Product Description

Most people learn to speak french but not how to speak it. At the intermediate level, they still have difficulties to understand the language and they cannot be understood. These Audio CDs will develop your listening skills at the same time as you progress in your learning. If these CDs are too difficult for you, you need the Beginner level. Maybe you are an intermediate at speaking french but still a beginner at listening to it. If you still need basic tips, you might want to try our SmartFrench, Introduction to French course. And if you just want to say travel sentences, you can use our SmartFrench for Travelers book and downloads.

With this program you will understand French and you will be understood. It's the best choice you can make to achieve fluency fast.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39019 in Books
• Published on: 2004-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Audio CD

Review
I believe that the SmartFrench CD is the marvelous rendition of a brilliantly simple idea. -- Ian Jackson, CEO Breathplay – Dallas, TX

I would recommend SmartFrench to anyone who wants to understand and speak French. -- Judi Irving, CEO Hemacare Corporation

This CD Rom is a must for learning how the French REALLY talk! I have spent hundreds on books, audios and video in trying to learn French. All have helped. But this one is a MUST. I recommend the Smart French CD Rom without reservation. --William Martin, Former Political Editor, The Oakland Tribune

This is the first learning program that made me laugh!Thanks for creating such a good product! -- Brad Bunnin – Berkeley, CA

This method works. Period. I have a bookshelf full of French language learning tools (books, CD's, flashcards), and they seem useless now that I am using SmartFrench... It's unbelievable that this simple, easy approach has never been done before. I'm glad someone finally did it! Some of the most successful, useful inventions become obvious to the rest of us after someone comes up with the idea, and we smack our foreheads with the palm of our hands thinking: Why didn't I think of that? It's so obvious! SmartFrench is like that. --Music Critic, Belmont, MA USA

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 Smart French does? --Patricia Jones, attorney

Customer Reviews

THE FRENCH WHISPERER
If you want to be like the majority of Americans who have taken a foreign language in high school or college and can hardly decipher a word of conversational French then Smart French is not for you. On the other hand, if you feel that the value of learning a foreign language is to understand NATIVE speakers and hear the language as it is actually spoken then Smart French is a MUST buy. This program will completely demystify the art to French spoken language--and it is an art. 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 Smart French does? That is why if you have had years of instruction or not even one French lesson this program will benefit you.

You get a booklet with the written dialogues, the alphabet, and helpful pronunciation tips. You also get a a CD software program which effortlessly takes you through a rich library of interesting conversations. You can watch the video and audio together or listen to the audio alone. The secret to Smart French is that it breaks it down for you--lesson by lesson. One of the most important things in learning a language is to utilize your listening skills--something that had always terrified me until Smart French. Go through each dialogue step by step and you will lose your fear and finally gain the confidence to trust your ears. Then pick up your old language books, tapes, and French movies and you will be amazed when you finally understand the speech patterns. I highly recommend this program--ENJOY!

Different and better
In the course of seeking a CDrom-based program to learn French with, I
read many descriptions and reviews on the various products out there.
SmartFrench made the most sense, even before I purchased it. After using it
for awhile, it still does. One doesn't just want to learn how to "speak" a
language: the goal is to communicate with others, to converse. Memorization technique
has its place, but what happens when the other person actually responds?
(Worse, what if the person happens to be French?!) The truth is, we don't
really speak even our native languages like it's taught in those books!
SmartFrench attempts to deal with that, and succeeds admirably. It's hard to
describe how, but in a way, you learn without really being aware of it. At
some point, you notice that you're picking out and understanding words &
phrases, say, while watching a French film. As the instructor says on the
SmartFrench CD: "listening is the key to your future progress". This is
really true. So, while it's fine to increase your vocabulary through other
means, I think SmartFrench is the more crucial learning method, and one that
will ultimately yield real results.

A bit overrated
I wouldn't recommend these CDs, and it's very difficult for me to believe the number of 5 star ratings. There are some very decent products out there with a lot of effort behind them. Some for less money than this one.

The key is to understand what these CDs are, and what they are not. SmartFrench is not a comprehensive language course. At all. It is only a set of 7 dialogues which are repeated at different speeds to help tune your ear to French, and help with your pronunciation. It is not a competitor for Pimsleur, which develops your recall response in the foreign language, or Learn in Your Car, which hones your grammar skills, or any variety of CDs available to build your vocabulary. These CDs do none of these things.

If you're looking to purchase your primary language learning tool or need a review, this definitely shouldn't be it. This should be way down on your list. If your French vocabulary is excellent, but your pronunciation is lacking, then these CDs might help. Then again, it would serve you just as well to rent a french movie with the subtitles on.