French in Action : A Beginning Course in Language and Culture, the Capretz Method: Part One

Rating:
Summary: Irrelevant for classroom use
Review: I just finished a year course using the second part of this text as the main curriculum, and although this might have been a useful resource for adults trying to supplement class work back in the 80's when this series was created, I found it pretty ineffective for a high school class. The video that goes with the text seems cheesy and outdated (making it a lot more difficult for students to take it seriously, to be quite honest), and the topics and vocabulary are mostly irrelevant too. Thanks to Mr. Capretz, I can tell you how to start my car and that I used to live in a grass hut, but my conversation skills are actually a little rusty from the inane verbal excercises. This might be a good course for adults looking for supplement and review, but this is not a very good text for classroom use, and especially not well organized or easy to follow if you haven't used it from the very beginning. As for students, there are much better texts out there.

Rating:
Summary: The best french course out there
Review: If you are learning French, don't hesitate, do this course. This will teach you more about the French language and about France than any other course out there. The TV episodes can be viewed direct from the learner website.

Rating:
Summary: French In Action Reviewed
Review: This book, WHEN used in conjunction with the workbook, and audio and video cassettes, is very useful. By itself, the book would be much less helpful, but of course the book was intended to be used in combination with the audio and video aids. The combination of book, audio and video tapes, makes learning French interesting and entertaining. The only thing that is lacking (in my opinion) is a running translation into English, and a set of flash cards with the new words for each lesson.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful complete immersion in French when used properly
Review: This video-audio-workbook course is incredible! I took three semesters of college level French many decades ago in a wonderful native speaker tutorial and found on my infrequent trips to France or Quebec that over the years, my quasi-fluency had faded away. I took an adult education program with a competant native speaker recently and found the traditional high school textbook, CD, testing regime inadequate. In all likelihood, Noelle. the High School student from Atlanta who did not like the book, probably was denied the whole package. In fact, the text relies on the PBS TV video or the free broadband video version (...)-AND the 52 Casette Tapes or CD's and workbooks I and II. In order of importance, I would rate the Audio or CD and workbooks I and II above the text and video. Granted, it is an expensive package (...)but it also the closest thing to an immersion program this side of the Atlantic. So, Yale University Press overcharges. But all textbooks are out of line. This package is a bargain amongst bargains. Incidentally, the two Study Guides do very little and may be skipped altogether. However, the rest of the package MUST BE USED TOGETHER as a whole. Capretz, recently retired from Yale, is a rare master teacher and this program precludes the need of an intermediate teacher.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful complete immersion in French when used properly
Review: This video-audio-workbook course is incredible! I took three semesters of college level French many decades ago in a wonderful native speaker tutorial and found on my infrequent trips to France or Quebec that over the years, my quasi-fluency had faded away. I took an adult education program with a competant native speaker recently and found the traditional high school textbook, CD, testing regime inadequate. In all likelihood, Noelle. the High School student from Atlanta who did not like the book, probably was denied the whole package. In fact, the text relies on the PBS TV video or the free broadband video version (...)-AND the 52 Casette Tapes or CD's and workbooks I and II. In order of importance, I would rate the Audio or CD and workbooks I and II above the text and video. Granted, it is an expensive package (...)but it also the closest thing to an immersion program this side of the Atlantic. So, Yale University Press overcharges. But all textbooks are out of line. This package is a bargain amongst bargains. Incidentally, the two Study Guides do very little and may be skipped altogether. However, the rest of the package MUST BE USED TOGETHER as a whole. Capretz, recently retired from Yale, is a rare master teacher and this program precludes the need of an intermediate teacher.