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 enlarge | Author: Christian Aubert
Publisher: SmartFrench
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy New: $22.58
You Save: $12.37 (35%)
New (155) Used (3) from $22.58
Avg. Customer Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 54256
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 44
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0972947426
EAN: 9780972947428
ASIN: 0972947426
Publication Date: February 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: INTERNATIONL SHIPPING!!! SHIPS from 5 locations based on your Zip Code and availability! (PA TN IN OR SC) *-* Gift Quality *-* Orders Processed Immediately! - We get your book to you Very Quickly!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Why all the great reviews??? December 2, 2007
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
With all the glowing reviews I thought this cd-rom would be a good tool for learning French. It is NOT. There is no vocabulary, no grammar. All you do is listen to dialogues several times in varying speeds. The "helpful" commmentary is the same in every lesson. Spoken French is different from written French and while we are told over and over that certain words are not used in spoken French (like "ne" in "ne..pas") there is no commentary as to spoken French idiosyncrasies -for ex: in "tabac" the "c" is not pronounced but this is never pointed out. Yes I know you have to listen and read at the same time. My suggestion to make the program better: the "c" (in "tabac")and, in fact, all consonants, vowels that are not pronounced should be printed in "red" to help faciliate pronounciation for the beginner.
All you will get from this cd-rom (it's NOT a DVD) is the correct pronounciation but no basics. Let me repeat this. You will be able to parrot correct French pronounciation, liaisons and all, but nothing else. You may not know what a word means but you will know how to pronounce it. On this level it fails miserably
 Learn French like a native! November 14, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I learned of SmartFrench on some online discussion about French learning
tools. I actually just decided to learn French since it is a really useful
language recognized by UN. I saw online that many native French teachers
recommend this product. I tried the demo on the website, I think it will
work, since it makes me get familiar with the French language. I like the
method. I think it's a good way to learn French.
Wonderful and innovative with great results October 3, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Great course! The progress I have made just after two weeks of studying is incredible. Last time I studied French was 10 years ago in college. I retained some grammar and a small vocabulary. Three months ago, I renewed my interest in improving my French. I have learned a lot of new words and phrases on my own. However, comprehension was the elusive part which to me was the MOST important. After researching all available learning courses (took me two weeks of reading and going to various stores), I had finally found "Smart French." After exploring the website and listening to the demo, I was convinced this was a great product.
I have been studying the CDs for the past 2 weeks and I cannot believe the change in my listening and comprehension! My biggest frustration has always been the inability to separate the words and phrases in spoken French. Now, I can listen and discern TF1 news reports and interviews (I can actually understand what Thierry Henry is saying!). On top of that, my speech has changed - my French has acquired a melody and tone to it that surprised even my French speaking friends. I spend 2 hrs a day listening and repeating; to the point that I can feel the muscles in my face being `trained' to move in a different way. No other French class had such results for me. The phonetics I was taught in college sound primitive and crude in comparison to the way I am learning to speak now.
If you want to learn 10-20 "plastic" phrases so you can find a bathroom in Paris - buy a $5 phrasebook and don't waste your time and money. If you don't want to spend time, work hard and dedicate yourself to learning - hire an interpreter.
Learning a foreign language is 10% talent and 90% work. You still have to learn words, phrases and grammar but you don't need expensive CDs for that. Purchase some books and a dictionary, and study, study, study. Any idiot can do that.
"Smart French" has what you cannot get from books - live language - spoken by French people (from France). Not a 100 pre-packaged phrases in Canadian, North African or American accents which many other products use.
There was a comment regarding the sound quality which is completely without merit. There's nothing wrong with the microphone. The teaching part is recorded with crisp studio sound and the actual conversation reflects the natural sound. What you are hearing is exactly what you hear when you are speaking to people in real life - it is very important to learn to understand people in a natural environment.
Those who leave bad reviews are looking for some sort of magic - maybe watched `Matrix' too many times. Foreign languages are learned through studying; not downloaded into the brain while you sleep.
I recommend "Smart French" to everyone, advanced as well as beginners. A very basic knowledge of French would help the beginner student to better appreciate this course but it's never too early to study with "Smart French."
 Smart French Isn't so Smart September 17, 2007
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
Attention French learners. Smart French isn't so 'smart'. With this course you guess, you struggle, and very little is taught in the way of vocabulary. Overall, a poor product for the average French learner.
As a teacher of French both in Haiti and in the States, I can attest to the fact that the best course on the market for clear, fast and easy French is
Behind the Wheel French (8 CD Course) (Behind the Wheel).
Please bear in mind that this same course is available with the CDs and includes a fabulous book for the same price Behind the Wheel French 1 Revised/Complete Illustrated Text & CD Script/Answer Keys/8 One Hour Audio CDs
Bonne Chance!!!
 Great french help, but not always computer accessible July 16, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The CD's in itself are pretty nice. They make you read and re-read the text and tell you how to pronounce spoken french compared to written french.
But if you want to try to convert the CD's into mp3 to put them on an mp3-player or such (like me), then I have to warn you that CD 3 is tricky and not readable with every computer system. Linux and Mac worked fine, my personal Windows system wouldn't recognize the data on the CD. I am assuming there is something on the CD to keep you from reproducing the entire set.
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