<p>i'm self-studying French w/ Rosetta Stone and i remember everything and I just love it. And while Rosetta Stone incorporates grammar into its program w/ grammaticaly correct sentences (the natural way, how we are w/ english.. ie, i was around proper english my whole life and then when it came time to study grammar i was fine because i understood what "sounded right"). anyway, i'm pretty sure i should work more with more sentence structure and reading/writing (elemetry level right now, but i am progressing at a suprising rate) to prepare for a third level french course in september '07.</p>
<p>most of the sentences i'm acquainted w/ now are like "L'avion vole." (The plane flys.) and "Les filles court apres le garcon" (the girls run after the boy)..which is pretty basic stuff, but i've only done 2 sessions so far. anyway, i have French Without Toil (it's a vintage, outdated book but it's basically just dialogue w/ translation and pronunciation..you're supposed to read each short conversation and understand each word and slowly acquire the communication skills), and also found Easy French Reader, which is basically short stories/dialogue w/ interpretation and vocab.. i also have a textbook, French for Mastery, but it's a bit.. eh, boring and seems incomprehensive to me.</p>
<p>i want a really good French grammar book that basically says "in French, this is different, and that is different, and you need to watch out for this, and that is a common mistake, and here are some practice questions.".......anyone have any experience w/ a comprehensive intro to proper french structure? something simple and straightforward for a self-teaching beginner to reference and learn form/practice with? what textbooks have you been succesful w/ ?</p>
<p>also! anyone know of a novel that an elementry learner could read (w/ a dicctionary on hand, of course) w/o a lot of confusion or trouble? or any forums where you can ask questions regarding proper french structure, etc.?</p>
<p>for beginners i'd reccomend "le petit nicolas" (sempe et goscinny)- there are a few books of them, they are collections of short stories about little french kids.<br>
you'll need a dictionary while you read to be sure, but they're pretty elementary</p>
<p>but um, the biggest problem for most french learners is pronunciation... since you are self studying it's crucial that you find a native (or advanced) speaker to converse with</p>
<p>I'm not a French student myself, but I know that the kids taking French in our school are all reading Le Petit Prince in class..that could be a potential learner's book.</p>
<p>I'm reading Le Petit Prince now, and I wouldn't suggest it if you're only on a "la fille court apres le garcon" level. It contains some French idioms that my teacher had to explain, grammatical forms that you definitely haven't covered yet, and deeper ideas that are difficult to grasp in French. But, Le Petit Nicolas is very straightforward and also very enjoyable. =) You'll probably need a dictionary, but the grammar is pretty simple.</p>
<p>If you've only done two sessions and you've never spoken french before, I'd be surprised if a third year french class would take you. A lot of grammer goes down in first and second year French and the hours spent in class actually help with conversation and stuff. I'd suggest getting a tutor once a week or something just to talk with you and even then, I wouldn't go past second year, just to be on the safe side.</p>
<p>After all, it would go on your record, wouldn't it?</p>
<p>And it's les filles couRENT, not les filles court, that's singular and you need plural, because it's les filles
Why don't you use a schoolbook for french? ask a french teacher which book they use at your school
i would recommend en bonne forme, but i think it's for intermediate learners
as a novel, rhinoceros is supposed to be good</p>
<p>Le Petit Prince is a marvellous book, although I agree that it really isn't for beginning French students -- it contains both some rather abstruse thought, and a whole lot of idiom. Not a good idea.</p>
<p>Consider getting French translations of English books you like, when you're advanced a little; I find that it's great fun reading something I know and love well in another language, especially since I already know what's going on and can therefore grasp the general flow of the language a lot better.</p>
<p>Also, audiobooks. Seriously -- accents and comprehension are pretty important. Audiobooks might help.</p>
<p>cassiopeia jumped on the "courENT" before i could
une fois pour toutes is a good one. the edition i have includes exercises a' plenty with answers in the back.
a suggestion: find some french music that you like! granted, the french used in popular songs is often nonstandard, but when i first started french i found listening to french music enormously helpful in keeping me interested and getting me used to hearing the language. or rent a few movies! good luck!</p>
<p>Programme Horrible! Languages are easy, just get a grammar book. Never use computer programs, only use them if you want to speak French with an authentic accent. The accent doesn't matter until you master the LANGUAGE; grammar, vocabulary, idioms. Don't follow what the books tell you about how the French people interact though, it's not true. If you had a true French teacher, you'd learn the dark side and light side of French.</p>