Let Us Welcome to the Stage: FRENCH!!

 

Life is funny. It seems that from almost the moment I decided to commit to this blog, I also began planning for my next trip. As details solidified I realized that as useful as Spanish will be to me, there are other languages that would be equally important for this next adventure. So I began sharing my Spanish Material --- and then decided that learning Basic French was more important right now than improving my Spanish. I know more than enough to get by, but my French was limited to please and thank you. 

As such I have decided to change the focus a little, and will instead share the material I am using for both my new French Studies and any Spanish review that I do. I hope that you will still find my intermittent posts useful as I make my way though this next endeavor.

I've only been studying French for a few weeks now. I started, as I am wont to, with Duolingo. I love the free service. I like the colour and the ease of it. (See my post on the Spanish Duolingo Course). I also know that Duolingo is not at all sufficient. It's just one foundation block among many.

My New Favorite Audio Course

I have spent the last few weeks searching for an audio course that I like. This is easier said than done. The recording needs to be of decent quality. It needs to capture my attention and it cannot bore me to tears.

I've finally found one.

I had never heard of it before. The recordings were done more than a decade ago by a polyglot who began his journey into languages amongst the aftermath of the first world war and the turmoil of the second.

The recordings are of him, conducting a class with two students. The first few minutes are a little awkward, and you're likely to be distracted by his slight Polish accent. And then all of sudden you're so caught up in learning this new language, in a way completely different than any other audio course, that you just can't seem to stop until your brain is so exhausted it just can't handle any more.

The Michel Thomas Method

 

He's a little intense. He has high expectations for his students; but if you can let yourself get caught up in the teaching -- you will be blown away by how much you learn. And how brilliant the man teaching the class is.

I'm about halfway through the total French course right now, and I'm already contemplating buying the Spanish ones for review. I can't comment on the other courses at the moment... but the French one? I love it. It is exactly the type of course I needed. I can't wait to finish it. I actually feel like I'm absorbing the material faster than usual, more easily.

As with Duolingo - an audio course is just one more brick for the foundation, it is never enough on its own  - but if you've had trouble finding a course you like, maybe this one would tickle your fancy too. :)

Amazon.com -- Total French: Revised (Learn French with the Michel Thomas Method)
or
Amazon.ca