yourself Bks; Pap/Cas edition (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844238791
• ISBN-13: 978-0844238791
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,470,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars French for beginners, January 23, 2006

By 

Elijah Chingosho "Dr Elijah Chingosho" (Nairobi, Kenya) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teach Yourself Beginner's French (With Audio) (Paperback)

"Beginners French" is a book designed for those wishing to acquire basic knowledge of the French language. It is designed for those who want to learn the language on their own and at their own pace. The book is a useful companion for those who may wish to visit a French speaking country for a holiday or on business so that one can order food in a restaurant, read signs at the airport, on the road or the metro, ask for directions or do some shopping.

The book provides the reader with the basic structure of the language as well as the grammar one is likely to encounter in day-to-day conversation. I set myself small targets every day, not demanding too much from myself. I did all the self-test exercises in the book. I am fortunate to work for an international organization with employees from Francophone countries and this enabled me to practice talking to colleagues from Francophone countries at work. I made so many mistakes but my work colleagues were quite happy to assist me. I also initially set myself the goal of learning no more that 10 new words per day and in six months time, I had acquired a useful vocabulary and the ability to construct intelligible sentences.

I also made use of the accompanying audio cassette to learn how words are pronounced and could repeat the words to refine my speaking skills. Although I cannot claim to be an expert in the French language, I can now read a French magazine and follow the story. I can listen to people speaking French and follow most of what they are saying, thanks to the excellent book. I recommend the book to those seeking to learn the basic French language.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for travellers, not much else, November 14, 2008

By 

B. Gjorgjievski (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teach Yourself Beginner's French, New Edition (Paperback)

This is a short book and well written, however I found the information in it to be more helpful for people who are looking for a short 'cram session' before they go to a holiday or business trip in France, and much less for someone who wanted to start to systematically learn this wonderful language and culture (like me).

Excellent for short term gains, but get a more serious book if you want to become fluent.

3.0 out of 5 stars not bad, April 9, 2000

By 

"liosag" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself Beginner's French (Teach Yourself (McGraw-Hill)) (Paperback)

While this is a vast improvement over previous Teach Yourself French editions, it's still not the best. If you are not sure you will stick with it, it's great because it's relatively cheap. The Pimsleur courses are the best, but very very expensive. If you don't want to spend too much, this is probably one of the best options for learning French.