I Need To Learn To Speak French

semperfi71

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I know we have folks here of good intellect and world travel.

I need to learn to speak French. I am aware of "college-courses", "tutor", "Rosetta Stone"...but want is the best? Anything else better?

Thanks.
 
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I have used Rosetta Stone for Spanish, and really liked it. I only went through the first three levels, and found that it really sped up my language acquisition while down in Mexico.

There is a trip report on advrider from a guy who spent about 3 months with Rosetta Stone before embarking on a solo trip to Mexico. His Spanish was good enough to allow him to party with road workers when camped at a river crossing.
 
I took a intensive Italian course over the summer. Mainly because I needed a language requirement to graduate, and it was the only language I could take that quickly. I used a book in the class called E-Z Italian. I am now using the Spanish version to learn Spanish. Both are very good books, and even though I did not have a real interest to learn Italian, I found it a good way to learn. I would suggest looking to see if they have a French version as well. It is a workbook. It is very good, and if not available I suggest looking for some sort of workbook. I still think this will not be all you need, and you will need to supplement other training materials too.

Edit: Here it is: Amazon.com: E-Z French (Barron's E-Z Series) (9780764144554): Christopher Kendris Ph.D., Theodore Kendris Ph.D.: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51S78C7Kj3L.@@AMEPARAM@@51S78C7Kj3L
 
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High School French

2004, I'm in France and stop in a seaside café. I'm sitting at the bar and, in my best high school French, the conversation goes like this:

Me: "Ou est la salle de bain?" (Where's the bathroom?)

(snickering from the guys at the bar puzzles me)

Bartender: "Oh, you want to take zee showaire?" (more snickering)

Me: "No, not a shower."

Bartender: "Oh, you want to use zee toilette?" (snickering continues)

So much for high school French.
 
Use a beginning conversation course at UNM Continuing Ed to supplement your Rosetta Stone (what the State Department uses) work. Email rvallury[at]unm[dot]edu and ask Professor Vallury what's available.

UNM Continuing Ed has Beginning Conversational French (online) starting in three weeks, Milt: http://ce.unm.edu/enrichment/languages.php
 
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There's an App for that. :D

I think learning another language would be fun. But for a short-notice trip or to help A-37 find what he's looking for the voice recognition translators are pretty handy. No typing... just talk in English and it will speak back in whatever language you want.

IMG_4092_zpscd71fe7f.jpg
 
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That app will only help if it is better than the voice/texting app. I'me following this thread because I may have to take a crash course in Spanish. The other question is why you need to learn French. Canadian French is not the same as European French which is not the same a African French which is not the same as Louisiana French etc, etc.
 
Well, not sure what's the best. Everyone learns different.

But you need to know how it's pronounced and how it's spelled. I'd suggest that you buy a dictionary. Not a travel one, I mean a real one. In addition I'd get a class in your area.

The saying "if you don't use it you'll lose it!" applies perfectly to learning foreign languages. Perhaps you have friends that speak that language or you might meet a nice person attending the class.

Another option is to find a pen pal living in France.
 
I have studied several languages and lived abroad most of my life.

The very best way to learn a foreign language is to revert to early childhood, move to the country with the language of choice, and go to local schools.

Seriously, though, people have differing aptitudes for learning foreign languages. Some are naturally good at it, and pick them up quite easily. Others -- like me -- do best by brute memorization.

I think Erich's suggestion above is likely the best for you. It is hard to learn a language well, especially if the object is to learn to speak it, on one's own. (There have been, however, some excellent literary translators who have exceedingly poor spoken skills.)
 
The best way to learn French is on the pillow.

When in Mexico, the locals appreciated my attemps at Spanish, then reverted to English to bail me out.

When in Italy, the Italians loved that I tried, appreciated it, and bailed me out with English.

Same with anywhere that speaks French except Montreal and Paris, they were just pricks ridiculing my pronunciation.
 
I lived in Paris for four years on a business assignment. I did not have a problem with attitude regarding my elementary French skills.

I found out that if I looked the person in the eyes and gave them a good Bonjour Monsieur or Madame... and then said "Pardonnez-moi, mon français ne est pas bon ." (Pardon me but my French is not good.)... and then give it my best shot, most of the time they would help me out or turn the conversation into English (which was usually pretty darned good.)

I can't tell you how many times I saw Americans get in their face and virtually demand them to speak English. Needless to say, they got a little Parisian attitude back at them.
 
Here are some useful French phrases.

Greetings

"You've put on weight"
"Tu as grossi"
(tu ah gro - si)

"Haven't the police found you yet?"

"La police, ne t'a pas encore trouvé?"
(la po - lees ne ta pa zen - cor troo - vay)



General chit-chat

"Would you stop spitting on me while you're talking!"
"Voulez-vous cesser de me cracher dessus pendant que vous parlez!"
(voo - lay voo se - say de me cra - shay de - su pen - dan que voo parl - ay)

"Reality and you don't get on, do they?"

"Le réalité et toi, vous ne vous entendez pas, n'est-ce pas?"
(le ree - al - ee - tay eh twa voo ne voo zen - ten - day pah nes pah)

"You've got a face that would blow off manhole covers"

"T'as une tête a faire sauter les plaques d'egouts!"
(ta zoon tait a fair saw - teh leh plahk de - goo)

"Are you drunk?"

