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Average Customer Rating:

A much needed confidence boost!!

Customer Rating:

This pack has really helped me get to grips with French. I was taking a short course, but I was struggling as we were just reading phrases out of a textbook. I was unsure about the pronunciation when I practiced alone. Result? I was very shy in front of everyone else & quickly became embarrassed and stuttered all of the time. I eventually gave up on the course... That's why I love this pack. As well as a clearly laid out 207 page book, you'll also receive 2 CDs. The first CD goes with the book, so you can learn the correct pronunciation of the phrases. The second CD is for when you've become a bit more confident & isn't used with the book. This is great as you can do the housework whilst you're learning. You can also take on car journeys & put those traffic jams to good use!! The phases themselves are chosen out to learn before you go on vacation. The book is separated into 10 of the most popular holiday activities; visiting cafes, shops, museums, restaurants, taxi journeys, the tourist office, the market, what time is it & goodbye!! This pack is only a beginner's guide, but my sister is also using it to learn the correct pronunciations of phrases & improve her confidence for her exams.

pretty good for beginner

Customer Rating:

Overall i think this product is aimed at the real beginner going on a trip to France with a chance to try out the language. Which is no bad thing at all. My French is moderate so i found the pack a bit basic. Some nice ideas and different ways to get ideas and phrases across, audio examples are very useful. Recommended for those who don't take kindly to just reading the text and are unable to translate what they read to the sounds/accent of the language.

A great way to learn.

Customer Rating:

I got this in what I thought would be a vain attempt to learn English before a trip to France. Not having spoken a word of French since my GCSE's (and even then it wasn't much!), I was not confident. The package, like other language products, comes with both audo cds and books. What makes the difference here is the layout, and the general presentation. It is extremely easy to pick up and learn. This then gives you the confidence to continue. There isn't anything here that hasn't been done before, but it has been put together incredibly well.

Didn't work for me

Customer Rating:

This is the 3rd time I have attempted to learn French. Five fruitless years at school (compulsory subject), as second attempt with evening classes held in the university in which I teach, and now this. Obviously French and I don't mix, so perhaps this product was always going to be doomed to failure with me. I have rated it 2 stars rather than 5 as I admit that it was slightly better fun than the way French was taught at school or in the evening class.

Effective Retention Programme

Customer Rating:

I started to use minds maps last year after studying some of Tony Buzans books on mind maps. I find them very effective at putting thoughts to paper and as a quick memory aide. So I was quite interested in how this technique could be used to aid learning french. I have to say that I was pleasently surprised at how effective this technique helps you to retain words and phrases. Tonys belief is that your brain works by connection and that mind mapping connects word and phrases easily together. My own experience is that peoples brains work in different ways, some people think in pictures, some in numbers, some with words. So I think this technique will work well for some and probably no difference for others.