BooFit

I have used, and am still using, McGraw Hill "Just Listen n Learn French". Before I went visiting the Dordogne area in 2006 I used this book and CDs for about 5 months to prepare for the trip (I have not learnt French before) and managed to communicate (together with sign language and drawings) whilst I was in France! It was wonderful!!

After I returned from that 2006 trip, I took lessons at Berlitz (March 2007 to March 2008). I started from Beginner's level. Actually TODAY I will be sitting the BULATS examination to test my level of competence.... (Wish me luck!!)

Last month, I went to Paris and Burgundy. Right from the start, whilst on the plane to Paris, I started practising my French. It was dis-jointed at first, but after 3 days, my husband and friends commented that I sounded more fluent. (They don't understand French by the way). But I managed to get myself understood in hotels, shops and restaurants!!! A taxi driver who spoke no english actually conducted a lively conversation with me and in the end insisted on providing me with his personal copy of a Lyon map (this was in Lyon after we went to Burgundy). Really encouraging!!!

Tonight I will have to sit the exam, but right now (having a break) I am doing revision using McGraw Hill's book as well....

Iregeo

Good for you, BooFit! Best of luck!

JeanneB

BooFits, you're making me feel guilty! After my poor self-taught French served me surprisingly well on the first trip, I had every intention of auditing French courses at the nearby university. That was 5 years ago.

But I'm going to get a catalogue and see what's available for the summer or fall. I'm ashamed to have let all that work go to waste.

dina4

I am trying to learn italian while driving, so i bought the Pimsleur introduction series (10 lessons). I was shocked at how fun, fast, and easy it was to learn italian with the Pimsleur method! I just ordered Pimsleur Italian I (the first 30 lessons). there's a website called pimsleuraudio.com that has cheaper prices then ordering directly from simon and sheuster. it's coming today and i can hardly wait!

off2CU

It might depend on how best you learn. I'm a very visual learner and recently decided to brush up on my French too. I'm using Rosetta Stone. So far so good! It is pricey.

Regardless of the method you chose, I think you will be surprised at how much you remember.

Tom_Patterson

Rosetta is WAY less expensive than Berlitz, and probably more effective. The Berlitz CDs are ineffective, and the classroom instruction, while effective, costs nearly twice as much as a college language course. Unless you are looking for some exotic language like Urdu or Farsi, go with Living Language or Rosetta, or go to your local community college.