French in Action : A Beginning Course in Language and Culture : The Capretz Method: Textbook
by Pierre Capretz
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List Price: $73.00
Our Price: $37.95
Your Save: $ 35.05 ( 48% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 448.2421
EAN: 9780300058215
ISBN: 0300058217
Label: Yale University Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 624
Publication Date: 1994-08-31
Publisher: Yale University Press
Studio: Yale University Press
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: least useful piece of a magnificent course
Comment: You will find many five star reviews for various pieces of the French in Action course. There is a good reason for this, since the course is a magnificent introduction to French, covering roughly the material of four college semesters of French language courses. If you want to learn to speak French and have the time and dedication (at 30 minutes a day, the course should take a year or so to complete), I highly recommend French in Action to you.
The theory behind French in Action is immersion, speaking and listening and writing and reading in only in French from the very beginning. Watching the half hour videos forms the heart of the course (available as DVDs or, in the US, for free on the Annenberg web site; just Google French In Action). The CDs, textbook, and workbook are integral parts of the course, reinforcing the grammar and vocabulary covered in the videos; you really will need them. If you complete all of these activities, you will encounter what you are learning several times, with very clear explanations, always in French.
You do not need the Study Guide to tell you what to do when--simply watch each episode of the video, then follow the instructions in the workbook (I found it useful to watch each video again after completing the associated lesson, normally parroting back every line to build my pronounciation skills). The Study Guide is also tedious, because it tells you the purpose of each of the workbook exercises, but those purposes are perfectly clear when you encounter the exercises in the workbook.
There are a few fine points of French grammar described in the Study Guide that I would have missed, but, far from being a useful educational tool, I found the Study Guide to be a hinderence to getting the most from the course. My main criticism is that the Study Guide discusses everything in English. The genius of French in Action is that you are thinking in French from day one, so why interrupt with a bunch of English explanations? If you prefer having every point explained in English and every new word presented with an English translation, then French in Action is not the right course for you, anyway.
The Study Guide contains some quizzes, so you may need it if you are taking a formal course (check with your instructor first). Otherwise, I suggest that you take the time you would have spent reading the Study Guide to finish the course sooner, then use the time you saved to read French stories or magazines (and, of course, Merde! and Merde Encore!) instead.
One final point, unless you are an instructor, you can skip lesson one entirely. It's all in English, and is very interesting if you want to hear about why the course was developed the way it was, but it will not help you to learn French, with one exception, and I'll tell you that right now: pay attention to the gestures that everyone makes in the videos (e.g., you'll see that the French shake hands at the beginning and the end of every conversation, however brief). Now you know all you need to know to begin at lesson two--and you won't need the Study Guide to do it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wonderful way to learn a language
Comment: French in Action: A Beginning Course in language and Culture, Second Edition: Workbook, Part 1 (Yale Language Series)
I wanted to learn French and selected the Capretz Method - French in Action as a beginning course in language and culture. The workbook is essential, but it must be stressed that to learn effectively, you also need the audio tapes and the videos. They are often available on the air or in the library, however, you need to study them more than one time through to pick up language nuances.
Each lesson consists of a 10 minute story (American boy meets French girl - cute story, adds interest), then an explanation by Professor Capretz. The workbook is divided into chapters and each chapter has a section on aural comprehension, oral production where you play the part of a character, and a question and answer segment on the above. Several additional study topics are covered, including a written practice where you write a short exchange between the two characters.
This is an immersion course and as such, is one of the best, but as I mentioned, the workbook is only one part of the course. I also urge you to pick up the Study Guide which guides you through the course. The course is not inexpensive, but very effective with all the tools.
Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: French In Action
Comment: The book was not what I had expected, and Amazon made it very easy to return the book and quickly refunded my full purchase price. All dealings with Amazon was very easy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: C'est vraiment excellent! BEST language book!
Comment: Used in combination with the audio materials, this course promises so much more than the usual (colors, numbers, basic greetings, etc.), and places a strong emphasis on pronunciation and idioms. You finish with a useful knowlege of French--the kind people actually speak. Comprehension is difficult at first because the speakers talk at a normal pace without overemphasizing the words, but it is this technique that leaves one able to know what people are saying without having them slow down.
As for the method of delivery--it's fun! The textbook follows a narrative structure, specifically a story about Robert, an American student in France, and Mireille, a young and witty student at the famed Sorbonne in Paris. There is love, mystery, and lots of important cultural information on the way, as well as an underlying humor that made our class laugh quite often. I recommend it highly for use in a class, and if you are willing to dish out the cash, for independent study as well. It has everything you need to gain a firm grounding in French language, culture, and idioms.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Language Dunce - even have trouble with English
Comment: I went through the 52 PBS programs first, then went through them again making notes, then I bought the book.
This immersion method I believe is like a child learning their own language for the first time - you watch and over time figure out what people are saying - you do not begin taking courses for 5 years.
If I had, had to take a typical language course to learn my native English - I believe I would never have learned.
The book is the immersion method in writting [and also in French]. You can go back and forth between the book and the 52 programs and everything is in French. You pick a word here and a phrase there and then start putting a few togeather. You learn the situations also.
For a person like me who fails every language course - this has been fun. It makes me want to go through the chapters and tapes over and over again.
So if you think of this method as a way to pick up French as a child would - a word here and a phrase there and a spark to continue to learn - it can be a lot of fun.
So far I recommend the 52 PBS programs and this Book.
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