3rd Edition
Colloquial French The Complete Course for Beginners
Colloquial French: The Complete Course for Beginners has been carefully developed by an experienced teacher to provide a step-by-step course to French as it is written and spoken today.
Combining a clear, practical and accessible style with a methodical and thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in French in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.
Colloquial French is exceptional; each unit presents a wealth of grammatical points that are reinforced with a wide range of exercises for regular practice. A full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues can be found at the back as well as useful vocabulary lists throughout.
Key features include:
A clear, user-friendly format designed to help learners progressively build up their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
Jargon-free, succinct and clearly structured explanations of grammar
An extensive range of focused and dynamic supportive exercises
Realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of narrative situations
Helpful cultural points explaining the customs and features of life in France.
An overview of the sounds of French
Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial French is an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in French.
Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Pronunciation Guide
Unit 1 Premiers contacts
First contacts
Unit 2 Dans la ville
In town
Unit 3 Manger et boire
Food and drink
Unit 4 Rencontres
Meeting people
Unit 5 Projets de vacances
Holiday plans
Unit 6 Faire ses courses
Shopping
Unit 7 Planifier un voyage d’affaires
Planning a business trip
Unit 8 Quel voyage!
What a journey!
Unit 9 On s’amuse bien.
We are enjoying ourselves
Unit 10 A Paris
In Paris
Unit 11 Problèmes de santé
Health problems
Unit 12 Souvenirs
Memories
Unit 13 Rendez-vous et invitations
Appointments and invitations
Unit 14 Un week-end à cuisiner
A weekend spent cooking
Unit 15 Vêtements et chaussures
Clothes and shoes
Unit 16 On cherche une maison.
Looking for a house
Unit 17 On discute de la maison.
Talking about the house
Unit 18 Négotiations
Negotiations
Key to Exercises
Reference grammar
French-English Glossary
Indexes
Biography
Valérie Demouy completed her M.A. in teaching French at the University of Pau in France. While teaching French in various British institutions, she developed a strong interest in beginner and intermediate levels. She is currently a Lecturer in French at the Open University, UK, where she has contributed significantly to the new beginner's course.
Praise for the First Edition
"There’s something to be wholeheartedly said for coming across a book that enables one to learn and brush up on a language that is concise, colloquial, not to mention crystal clear...So in all, a terrific French language course – probably one of the best I’ve ever come across." - David Marx, David Marx:Book Reviews