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Post by sistereurope on Jun 20, 2007 14:40:51 GMT -5
OK, I'll jump in since I posted a similar question earlier. Yes, I know that I should listen to French radio/TV (which I try to do on the weekends)...and I know that I need to PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE...but does anyone have a good CD/Tape series for a beginner who can read some basic French but who can't speak it worth a d***?!! I took 3 years in HS (WAY too many years ago) and 1 semester in college (remember, it was the 70's  ) I tried to spark the brain cells for my last 2 trips by reviewing some basic grammar books. I'm at the point where my reading skills are decent...but my speaking translating skills - terrible! I may try some tutoring (I found someone on Craig's List who I may see after my vacation)...but in the meantime, can any of you recommend something that I could listen to on my way to work? Merci ! |
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Post by andi on Jun 20, 2007 14:53:32 GMT -5
SisterE......before we went on our last trip hubby found and downloaded a "learn french in your car in 40 lessons" file from somewhere but can not for the life of him think where, It may have been a (ahem) download site? We put half of it onto an mp3 player to potter around the house in, very good actually. ;D
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Post by holger on Jun 20, 2007 15:26:29 GMT -5
 We are using the Rosettta Stone Program. It works very well for my husband whoi is very good with langiages. He is Danish and already speaks and reads several langiuages fluently. I am a true tin ear but it is useful in terms of phrases and vocabulary.
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Post by geordy on Jun 20, 2007 15:41:14 GMT -5
Maybe we should do a word or phrase of the day here!
Sponsored by someone who is bi-lingual!! SVP!! ;D
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Post by Shoesy on Jun 20, 2007 15:42:34 GMT -5
O.K. We all know "merde". What's next?
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Post by Truffaut on Jun 20, 2007 21:07:31 GMT -5
Shoesy, that's the funniest thing you've ever said! ;D
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Post by andi on Jun 21, 2007 1:42:46 GMT -5
How about seperate sub sections for various catagories, IE: basics, travel and transport, food and drink, money etc |
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Post by goldenmama on Jun 21, 2007 4:33:16 GMT -5
We need an online translation consultant, much like andi has become our computer expert!
I keep thinking of certain phrases that I would like to know how to say, and French dictionaries aren't much help.
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Post by sistereurope on Jun 21, 2007 6:12:46 GMT -5
Yes, and often you never learn the "real" way to say things from school or a CD. Although I do have a book called "hide this french book" that is quite, um, enlightening  |
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Post by goldenmama on Jun 21, 2007 6:46:07 GMT -5
Your first assignment: How do I say, "I would like to confirm my restaurant reservation for..."
I can start it by myself, with a confident "Je", but it goes down hill from there!
I'm afraid if I say it wrong, they'll think I'm cancelling my reservation, and that would certainly stink!
Thanks!
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Post by luckyluc on Jun 21, 2007 7:01:16 GMT -5
That would be "Bonjour monsieur (or Bonsoir madame depending of their gender and the local time in France...) je suis Madame Goldenmama et j'aimerais confirmer ma réservation du 21 juin, s'il vous plait. Then the person will start talking 200 words a minutes and you will gentilly asked " Pardon monsieur parlez-vous anglais?"
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Post by Anne on Jun 21, 2007 7:05:46 GMT -5
LOL Lucky  You see, Goldenmama, you just aks your questions here and you'll always find someone for the translation, even if not always as quickly as you did today ... |
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Post by Truffaut on Jun 21, 2007 7:18:49 GMT -5
Boy, LuckyLuc hit that one on the head. Knowing just enough French can really get you in trouble!
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Post by goldenmama on Jun 21, 2007 8:43:18 GMT -5
:oOK, good, now I'm really scared!!
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Post by andi on Jun 21, 2007 13:33:30 GMT -5
I would have thought that it started with Je voudrais ( I would like) can I use this too or is there a problem with it?
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Post by goldenmama on Jun 21, 2007 14:56:12 GMT -5
Yes, me too andi! for some reason I can remember "je voudrais...." . Its the only phrase I can remember from the French lessons I've been attempting!
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Post by Anne on Jun 22, 2007 2:23:27 GMT -5
"Je voudrais" and "j'aimerais" are the same .
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Post by andi on Jun 22, 2007 2:58:24 GMT -5
Thanks Anne, I could not work out what the "j'aimerais" actually meant so that explains it for me ;D
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Post by luckyluc on Jun 22, 2007 13:52:56 GMT -5
The one verb tense of vouloir that you should not use is the first person present tense. "Je veux" That would sounds like you are giving an order. When I was a child and I would say "Je veux" my mother would always cut me and say "Le petit roi dit je veux!" to make fun of me.  |
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Post by sistereurope on Jun 22, 2007 14:36:00 GMT -5
pauvre luc !! (are you now a grown-up "roi" ? ;D)
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) I tried to spark the brain cells for my last 2 trips by reviewing some basic grammar books. I'm at the point where my reading skills are decent...but my speaking translating skills - terrible! 
hahahha