This is a one-of-a-kind fantastic product!
It takes you beyond the stilted academic classroom into real life!
I have always wondered why I have had trouble understanding French movies and my French friends when they are speaking with each other. (Little did I realize how they slow and dumb themselves down to include me in their conversations!) Anyway, just like we say things like: I’m gonna and I wanna when we talk and I am going to and I want to when we write, the French are no different. So, it took the genius of Christian Aubert to realize the issue with spoken French. It sounds quite different from the written word where each word is pronounced precisely and at the same rate and tone. If someone talked to us like that or expected us to speak like that it would be weird. That is why most of our academic French doesn’t really work.
I can understand why some people have difficulty with this product because they are expecting a traditional, grammar-based approach. If this is what makes you comfortable, it you are a structural kind of person, then this is probably going to be frustrating for you. But if you want to speak with people and be understood, if you want to train your ear to listen and pick up what you can, if you are comfortable not “getting it” right away, but love the surprise when you do, then you will have a blast with Smart French.
Something else I want to add is that Christian and the staff are very accessible and helpful. They will help you chose the right program for you and really want to help you learn what you want to learn. They are not product pushers, but true educators who want to help you meet your goals. So if you have questions before you buy, contact them![keyword]french+language+learning+software[/keyword][yahooquestion]french+language+learning+software[/yahooquestion]
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
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.
This is a one-of-a-kind fantastic product!
It takes you beyond the stilted academic classroom into real life!
I have always wondered why I have had trouble understanding French movies and my French friends when they are speaking with each other. (Little did I realize how they slow and dumb themselves down to include me in their conversations!) Anyway, just like we say things like: I’m gonna and I wanna when we talk and I am going to and I want to when we write, the French are no different. So, it took the genius of Christian Aubert to realize the issue with spoken French. It sounds quite different from the written word where each word is pronounced precisely and at the same rate and tone. If someone talked to us like that or expected us to speak like that it would be weird. That is why most of our academic French doesn’t really work.
I can understand why some people have difficulty with this product because they are expecting a traditional, grammar-based approach. If this is what makes you comfortable, it you are a structural kind of person, then this is probably going to be frustrating for you. But if you want to speak with people and be understood, if you want to train your ear to listen and pick up what you can, if you are comfortable not “getting it” right away, but love the surprise when you do, then you will have a blast with Smart French.
Something else I want to add is that Christian and the staff are very accessible and helpful. They will help you chose the right program for you and really want to help you learn what you want to learn. They are not product pushers, but true educators who want to help you meet your goals. So if you have questions before you buy, contact them!
You won’t find a better way to learn French and learn it quickly than SmartFrench. I took 2 years of French in high school and two in college but couldn’t speak it or understand the spoken language. After a week or so of Smartfrench, I had learned more than I had during years of formal training. I can’t evaluate the system for someone with no knowledge of the language going in, but for those with some rudimentary understanding of grammar and verb conjugation, you will pick this up with lightning speed. The ability to listen to a variety of native French speakers (and to have the French text and translation when you want them), to hear them use typical French expressions that you will quickly find yourself using, to hear how they form sentences in everyday conversation, is simply invaluable. As you listen and repeat (and you should listen over and over), you’ll begin to notice that, just like with English speakers, some Frenchmen speak better French than others; the young student, for example, speaks more casually and with more slang than, say, the diplomat or the art dealer. With this ingenious system, you’ll be exposed to all manner of speaking habits, all of which you can copy, or not, and will find yourself automatically absorbing all the nuances of the language you cannot learn in any other way. Other than living in France, of course.
I gave the system four stars because there is room for some improvement with the product. Not with the concept, just the execution. There is some needless repetition of basic ideas, although some may like this. Personally, I would prefer more discussion on advanced topics (I purchased beginning through advanced), like the subjunctive mode (of verbs) and some of the odd phrases you’ll encounter that don’t seem to make any sense. But, other than some fine tuning, this is a fantastic product and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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.
I tried a few French courses a couple of years ago and I learned a few things. But from reading the reviews, I decided to go ahead and buy the Smart French Introduction to French series. I just loved it. The teacher is knowledgeable and communicates very casually and efficiently with the listener. He gives a lot of tips and they all make sense. I found the PDF file included on one cd very helpful. I naturally continued to learn French with the CD-Rom and the Audio CDs to work on my comprehension.
I have to say that I have worked with quite a few of these programs before and Smart French is really refreshing. And nowhere before have I had explained clearly the difference between what is on the paper and what you hear. Now I know what to listen for in a French conversation. To learn French this way is not boring. The genuine interviews are interesting, even hilarious at times, and the teacher is also interesting. I am happy I started with the two volumes of the Smart French Introduction to French. It helped me appreciate this series even more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you’re looking for courseware that will teach you a sizable amount of French vocabulary or grammar, then this product isn’t for you. The four CDs are limited in their content from that respect.
