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Better Reading French : A Reader and Guide to Improving Your Understanding of Written French 1st Edition

3.8 out of 5 stars 9 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0071391399
ISBN-10: 0071391398
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Condition: Used: Good
Comment: No writing or highlighting! Remainder line on page edges. Great otherwise! 2003 McGraw-Hill Pub. softcover.
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Product Details

  • Series: Better Reading Language
  • Paperback: 223 pages
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1st edition (March 11, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0071391398
  • ISBN-13: 978-0071391399
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,820,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

By Diana Faillace Von Behren VINE VOICE on March 28, 2004
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I have used this book extensively as an adjunct to my adult level French text book which deals mainly with grammar, vocabulary and culture. "Better Reading French" provides the student with different topics like "Love", "Letters", "Food", "Songs", "Museums, "Travel Methods" "Explorations" and "French Symbols" (these are my own titles for each of the chapters labeled in French by the author), that contain information, readings and exercises to further comprehension development. The readings and exercises in each topic range from easy to advanced, so the student can challenge him/herself on any or all levels. For example, the topic on food begins with a chef's vocabulary--describing his uniform and his equipment--this is followed by an interesting exercise on homonyms and several sentences in English requiring French translation. Recipe instructions follow explaining the French usage of either the imperative form of the verb or the use of the infinitive (I found this section very informative--all the verbs for mixing, beating, whisking etc are used in one place in the two formats--one formal, one more familiar. The chapter ends with more articles---a portrait of a chef, an interview with a chef, Food Critics, Table Manners, A Moroccan Menu and a short essay about enjoying the pleasures of life. All articles are intermingled with exercises of increasing difficulty that are interesting to the modern reader. Although the author does include reading selections from authors of the Baudelaire, George Sand and Chateaubriand calibar, there are plenty of articles reprinted from current magazines and newspapers to make the experience of learning from "Better Reading French" one of practical everyday usage.Read more ›
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Format: Paperback
There are reading exercises and test questions throughout.

And there is an answer key at the back. There is also a good list of French websites on various subjects.

IT does not waste time explaining the very basics. It assumes the reader has a basic understanding, and is ready to move forward with more challenging vocab, which there are a lot of new words that the intermediate learner probably has not seen. There are more complex sentence structures that are within reach of understanding.

You will have to do some work to understand some things, and that is what improving is about. Pushing yourself a little harder to get better. Have your dictionary ready. You will need it.

It is not in any way for a brand new student.
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By jw on November 29, 2004
Format: Paperback
The book starts of easy and ramps up... I am actually learning not only more French, the end goal, and becoming better at reading French, but I'm also learning how to skim in French, a skill I lack in English. Well organized and thought out with interesting and varied readings that would appeal to a wide cross section of interests and skills.
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Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book was a disappointment.

After having excellent experiences with other books this book came across as disorganized and not useful for a learning journey. The concept, the cover and the hype are good. The execution is poor.

This is not a "guide" to better reading as such, there are no reading tips and no section introductions to indicate what the author is aiming for the learner to achieve. The book does not have a vocabulary glossary, the readings are not well graded, and the exercises include tasks indirectly related to the reading on translation and grammar (and not reading comprehension). The readings are decontextualized in that no visual clues are provided, exercises are in the same format as the reading, and there is no indication of who authored the readings or from where the readings have been extracted. The author encourages the reader to select topics of interest; therefore the author does not envision a skill journey for the learner. The skill exercises do not build towards a cohesive skill set. It grates that the exercises and introductions are in English and not French, so there is no sense of immersion which I have enjoyed with other books.

Instead of a book designed for learning, you get the sense that this book has been produced by an experienced French teacher who has accumulated a considerable collection of learning materials over the years, and then decided to publish these in a loosely organized fashion. This book may in fact be an excellent resource for teachers of French.

A more useful approach might have been to include a complete lexicon of terms for particular topics at the start of each topic.
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Format: Paperback
This book claims that you don't need a dictionary. I am sorry, but I don't know every single word in the French language such as "brin de bruyere" which comes from this poem that is not translated in the book.
I would have appreciated more definitions, but it does have great answers, but it reinforces the fact that I need to get myself a very good dictionary very soon. The book is good, just make sure you have a dictionary. In most cases, you won't need one. I would recommend this book, still.
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