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SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1 [Audio CD]

Christian Aubert (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
Price: $19.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1 + SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.2 + SmartFrench: Beginner Level - Learn French from Real French People
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  • SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.2 by Christian Aubert Audio CD$22.49

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is volume 1 of 2 volumes introducing basic French vocabulary, grammar and conjugation to the very beginner who wants to learn French, in order to prepare him or her to the practice of real life conversations in our "SmartFrench Audio CDs Beginner" product, or our "SmartFrench CDROM - Learn French Like Real French People".

You might want to study both programs simultaneously, on one side, the two volumes to acquire the basics, and on the other side the "SmartFrench Audio CDs Beginner" or the CDROM to tune your ear and learn to listen to the French language the way it is really spoken.

This volume 1 contains the alphabet, the numbers and the conjugation of the four verbs the most used in French and in English, with multiple examples. You will learn useful tips to memorize them easily. The volume 2 contains all the basic French vocabulary and basic grammar. It is necessary to go through "Vol.1" before working on the second volume.

The basic vocabulary contained in the second volume represents the words you will find in any real conversations. We have recorded French people conversing naturally for our "SmartFrench Audio CDs Beginner" program (and for our CDROM) and we have analyzed these dialogs. We observed that 65% of all words spoken in any of these conversations were always the same and basic. After listening and practicing with these 2 volumes of "SmartFrench - Introduction to French", you will know 65% of all conversations you will ever have in French or you will happen to listen to.


If your intention is to learn a few sentences to get by when you are in France, this tool is not for you. You should get our "SmartFrench for Travelers" book and/or download it with the audios on the smartfrench website.


Like for all our products, we use our color-coding method to help you with your pronunciation. The way you will speak with SmartFrench is the natural way. You will sound like a French person very early learning French with SmartFrench and you will feel very confident speaking French.

Product Details

  • Audio CD: 43 pages
  • Publisher: SmartPolyglot (December 14, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1934519014
  • ISBN-13: 978-1934519011
  • Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #74,424 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
    #20 in  Books > Books on CD > Reference

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SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars START WITH THIS METHOD FIRST if you want to learn French quickly, March 4, 2008
By Music Critic (Belmont, MA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1 (Audio CD)
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.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Overrated, April 29, 2009
This review is from: SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1 (Audio CD)
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.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to French, Vol.1 Review, April 11, 2009
By Jeffrey Fast (Suburbia, MI. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1 (Audio CD)
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Method for Learning French!
Initially, I was very skeptical about the reviews for this product. Unable to commit to the entire series, I bought just the Intro Vol 1. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Angela M. Chamberlain

4.0 out of 5 stars Thank You For Your Practical Help Learning French
Dear Mr. Christian Aubert:

Merci beaucoup for offering the great learning tools Introduction to French, Volumes 1 & 2, and SmartFrench Audio CDs~Beginner. Read more
Published 10 months ago by T. Rodgers

3.0 out of 5 stars Little slow on the get-go
There was a bit of a mix up apparently with some billing with the company so I didn't get my product for 4 weeks (even though I picked 7-14 days) but once I contacted the company... Read more
Published 12 months ago by H. Lenker

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended!!
I've tried learning other languages over the years and this has been the only time I've actually learned and stuck with it. Read more
Published 14 months ago by W. Dorrel

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Product!
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. Read more
Published 18 months ago by D. MacLeod

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning French in a Useful Way
SmartFrench: Learn French from Real French People

This is a must buy especially if you're planning to visit or move to a French speaking country. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Victoria Shen

5.0 out of 5 stars the lost bean
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. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Bodie Berg

5.0 out of 5 stars My opinion on this
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... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Feshie

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Program
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. Read more
Published on July 1, 2008 by Peter

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product!
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. Read more
Published on March 21, 2008 by F. Gruszka

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