But, if you’re interested in understanding why the French you hear spoken in France, doesn’t sound like the formal French that you learned in a classroom, then this product is for you. I haven’t found any other that does a better job. If you’re diligent about doing the exercises, you’ll be better equipped to both comprehend and speak “street” French.
What I find unacceptable is that for this product’s high price tag for such a limited amount of content, I would expect it to be flawless. There are blatant inconsistencies between the French conversations on the CDs and the documented conversations in the handbook. There are also inconsistencies in the handbook between the French conversations and the English translations. There is not that much content, it could have easily been reviewed and corrected during the courseware development process!
The other aspect that I find unacceptable is that the last page of the handbook gives credit to a number of people, but not to an audio technician. There are three voices that you hear in each section. There is a conversation in French between an interviewee and an interviewer, and a course instructor that analyzes the conversation. In most sections the interviewee’s voice is only 2/3 the volume of the instructor. The interviewer’s voice is only 1/3 of the volume. If an audio technician was used, perhaps all three voices would be equally discernable.
I teach a small group of adults French and I’ve just started using the Smart French Beginner Audio CD set with my students who love it. They all agree that listening to the conversations is an excellent way to increase comprehension and augment vocabulary. We all value listening to native speakers carrying on conversations about everyday topics.
I find that including both a slow version and a fast version of each dialogue
makes the Smart French series an excellent tool for teaching and for learning French.
Sandy K.
Berkeley, CA.
I was looking for a CD that would help me with conversational French on my first visit to France. I didn’t think my high school French would suffice. (Boy was I right). If you are looking for a CD which helps you say how much is this? or, where is the bathroom? or how do I get to? this is NOT the CD you are looking for.
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.
I am a native speaker of Polish and my wife is American. We tried the speach recognition feature in our native tongues. We barely made it in our native languages into the beginnig of yellow and sometimes not even that. This feature one has to take with a grain of salt.
The program only has 76 languages with pronounciation. The remaining 25 are only vocabulary collections without any speach recordings.
There is some translation mistakes in Polish version but not very many.
The lessons are a little bit chaotic in their structure. I suspect they made an abridged version of their more extensive single language programs. In general it is not a bad tool for somebody planning a trip to a country and would like to acquire some basic vocabulary along with spelling and different alphabets. I would not get depressed if one cannot get the pronounciation right – even native speakers are unable to accomplish that. And for the price of under 20 bucks, one cannot ask for perfection.
This product is great for a good overview of various languages, to learn the basics. If you are planning to travel to a number of countries, this will allow you to communicate effectively. It’s definitely worth buying.
Caveat Emptor, as usual for these types of products. Learning a foreign language well is a major undertaking that takes a lot of work and time. This product claims to allow you to explode through the language barrier for any of these languages. I never believed the hype (I hope no one does!), but I did want to be able to hear some Bemba language and get a few words of bemba vocabulary – too bad for me, AFTER opening the package you find out that 76 languages are included in their interface with audio and phrases, 25 languages only have vocabulary flash cards (“vocabulary of the world”) and no audio! Bemba, that I couldnt find in other language learning aids, was, unfortunately for me, one of the unspoken languages. If you are interested in learning a major language, such as Spanish or Thai, there are better products. If you are considering getting this product because you are interested in getting some exposure to an obscure language like Bemba, Maori, Samoan, make sure it is one of the “Languages of the world” and not one of the “vocabulary of the world” langauges, because these scammers make it so can not tell until you open the package.
the software you used is considered a replicating installed software even though it was removed. contact the software service agent and explain to them what you did and see if they will help you . other than this you might have to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the operating system. if you bought this software they should have a tech support. if it was a free ware than you may need to search for a free software that will assist you in the complete removal.
I also love French movies and I'm always waiting for ones with English subtitles at TV5 (A Frenhc cable station). The language is mellow music to my ears and they rarely have that irritating blockbuster-extravaganza-feel of most American films. I took a few semesters of French at my university but, because I don't have anyone to talk to in French, I still can't converse in it.
Running is my favorite childhood memory. Running with my dad as a child, trying to keep up, feeling the wind in my face. Even after he stopped running because of health reasons, I continued and ran everyday when I was in college. Sadly, a foot injury made me stop. I still miss it.
Anthropology, British Literature 1 and Traditional Grammar. BRING IT!
HIIIIII
are you sure clover is a boy? because we tried checking heheee and i think it's a she. hmm anyway clover and gaspard sniffed each other when they were put together at the dinner party thing on friday!! I think they like each other
i finished watching the french movies you gave me; though i couldn't get the subtitles to work?
jeux d'enfants was especially good, but very sad
except for the happy ending. and the other one was good too, but not as good because i've watched it in singapore before 
and now i'm bored again. MORE BLOGS PLEASE
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