Struggling with French? Any recommendations for English books to self-study?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges of learning French, particularly for a Vietnamese speaker seeking self-study resources. Participants share their experiences and suggest materials that could aid in learning the language.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses frustration with their inability to understand or communicate in French after two years of study and seeks recommendations for English-language self-study books.
  • Another participant suggests using Schaum's Outlines along with audio lessons, providing a link to specific resources for French vocabulary and grammar.
  • A different participant comments on the nature of French as not being a science or logical, questioning certain phrases in the language.
  • One participant shares their experience of studying French for six years and emphasizes the importance of persistence, noting their comfort levels with reading, writing, and speaking.
  • Another participant questions whether the original poster could use an English book to learn French, suggesting that their English skills might be sufficient for that approach.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges of learning French, but there are differing opinions on the nature of the language and the best resources for self-study. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the most effective materials and methods for learning.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific resources without providing detailed evaluations of their effectiveness. There is also a lack of consensus on the logical structure of the French language and its teaching methods.

VietDao29
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Since French is not really a science, but I found no board that really fits this so I think putting it in Other sciences would be fine.
French is really driving me crazy!
After two years studying French, and I find myself understand nothing of it (yeah, absolutely nothing)... I cannot even read an easy paragraph in French, I cannot count in French, I don't know which object is female, and which is male, I cannot supply the correct form of the verbs, blah blah blah... In fact I cannot say anything in French, apart from Bonjour Mosieur, or that kind of thing... :cry:
So I go to talk to my teacher about this... Asking for some books for self-studying. But he says there is no book that is written in Vietnamese, that really teach you French (I am a Vietnamese, and he's a Vietnamese, too).
I went to the bookstore looking for some Vietnamese-French books, but I found none! :frown: I just found the books that are written all in French, and I don't think I can read them without a teacher guiding me...
So does anyone here study French? Can you guys recommend me some good books that teach French in English, that one can actually use it to self-study?
Thanks a lot,
Mercy beaucoup (is this correct?) :rolleyes:
 
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You might try Schaum's Outlines, combined with audio lessons on CD.

For the Outlines see this page:

http://books.mcgraw-hill.com/getcategory.php?template=schaums&catid=2715&category=Foreign%20Language&level=3

Scroll down and you will find one for French Vocabulary and another for French Grammar. Hey, maybe one day you'll be the one to translate those into Vietnamese!
 
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French is not a science, nor is it logical.

"Que ce que c'est.." (or something like that) is garbage.
 
Tom Mattson said:
You might try Schaum's Outlines, combined with audio lessons on CD.

For the Outlines see this page:

http://books.mcgraw-hill.com/getcategory.php?template=schaums&catid=2715&category=Foreign%20Language&level=3

Scroll down and you will find one for French Vocabulary and another for French Grammar.
Hey, maybe one day you'll be the one to translate those into Vietnamese!
Yes, thanks a lot. :smile:
You saved me... Yay!
arildno said:
French is not a science, nor is it logical.
Agreed :devil:.
And I have to try damn hard to get above the average point... :rolleyes:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've studied French for 6 years, been to Paris for two weeks, and I still can't speak it well. This is the order in which I feel comfortable with it - 1)Reading 2)Writing 3)Speaking. Keep at it and it will get better. I can pretty much understand everything my teacher says and our classes are almost completely en francais. Bon chance.
 
Can you not use an english book teaching french, your english seems pretty good.
 

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