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Rating: 
Summary: More Exercises Please
Review: "Ultimate French" is not an easy course book and I can understand some people's reservations. However, I have found it to be the most comprehensive and enjoyable book for adults who want to embark on a serious pathway to French language success. I began studying with the "Living Language" series (which I also recommend for drill practice) but eventually I wanted something that contained more than phrases. After exploring numerous options, "Ultimate French" was the only one which appealed to me and after purchasing the coursebook and audio cd's, I am more than pleased with my purchase. I echo other reviewer's dissatisfaction with the exercises after each chapter though. In fact, I emailed the publisher and suggested they provide a supplementary book just for exercises. Despite this shortfall, I recommend "Ultimate French" as a thorough introduction to the French language. I am looking forward to starting the Advanced course.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for the beginner or someone who just wants to brush up
Review: I had a sudden desire to brush up on my French after taking three years in high school over a decade ago, so I picked up this book help me review. I found this book to be effective at teaching basic concepts while keeping my interest. The format is easy to read and organized well, the dialogues are never boring. I have other introductory French books which are less organized, difficult to read or follow, and have boring unrealistic dialogue. I tend to begin those only to stop part way through. However, Ultimate French is different. It helped motivate me to completion. I plan on starting the next book in the series, the Advanced Ultimate French book.BTW, I agree with the reader from Indonesia about the number of questions in each exercise. I feel I could get a better grasp of the concepts if there were more of them.
Rating: 
Summary: Do you really want to learn French?
Review: I've used different language sets to learn, or start to learn, a few languages and now have a clear idea of what works & what doesn't. Most sets are designed for the non-serious student who wants something "easy" or flashy. The problem with these is that you don't end up learning the language. Ultimate French is very high quality and even fun, but its method is not for the serious student. The drills are very weak. A series with audio tapes/CDs that works is the Foreign Service Institute lessons. These are also marketed by Barron's and the National Audio-Visual Center. I haven't tried Pimsleur, though.
Rating:
Summary: Good introduction to the language
Review: This book and CD set provides an elementary foundation in French. The complaints others have made about the brevity of the exercises and dialogues are accurate; however, before people dismiss the Living Language series they should recall its purpose. If you want to get a basic understanding of a language without mortgaging your house, Living Language is for you. The Pimsleur progams that everyone speaks so highly of come in two versions--one with no written material for roughly the same price and another with a $300 price tag. Living Language set can easily be supplemented with de Sales' French Verb Drills and The Rosetta Stone Language CDs for additional exercises and hours of additional audio material.
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