SmartFrench CD-ROM |  | From: SmartFrench
List Price: $59.95
Buy New: $49.95
as of 11/23/2009 01:07 CST details
You Save: $10.00 (17%)
New (51) from $49.95
Seller: smartfrench
Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 1998
Format: CD-ROM
Platforms: Windows XP, Mac OS X, Windows Vista
Media: CD-ROM
Operating System: Windows 95
UPC: 880646000004
EAN: 0880646000004
ASIN: B0000U3LI8
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | For Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced | | • | Repetition of excerpts of complete conversations | | • | French language rules explained in a simple way | | • | CD-Rom with booklet containing actual transcripts of French natives | | • | Color-coding shows what is and what is not pronounced in spoken French |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
"This CD Rom is a "Must" for learning how the French REALLY talk!" - William Martin, former political editor, The Oakland Tribune- "When I heard my first lesson I honestly felt betrayed by my other programs --why didn't they simply tell the truth about French pronunciation like SmartFrench does?" - Patricia J. Gust, Attorney-With this CDRom you will learn the French language the way the French deliver it in natural conversations. You will develop your comprehension as well as your speaking abilities. The total beginner should work simultaneously with this CDRom and with our SmartFrench - Introduction to French, Vol.1 and Vol.2. These volumes will teach you basic grammar, conjugation and vocabulary while the CDRom will start you on the right tracks to be able to understand when someone speaks."I have three other French language courses, and I've learned more from this one than I have the others put together." - Cynthia Stull, writes contracts for the National Cancer Institute. Learning a foreign language is typically frustrating. After spending countless hours in a classroom environment, most find that they are still unable to comprehend world French as it is naturally spoken between native French people. SmartFrench does what conventional language courses will not do. The program is designed to teach you pragmatic rules to learn "spoken" French, not "textbook" French. Just by following the simple, easy and enjoyable program, you will build your speaking confidence, right from the very beginning. Even an advanced student who experiences difficulty will become fluent in no time using SmartFrench. The difference between this CDROM and the Smart French audio CDs Beginner and Int/Adv - also available on amazon.com is that the CDs can be played in your car. The CDROM is for the computer. It contains all three levels and some extras, as well as the videos of the interviews on which the lessons are based (to see people when they speak always helps.)
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
 Thank You For Your Practical Help Learning French November 4, 2009
T. Rodgers (Bay Area, California)
Dear Mr. Christian Aubert:
Merci beaucoup for offering the great learning tools Introduction to French, Volumes 1 & 2, and SmartFrench Audio CDs~Beginner. It is apparent that much time and thought has been spent on how best to present the lessons.
Learning a new language is very challenging. There is a big difference between memorizing phrases and formal greetings; and a person actually being able to hold meaningful conversations. Your methods of teaching not only encourage retention, but also provide practical advice on how to speak the everyday language. No wonder you earn such glowing commendation on Amazon.com.
The more time spent utilizing the audio CD's and supplementary materials the more the true essence of the French language is understood. The auxiliary tools offered on [...], such as the Verb Blog, have provided added support, which is greatly appreciated.
I will definitely recommend your product to others interested in learning to speak French.
 The Best French Language Program I Have Tried November 4, 2009
Cal Bear (United States)
I took three years of French in high school over twenty years ago, and I recently decided to take up the language once again. I have tried various programs, such as Rosetta Stone, Michel Thomas, and Pimsleur. However, when I tried to have a conversation with native French speakers, I was always disappointed because a) When they spoke at a natural pace, other than picking out a word here and there, I could not understand what they were saying and b) While I could make myself understood, I was told that my sentences were too rigid or unnaturally formal.
As far as I know, Smart French is the only program available that teaches the student to speak in a natural and fluent manner. The program begins with an excellent review of French sounds. Then, a series of vignettes are presented in which an interviewer discusses a topic with everyday French speakers such as a model, a chef, an art curator, a metal worker, an actor, etc. The converstations are presented in stages. The first stage, breaks down the sentences into bite sized segments in slow motion. The ensuing stages move progressively faster, until the sixth stage, when we hear the actual interview at normal speed. At first the converstions seemed impossibly fast, but after listening to them a few times, I began to understand more and more of what the speakers were saying.
The Smart French course has helped me tremendously in developing an ear for French as it is spoken by real people and in improving my accent. In my opinion, it is by far the best program available, and the best value for the money.
Great product September 7, 2009
Maria A. Florentino
Very few people are able to realise a great product. It needs awareness, imagination, creativity and talent. I think that Christian Aubert has created a unique method to learn french and re-learn it. I found the "reds and liaisons" invaluable. It is not so easy to re-learn and reprogramme oneself or to recover words quickly at a certain age and yet I found the SmartFrench CD-ROM and SmartFrench Audio CDs Int/Adv - The Smart Way to Learn French wonderful for that very purpose. Some of the interviews were engrossing and others I found amusing. They made things so quick to get back to - using ones ears, listening and learning.
 There are no short-cuts June 28, 2009
vitanova (Delanco, NJ USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you don't already know French, save your money. I studied french in school for six years and lived in France. Even though I am fluent in written french I still have a problem understanding spoken french. There is no relationship between written french and spoken french. If you think you will learn the language listening to these CDs, don't delude yourself because I don't think so. I have been listening to this program now for about a year and my auditory comprehension is no better.Of course, after a while you will understand the material presented, but go out into the real world and you will be back to square one. Do you want to listen to native french speakers? Watch french TV. The easiest way to do this is to log onto BeelineTV.com and find french TV. Of the channels offered, some are from France, some from Canada, and some from the Congo. Here you will hear a wide variety of spoken french. Without a background in grammar and vocabulary, you will be spinning your wheels with total frustration.
The best foreign language method -- and I've tried a few September 25, 2008
Jordan Mechner (Los Angeles, CA USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
SmartFrench and SmartSpanish at first glance may appear unorthodox. Their method is so different from the "standard" foreign language teaching techniques that most Americans are accustomed to, that some people may be put off because it's not what they expected. But if you have an open mind and are willing to try a new approach, you will be rewarded.
For a motivated adult who wants to not just go through the motions, but really learn a language and get to the point of actually being able to converse and function in a foreign language, the SmartFrench series is vastly superior to Berlitz and most every other audio CD method I have seen.
I am a native English speaker who learned French and Spanish as an adult (in my twenties). I can now say that I am fluent in both those languages, but I also spent a lot of time and sweat in inefficient study that, looking back, could have been much accelerated. I only wish SmartFrench and SmartSpanish had existed then.
I've tried a wide range of methods, including traditional in-person language schools. I took five years of German in high school and college, and while I got excellent grades and my grasp of vocabulary and grammar was good on paper, if you drop me into a German beer hall I have no idea what people are saying -- and that's the problem with the way most foreign language is taught. I "know" German, but I can't speak it. If that's your goal, SmartFrench may not be for you. But if your goal is to get quickly to the point where you can actually converse in a foreign language, then I can't recommend this audio product highly enough.
SmartFrench doesn't follow the traditional academic pattern. If you judge it by that expectation, you'll be disappointed, and I think this accounts for the negative reviews. It does something much more valuable -- teaches language the way the brain is actually wired to learn language. It may feel unfamiliar at first, but if you stick with it, you'll see results that will actually pay off, and probably quicker than you expect.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
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