New French with Ease

From what I've read on other sites Assimil seems to divide a lot of opinion, but for me this is one of the most effective courses I've ever used to learn French and the only one which took me towards any kind of fluency. The method basically involves listening to a short dialogue in French every day (usually 3-5 minutes long) and repeating the French without understanding it until you get a feel for what is being said. Following on from this you repeat the French whilst reading the French text in the booklet to get a handle on what the words actually are and finally, you repeat the French whilst looking at the English translation and come to understand what the words mean. At first this method seemed a bit obscure and lacking in structure (there are no grammar lessons as such, though there are very helpful notes in each lesson which explain key principles) but from the word go I realised I was learning a huge amount of French every day which I felt confident using. I very much enjoyed this way of learning grammar because you didn't have to bash your head against a wall trying to remember which activities use "jouer" and which use "faire", or which words are feminine and which are masculine (for instance) you just come to intuitively know what sounds appropriate. Overall I think the sheer volume of French you learn in this course has to make it one of the best courses available and one of the few that can take you close to fluency - unlike Pimsleur and Michel Thomas which are essentially just introductions to the language.

I don't believe you can reach an advanced stage in any foreign language through a single course, it is best to use several. However, for me Assimil is always the essential core, the part I couldn't do without. This course supplies more information, in a more informative way, than any other single course. I highly recommend getting the version with the audio CDs, not the book alone, to pin down a natural pronunciation. The lessons are fairly short, but interesting, informative and always amusing. This last is important, because you are going to repeat them often. Each day you read through (and listen to) a lesson. With a language like French it doesn't take long to be able to understand the words, even if you can't think of them when needed, and that is fine. After lesson 50 you do the same, but then go back to the lesson 50 days before and this time after reading/listening to it, you read the English page and translate into French. By that time it isn't too difficult. Language learning is not something I have a special talent for, but I have found this method straightforward and enjoyable. Just treat it as a hobby, something enjoyable, not something you have to do.

This is my favourite language course. The reason being it is packed with short phrases in both french and English. All the English is one page the french on the other, so you can cover up each, translate and check your results. Each lesson introduces new concepts and words, but without telling you what the grammar rules are. For that you need another book. Also I think it is not suitable for complete beginners. I use Assimil as a daily practice, and then deconstruct each lesson whilst cross referencing the grammar in another book. This is definitely the course to get in order to progress your speaking French. Make sure you also buy the CDs.

Was using my father's German Assimil method book (dated 1950) and making good progress when we decided to ski in France next time instead so bought this. Did French to O-level and then spent some months there 50 years ago. Much more up to date, not surprisingly, with modern French slang and idioms gradually and painlessly introduced. I study it daily for 5 minutes morning and evening, not using the CDs with the correct pronunciation at all, as no time (though have sampled them and found them good). Now on lesson 80 (out of 150) and realise that I am becoming mildly fluent again. The method is easy and painless, and the book has a vocabulary and grammar section at its end, (there was no vocab in the German 1950 edition). The stories make you apply French in everyday situations, and there are enough jokes to keep you amused. After I complete this, may progress to their next French level or buy their latest German Assimil course depending on where we decide to holiday.

Easy to use and with CD discs, very helpful

The Assimil book has been developed with care to make learning French as easy as possible, whatever your learning preference: The guidance is written in a conversational way, which takes the pressure off the learning process There are many references to French culture, which makes the subject less dry The dialogue is often funny and flows well The repetition is built very carefully, and builds over time I have not yet listened to the CD, but hope the above helps.

The delivery was exceptional quick, only 2 days, and I am really enjoying the book so far. I really like that it is small and compact and not a great big text book type, it fits nicely into my bag in case I want to do some revision on the go!

I think it s both useful and easy to use..it looks that its full of practice.and it s.not overloaded, its guided step by step!