"Est-ce que vous êtes ivre?"
(es - ke voo zet eevr)

"You have a chive on your tooth."

"Vous avez de la ciboulette sur votre dent"
(voo za - vay de la see - boo - let ser votr den)

"You're a complete moron"

"Tu es completement debile"
(tu eh com - plet - e - men de - beel)

"You get on my nerves

"Tu me peles le jonc"
(tu me pel - e le zhonc)

"As a child, was your cradle rocked too close to the wall?"

"On t'a bercé trop près du mur?"
(on ta ber - say troa pray du mer)

"Idiot", "Fool", "Cretin", "Imbecile"

"Idiot", "Fou", "Cretin", "Imbecile"
(ee - dee - o, foo, cre - tin, Im - be - seel)



Helping Others

"What did your last slave die of?"
"De quoi est mort votre dernier esclave?"
(de kwa eh mor votr der - nee - er es - klahv)

"I'd help you, but I don't like you."

"Je vous aurais bien aide, mais je ne vous aime pas."
(zhe voo zaw - ray bien ai - de may zhe ne voo zaim - e pah)

"Do it yourself."

"Faites-le vous-même"
(fay - teh le voo mehm)

"Stop bothering me!"

"Parle à mon cul, ma tête est malade"
(parl a mon cul, ma teht eh ma - lahd)



Dealing with Parents of children

"My God your children are ugly!"
"Mon Dieu, que vos enfants sont laids"
(Mon dyer ke voe zen - fant son lay)

"Your children are very attractive. Are they adopted?"

"Vos enfants sont très beaux. Ils sont adoptes?"
(vo zen - fant son tray boh. Il sont a - dop - te)

"How much for the little girl?"

"Combien pour la fillette"
(com - byen poor la fill - et)



Eating Out

"How many of your customers have died?"
"Combien de vos clients sont morts?"
(com - byen de vo clee - ent sont moo - ree)

"This restaurant isn't as good as Mc.Donald's"

"Ce restaurant n'est pas aussi bon que le Mc.Donalds'
(se re - staw - ran neh pas o - si bon ke le mac don - alds)

"Did these fish die of radiation sickness?"

"Ces poissons, ils sont mort d'irradiation?"
(se pwu - son il sont mor di - ray - di - ay - shun)

"I think this wine has been drunk before."

"Je pense que ce vin a déjà ete bu"
(zhe pens ke se vin a day - zha e - te bu)

"For dessert, what would you suggest to get the taste of the main course out of my mouth?"

"Comme dessert, que me suggereriez-vous pour effacer le goût du plat de resistance de ma bouche?"
(com de - zert com - en ke me su - zhair - er - i - ay voo poor eff - ah - say le goo du pla de re - zi - stans de ma boosh)



Avez Vous Quelque Chose à Declarer (Do you have anything to declare)

"I like Spain better"
"Je préfére l'Espagne"
(zhe pre - fer les - pan - ya)

"Yes, I am hungry"(Obelix)

"Oui, J'ai faim"
(wi zhay fin)

"Only my genius"(Oscar Wilde)

"Juste mon genie"
(zhust mon zhay - nee)

"Long live Algeria"

"Vive l'Algerie"
(vee - ve lal - zhe - ree)



Visiting

"Whoever painted this place was blind"
"Quiconque a peint cette maison etait aveugle"
(ki - conk a peint set e - mai - zon e - tay a - veugl)

"What an austere house!"

"Quelle maison austere!"
(Kel may - son au - steer)

"It's a bit of a dive, but it has some nice mould."

"Ça fait un peu boui-boui, mais il y a de la jolie moisissure"
(sa fay un peu bwi bwi, may zil ya de la zho - lee mwa - see - syer)

"It could be quite nice if it were decorated with taste."

"Ça pourrait être joli si c'etait décoré avec goût"
(sa poo - ray etr zho - li si se - tay de - cor - ay avec gu)



Commenting on fashion

"You should sue your tailor"
"Vous devriez poursuivre votre tailleur en justice"
(voo de - vri - ay poor - sweevr votr tay - yer en zhu - stees)

"I think the dress is too small for you."

"Je pense que la robe est trop petite pour vous"
(zhe pens ke la roab eh troa pe - teet poor voo)

"Was it difficult to find a tie more obnoxious than you?"

"Est-ce difficile trouver une cravate plus odieuse que vous?"
(Es di - fi - seel troo - veh oon cra - vat ploo zoa - dee - euz ke voo)



Who is this "Grenouille" anyway?

"I have a frog in my bidet!"
"J'ai une grenouille dans mon bidet!"
(zhay en gre - noo - ee dan mon bee - day)

"Your frog has eaten my lunch"

"Votre grenouille a mangé mon dejeuner"
(Votr gre - noo - ee a man - zhay mon de - zheu - ner)

Ken
 
My brother, as a schoolboy of 13 and in a great rush for some reason lost to the mists of time, jumped on a train in Italy and asked the Italian conductor:

Bro: "Do you speak English?!"
Conductor: "No."
Bro: "Parlez vous Français?" (Do you speak French?)
Conductor: "Non." (No)
Bro: "Sprechen sie Deutsch?!" (Do you speak German?)
Conductor: " Jawol!" (Yes, indeed!)

Unfortunately, my brother did not yet speak German at the time...:D
 
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