I am seeking the best way to quickly learn to <BR>speak french. Any advice would be greatly <BR>appreciated. Also we do not have a college <BR>near for classes. Thank you. <BR> <BR>

I asssume you mean for tourist purposes. There are a number of tape/book combinations out there ranging from $15 to more. I can't remeber the one I used to review for my last trip, but your should be able to find a good course for about $30. [I don't recommend the $15 ones for anything more than a few phrases. If your local bookstore doesn't have anything, try amazon.com. <BR>I just checked my Hungarian course. It's called "Teach Yourself..." and is published by the NTC Publishing Group. I purchased it at Border's I think. <BR> <BR>

<BR>

<BR>As a minor in French at college, <BR>I would suggest a book/cassette called "Just Listen and Learn French" by Passport Series I believe.You can purchase in any bookstore. They have other common languages that I have used for Spanish and Italian when I went to those countries. I found it was the equivalent of a college basic level 101course. It costs around $30. Bon Chance!

I have "French for Travellers" by The Learning Company on CD Rom which I found on sale at CompUSA. It's fabulous. Good to take with you is Barron's French at a Glance. Awesome phrase book. Unlike others, this one has phonetic pronunciations, along with lots of other valuable information. It's also very well organized and comprehensive.

Try different courses on tape from the local library and then you can determine which works best for you. I liked Pimsleur best for initial basic study. After I felt that I really had a handle on one series I'd check out another, which would have different words, phrases, or style of teaching. It's been fun and has given a good enough grasp of French to get along well in our travels. And it's made me want to learn more! <BR>

jwwardjr: If you have a sound board, there is a website where you can learn the basic phrases for about 65 languages. You need the sound board, because you can listen to the correct pronunciation. There are even quizzes to test your progress. This site is fantastic for basic/begginers. The address is <BR>http://www/travlang.com/languages/

jwwardjr: ...quick correction to prior post: <BR>http://www.travlang.com/languages/ <BR>Good luck!

All the above is good advice. Even if you could take a class, there's no substitute for a lot of practice with tapes. If you need to learn more than the polite phrases, focus your attention where it counts. <BR>Things NOT to learn (until later): <BR>1. The informal "you." Only learn the formal/plural "vous." <BR>2. Noun genders. Saying "la" instead of "le" rarely leads to confusion. <BR>3. Complicated verb tenses. Say "je vais" (I'm going) plus infinitive for future; "je viens de" (I come from) plus infinitive for past. <BR>Things you MUST learn: <BR>1. The polite phrases, "Bonjour," "merci", etc., even if you learn nothing else. <BR>2. French pronunciation. Pay close attention to the vowel sounds. Saying DEE or DAY when it should be DUH will totally confuse your listener. <BR>3. The twenty-four hour clock. Used for train schedules, restaurant opening times, etc. <BR>4. And, most important of all, WHO WON THE WORLD CUP! (Bravo Bleus! Vive la France!) <BR>Bonne chance et Bon Voyage!