Demouy Valerie - Colloquial French

Colloquial

French

THE COLLOQUIAL SERIES

Series Adviser: Gary King

The following languages are available in the Colloquial series:

COLLOQUIAL 2s Series: The Next Step in Language Learning

All these Colloquials are available in book & CD packs, or separately. You can order them through your bookseller or via our website www.routledge.com .

Colloquial

French

The Complete Course for Beginners

Valrie Demouy and Alan Moys

First published 2006

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada

by Routledge

711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017.

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2006 New material Valrie Demouy, material from previous edition Alan Moys

First edition published 1996 by Routledge

1996 Alan Moys

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Demouy, Valrie, 1964

Colloquial French: the complete course for beginners/ Valrie Demouy and Alan Moys. 3rd ed.

p. cm (The colloquial series)

Moys appears as sole author of first ed. Includes indexes.

1. French language Conversation and phrase books English. 2. French language Spoken French.

I. Moys, Alan. II. Title. III. Series.

PC2121.M85 2005

448.3421 dc22

2005008589

ISBN13: 978 0415340137 (pbk)

ISBN13: 978 0415340144 (audio CDs)

ISBN13: 978 0415431637 (pack)

ISBN13: 978 1315741444 (eBook Pack)

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Professor Jim Coleman, Marie-Nolle Lamy and Annie Eardley (The Open University) for their support during the production of this book and Nadine Gilbert, Josette Demouy, Annie Eardley and Morgan Jones for providing some of the photographs. Special thanks to Steve Pidcock (University of Warwick) for his unfailing confidence, support and invaluable critical reading. This book is dedicated to my parents and Steve Pidcock.

Valrie Demouy

Introduction

Colloquial French is intended for adult beginners who have little or no prior knowledge of French. It has been designed in such a way that it can be used in adult education classes or by learners who wish to study at home at their own pace and in their own time.

Colloquial French covers the basic structures and the vocabulary of everyday situations which you are likely to encounter, whether on holiday or on business in France and in other French-speaking countries. Its emphasis is on spoken French and its primary aim is to develop your communication skills.

The language is approached in a functional and communicative way so that you can easily use what you have learned to communicate in French effectively. We have kept the grammatical explanations as simple and user-friendly as possible to allow you to progress at a steady pace but at the same time build up a sound understanding of how the language works and so build up your confidence.

Colloquial French comprises a book and an audio CD or audio-cassettes containing recordings of the dialogues together with oral activities.

How is the Course Organised?

There are eighteen units, normally laid out in the same way. At the beginning of the book, you will find a pronunciation guide and at the end, the key to the exercises, a reference grammar, a FrenchEnglish glossary and two indexes.

What is in a Unit?

Dialogues

There are normally two per unit. Their main function is to introduce the key points of the unit, in context, and in a way that the French would use them. They are also essential for developing your listening and speaking skills.

In Units 18, the French dialogues are immediately followed by their translation into English. From Unit 9 onwards, a glossary of new vocabulary is provided instead.

Language Points

Under functional (e.g.: expressing preferences) or grammatical headings (e.g.: usingy) are given clear and concise explanations of new structures, together with examples. Grammatical terms and explanations have been simplified and kept to a minimum so that you can understand the mechanisms underpinning structures and use them successfully and confidently.

Exercises

These follow the language points and provide you with lots of practice in the new structures you are learning. Some of the exercises are also recorded on the CD/cassettes. There is a key to the exercises at the end of the book.

Other Features

In some units, and when useful, we have included some cultural points about France. We have also included some short texts covering topics in some units. These texts contain some of the language learned and are there to provide you with further examples of the language, as well as to start developing your reading skills.

The Recordings and How to Work with Them

The recordings contain the dialogues and a variety of exercises designed to improve your pronunciation, intonation and communication skills.

When you first listen to a dialogue, try not to look at the transcription of the dialogue or the translation. Focus your listening on the following questions. Who is talking? Where is the dialogue taking place? What is the purpose of the conversation? If you need to, listen to the recording again, until you can answer those three questions. Then listen again and focus on words you can recognise or understand. Write them down and try to make sensible guesses about what you dont understand yet. Then check your guesses by listening and reading at the same time. Avoid looking at the translation until you are happy youve tested yourself as much as you can. Approaching listening activities, and particularly the dialogues in this way, will initially take time. But as you progress through the course, it will become second nature and will take far less time. You will then acquire a growing confidence in your ability to understand native French speakers and will be more successful in communicating with them.