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SmartFrench CD-ROM 1 | 
 enlarge | From: SmartFrench
Category: Software
List Price: $49.95
Buy New: $44.95
You Save: $5.00 (10%)
New (51) from $44.95
Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 1240
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows Nt, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Xp, Mac Os X, Windows 95
Genre: French Learning Program, french-language, software, spanish-language, italian-language, german-language
ESRB: Everyone
Media: CD-ROM
Operating System: Windows NT
UPC: 880646000004
EAN: 0880646000004
ASIN: B0000U3LI8
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Method unique. Authentic interviews. "A Must!" W. Martin, ex-political editor, Oakland Tribune.
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| Features:
| • | For Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced | | • | Repetition of excerpts of complete conversations | | • | French language rules explained in a simple way | | • | CD-Rom with booklet containing actual transcripts of French natives | | • | Color-coding shows what is and what is not pronounced in spoken French |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
This unique method trains students to understand and speak French like natives, at realspeed, with the vocabulary that is used in every regular conversation. You will practiceslowly at the beginner level and faster on the next two levels. There are seven interviewsat the beginner level and six interviews at the intermediate and at the advanced levels. Onthe booklet, the transcripts of the conversations are in colors to show you what is andwhat is not pronounced in spoken French. The lessons are organized interactively so thatyou can work at your own pace, pausing or rewinding at any time. At any level and at anytime you can watch the video and read the translation before you work on the interviewyou have chosen. At the beginner level, we provide you with a vocabulary list of all thewords used in these real life conversations The words are classified in three groups."basic vocabulary", "primary vocabulary" and "secondary vocabulary". The basicvocabulary consists in the words that are present as soon as someone speaks. It's abouthalf of the words used. In order to learn fast, you want to be selective. Learn the basicvocabulary first. With SmartFrench, you will learn them, learn how to catch them as theysurface in the conversation, and learn how to use them. You will be then ready for moreas you grow in confidence.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 The best, most authentic french learning source!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! May 8, 2008
I have MA in linguistics and intercultural communication and I went through many programs and sources during my studying other languages (Russian,German and English and Italian) that now I can state with full right : Learning foreign language is 80% faster when you learn it with your ears. There is no other source like this one! When I opened the software on my computer and started to click on options, I couldn'tbelieve the choices you get there. You have so many of them to learn authentic french (offered to you in three level choice!), each of them is like served on the plate for you, just open your mouth.
It is designed very entertaining and you don't get tired and exhausted, like in many other sources, after you listen to the dialogue you have to take a book and read on your own and read examples (which pronunciation is not guided for you), not here: Christian explains grammar as it is met in the offered dialogue, reads other examples with these structure usage! while he voices over with extremely correct pronunciation (like no other source!). You have options either listen to him in french and repeat, or if it is comfortable for you to have translation at the same time, he actually translates it and then gives french equivalent for you. Your memory for correct reproduction of foreign language increases this way amazingly! When I would tutor my students, my main method was to make them translate into foreign language form their own on the fly or in written form. Works wonderful as they would improve their skills in no time, they were even surprised without putting that much effort as you have to put for traditional learning.You have to have it if you are serious about the language, all 3 levels in onepackage, it is amazing!
Very effective! April 27, 2008
My investment in SmartFrench was the best money I've spent in a long time. I'd had some French experience in my growing up years while living overseas, and some high school and college French. But though I had a basic understanding and comprehension of the language, I didn't feel comfortable enough to actually open my mouth and attempt an actual conversation! About three months ago I purchased the Intermediate/Advanced cds from SmartFrench. The best way to describe the effect that my exposure to these cds has had, is to say that my mouth feels comfortable (and even rather delightful) with French rolling about in it now! After all the listening and repetition (the cds have been my constant driving companions), I'm no longer feeling tentative about pronunciation, or even the rhythm of the language. It's as though I've learned some dance steps and am now free to, albeit somewhat tentatively, move about the dance floor!
It's also very enlightening to listen to the French interviews and learn to understand what is being said by the non-teacher-types!
In addition to the new freedom I feel with the language, SmartFrench has clarified a lot of what categorizes a non-French speaker as just that - and has given practical advice on how to sound more French and less obviously foreign.
French feels approachable and adventuresome to me again, and I'm excited that I discovered these wonderful cds.
Great method to tune your ear to "real" spoken French/ comprehend it/ and start speaking it. January 28, 2008
What I LOVE about this SmartFrench CD-rom is the video interviews with 19 different people (chef, fashion model, musician--you get the idea). You can watch a video of each person talking about their career (very interesting!) to see their mannerisms, hear them speak, and you can choose to click on "translation" so that the English translation appears on screen above the video simultaneously. You can also choose to see the text in French above the video to see how French is written. The French words are color coded so that whatever is not pronounced (silent) is printed in another color. That is SO helpful to me! Now I am able to read a little, too.
It's one thing to learn French in a classroom, but it is different thing entirely to hear it spoken by native French speakers. This CD-rom helps to tune your ear so that it makes sense.
I also use the PDF booklet a lot. It goes over how to pronounce the alphabet, numbers and silent letters. It has charts of `sounds'. I have a lot of materials at home to help me learn French, and most methods forget to teach/review the basics.
Also included are "Useful dialogues when you visit France" for use in the subway, on the street, in the taxi, cafe, at the concierge's desk, restaurant, a friends wedding, post office, museum, hotel and airport.
I really love using this SmartFrench CD-rom. I was a beginning French speaker before our trip to France 3 months ago. Being in France helped attune my ear to the language, but I could only pick up a few words. This CD-rom is helping me to comprehend a LOT more French when I hear my French friends talking, and I am beginning to speak so that I am understood!
For the Serious French Student December 11, 2007
It's amazing how fast one can improve with the right tools and SMART FRENCH is one of those essential tools. The operative word here is IMPROVE. To learn this language you'll of course also need to learn the grammer but in order to HEAR this language you'll need this program. It has improved my understanding of FRENCH beyond my expectations. I can't thank Christian Aubert enough! If you are already studying FRENCH and need a jump start, this is it! You'll be sure to go back to your class room and run rings around the other students; or you'll go back to your company and thoroughly impress your boss & co-workers. For me --> This is the program that is finally getting French to click! Think of it as an addendum to your other FRENCH studies, albeit a crucial one. Without something like this you'll know the grammer but won't be able to understand a WORD SPOKEN and won't have the confidence to SPEAK FRENCH.
 For Pronunciation Only December 1, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I too should have been suspicious of the glowing reviews for this product BEFORE I purchased it. If you are new to French you will not learn ANYTHING! First you have to read the translation to get the gist of the conversation, then you listen to the same dialogue several times. There is no grammar. All you will learn is how to pronounce words properly and which words are omitted in spoken French. However, in French, many times words are not pronounced as written -ex: "dois" the "s" is not pronounced. But this is not pointed out. The commentary is the same for every lesson. Not very helpful. This cd-rom is good if you already have a working knowledge of French and want to learn how to pronounce the words correctly. But nothing else. Only for pronounciation. Let me repeat myself. You will only learn to parrot the correct way to speak French but you will not know their meaning. If you are looking to learn the basics and progress from there this is NOT the way to go.
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