<p>I'm going to a summer program and taking a course called Accelerated Elementary French which is supposed to prepare you for French II and I'd like to start Spanish II as well. I'm going to attempt to self study it, but if I don't do well on the placement test it won't be the end of the world.</p>
<p>So, what books do you guys use for your foreign language classes?</p>
<p>There's a book, like 501 French verbs. It's amazing. With a French-English dictionary, you'd just need a grammar...uh, don't know where to get that. But my French teacher swears by 501 French verbs, he uses it himself sometimes (and he's a native speaker).</p>
<p>Our textbook is "Discovering French" by Valette & Valette. It's so crap.</p>
<p>yea my french book is schitty as well...</p>
<p>You need:
a) Simple book on grammar.
b) Good French songs.
c) Their translation.</p>
<p>Listen to the songs, read original text and translation. You have fun, study words and grammar, and increase your listening skills.
It works.</p>
<p>I use "Tr?sors du Temps" by Glencoe McGraw-Hill. It's pretty interesting (it's all about French history, plus some grammar) but I'm not really learning anything new grammar-wise.</p>
<p>French Sucks! the worst 3 years of any class ever!</p>
<p>My French class is an absolute nightmare. I can spend pages writing about how horrible it is. French has always been a language I dreamed of being able to speak, because of the French culture and all, but this teacher I have had has scarred me for life and I don't even know if I can go on to study French in college because of my horrible experiences in French so far.</p>
<p>Anyways, we also use the Discovering French, and it is horrible, or at least how we go through it.</p>
<p>I really wish I had taken French instead of Spanish, and I've tried to self-study French, but I don't know how to go about it. Should I buy (or borrow) a level 1 French text-book (and possibly higer-levels if I get there) and just go through that one? I've seen that 501 French verbs book. Should I buy that and a simple grammar book? (What constitutes a simple grammar book?)</p>
<p>Is there a really a point in self-studying at this point? I won't learn enough in the time that I have to take the French SAT IIs or take any of the French APs. I would only be doing for my pleasure and maybe a French proficiency status and a Regents test (NY State test).</p>
<p>You could buy those Rosetta Stone programs and use that 501 French Verbs book, but Rosetta Stone costs like $200 for the first level, I think. Maybe it's $100...</p>
<p>Does anyone have experience of taking French and Spanish at the same time? I'm worried that it will be too similar and I may get them confused...</p>