O método é prático e fácil de aprender outro idioma, nesse caso o francês. Ainda não comecei a estudar definitivo, só dei uma olhada, mas já gostei do que li e vi!

I've waited over two months for delivery and in one section the pages are not cut properly. Very disappointed after reading such rave reviews. It's a shame the company has overlooked quality control.

Teaching French as a foreign language, I sometimes have people asking me for a good method to self-teaching French. I always do recommend this one. The first lessons start gently both in the written and spoken language, then things gradually speed up. The very small grammar points of the beginning help you to move forward in understanding the grammar without being overwhelmed. But be aware that the only way to use this method well is regularity!!! 15-20minutes each day is ideal to learn at a steady pace, and not lose any of your hard-learnt French along the way. Dedication will be your saviour. Another tip, if I may, listen to each chapter several times before moving to the next one. First listen to the dialogue whilst reading the French part only. Then read the English part to understand fully. Then listen again whilst reading. And last, listen to the dialogue without looking at the text (this last part as many times as you wish, until you can understand all the dialogue). After this, you should play each sentence of the dialogue one by one, stopping the cd in between and trying to repeat with the correct accent, until the words become more easy to pronounce. Beware, speed is not your goal, good prononciation is a must. The speed will come later.

昔、この前身のFrench Without Toil（カセットテープ付で4万円程度）を使っていた者としては、この価格は信じられないくらい安く、こちらで始められる方がうらやましいです。ある程度英語が出来ないといけないので、日本語版も出せばよいと思います。French Without Toilには「アヴィニョンの橋の上で」などの童謡が数曲入っていましたが、それらを知っておくのも役に立つことがあると思うので、踏襲してもらいたかったです。がんばって、Advanced版に進みたいです。あと、付録音声がMP3版（CD1枚）もありますが、そちらの方がかなり高いのが不思議です。

This is easily one of the best books I have ever read. Not based on story or plot but of what you will learn, just listening, reading and writing sentences. I was doubtful with my purchase at first; having studied Spanish for academic requirements and having bad learning experiences (Didn't learn the language, just wanted to pass the tests). I felt like taking on the challenge of learning a language in my late 20s, at my own pace and in a life enrichment pursuit. Having no French training classes and being an absolute beginner, here is my take:: You will not become fluent like a native based off this book alone. However, you will get to a good level of understanding (What would seem like just noise in the beginning, will turn into a disjointed words/sentences, then understanding. Maybe not the whole meaning but get the gist of it). After going through the book 3 to 4 times systematically (~2-3 years), you will be able to understand basic conversations, speak basic commands, ask for limited items, express basic thoughts, feelings and read to the same level of basic. Not bad! The drawbacks : You gotta do the whole book and keep motivated. What helped for me was feeling progress by watching movies dubbed in french; Making time for it, a schedule (would do my lesson and check my emails at night) This program will blow any computer software out of the water, based on price and effectiveness. The other reviews explained the waves. I'm a more interactive learner, so I followed theses steps. 1) loaded every lesson onto an mp3 player from the cds provided with the book. 2) Purchased a highlighter and big spiral notebook. 3) Started from the beginning. Every lesson I would listen to it on repeat and would mouth it out about two times. Then, I would look at the book, read four words while listening to the audio, pause and read the next four word. After completing the lesson two times. 4) Open the spiral notebook, write the same lesson in English first, then write the french sentences while listening to the audio. I would pause after every sentence to ensure my pronunciation was similar to the mp3s. Highlight the french and read it out loud; Complete the lesson. 5) Work this book through systematically, all the way through. Towards the end, the lessons get longer. At the end, it may take an hour or longer out of the day. 6) Check your results, turn on french news, go look at a french news website. You'll be surprised. Assimil works like magic. This book was worth all the money I paid for it. Definitely recommend it to anyone who are wanting to learn a new language. This book has 113 lessons, not as many as the Assimil without toil (140). It will give you a good start! I'm looking forward to reading the Using French book next.