Unique method. Authentic interviews, "...a Must!" W. Martin, ex-political editor, Oakland Tribune
3 CDs w/booklet to learn french from real french people
It uses colors to show what is and what is not pronounced in spoken French
Conversations written down exactly as spoken to speak french like natives
French lessons with rules of the french language explained in a simple way

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Product Description
This one is a "must" for learning how the French REALLY talk! William Martin, retired political editor, The Oakland Tribune I've tried them all and this one is it! Joe Hogan, CBS With these Audio CDs you will work on natural conversations with our unique Active Sensory ComprehensionTM method. You will learn your new language both effectively and efficiently. You will develop your listening skills. For reference, we give you a booklet with the transcripts and the translations. Our color-coding system will help you pronounce the words and sentences the way you will hear them pronounced in real life conversations. This step by step approach to the language will help you understand French, like no other method, early in your studies. With these CDs you will start to understand and speak the language as spoken in the real world. If you are a true beginner, you might want to work with our SmartFrench Introduction to French, Vol.1 and SmartFrench Introduction to French, Vol.2 in order to work on the basic vocabulary, conjugation and grammar. Learning French requests that you learn to speak French and that you learn to understand it. Vol.1 and Vol.2 will teach you the basics in order to speak the language and these CDs will teach you to understand and be understood as you will develop strong listening skills. The best is to practice both exercises simultaneously. No matter what other sources you use in your language learning, the Smart thing to do is give yourself this key to confidence. Ian Jackson, CEO, Breathplay, Dallas

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 87 reviews)

A Great Help to Me!

I got this program to help me along in my college french class. It worked very well, especially since I'm one of those people who has a hard time with foreign languages. This was like having a tutor at home to help me. My french professor was impressed with how 'quickly' I was learning, little did she know I had another teacher on the side ; )
September 27, 2008

The best foreign language method -- and I've tried a few

SmartFrench and SmartSpanish at first glance may appear unorthodox. Their method is so different from the "standard" foreign language teaching techniques that most Americans are accustomed to, that some people may be put off because it's not what they expected. But if you have an open mind and are willing to try a new approach, you will be rewarded.

For a motivated adult who wants to not just go through the motions, but really learn a language and get to the point of actually being able to converse and function in a foreign language, the SmartFrench series is vastly superior to Berlitz and most every other audio CD method I have seen.

I am a native English speaker who learned French and Spanish as an adult (in my twenties). I can now say that I am fluent in both those languages, but I also spent a lot of time and sweat in inefficient study that, looking back, could have been much accelerated. I only wish SmartFrench and SmartSpanish had existed then.

I've tried a wide range of methods, including traditional in-person language schools. I took five years of German in high school and college, and while I got excellent grades and my grasp of vocabulary and grammar was good on paper, if you drop me into a German beer hall I have no idea what people are saying -- and that's the problem with the way most foreign language is taught. I "know" German, but I can't speak it. If that's your goal, SmartFrench may not be for you. But if your goal is to get quickly to the point where you can actually converse in a foreign language, then I can't recommend this audio product highly enough.

SmartFrench doesn't follow the traditional academic pattern. If you judge it by that expectation, you'll be disappointed, and I think this accounts for the negative reviews. It does something much more valuable -- teaches language the way the brain is actually wired to learn language. It may feel unfamiliar at first, but if you stick with it, you'll see results that will actually pay off, and probably quicker than you expect.
September 25, 2008

The best for learning French

The SmartFrench conversations are, in my opinion, the best way to learn the language short of being in France around native speakers. Christian Aubert has recorded conversations with French natives and they are speaking naturally, i.e. with run-on words, dropped endings, etc. (Not like a perfectly speaking textbook teacher) The real way to learn any language is to listen to the way it is really spoken, to let it penetrate the psyche, and eventually to jump in and try to speak. (Of course, you can read the translations ahead of time to know the meanings). I think listening to these wonderful CDs or tapes in the car would be most helpful for developing an ear for French, and eventually the ability to participate. I also highly recommend the CD-ROM because it has the videos of these conversations where you can see facial expressions and hand gestures, which is very helpful. You can also arrange your learning to suit yourself (view, listen, read, all three, etc), and the CD-ROM has beginner through advanced, plus extra material.
September 16, 2008

I didn't like it

Poor methodology. I would suggest to continue looking for something better. You will not learn frech with this!
September 13, 2008

Boring, teadious and repeatitive...

I was so exited about the course because of amounts of good reviews it has.... However a total disappointment... So boring and repeatitive that I didn't even finish the 3rd lesson!!! They read and explain 5 times for about 10 minutes a 1 minute conversation. For me it was a waste of money. I would not recommend it.
August 16, 2008

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