French Without the Fuss

by Living Language

• ISBN13: 9780609810613
• ISBN10: 0609810618
• Edition: CD
• Format: Package
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: Living Language

Summary

Want to brush up on your French, but you're traumatized by the memory of your grammar-obsessed high school teacher? Planning a trip to France or Quebec but don't have the time, patience, or money for a 16-week course? Well, you're in luck.French Without the Fusswill teach you the everyday French spoken on the streets of Paris and Montrealand you won't have to cram down long lists of verb conjugations. 20 simple lessons do all the right things to help you learn fast: Nontraditional teaching methods help you understand, speak, and soon think in French without obsessing over details. Funny, convincing dialogues let you speak naturally and stay motivated. Practical, up-to-date vocabulary and slang keep you from sounding like a textbook. Lifestyle, popular-culture, and history notes make you feel like an insider from the start. Smart activities give you plenty of opportunity to practice. A simple, straightforward approach to grammar teaches what's really useful without nit-picking and technical jargon. French Without the Fusswill fill your free moments with fun and do wonders for your French in a matter of weeks! You'll also find references for French Internet sites, movies, and music; an extensive glossary; a grammar summary; and maps of France and Montreal.Alors, bonne chance et bon voyage! Practice for a flawless accent with the one-hour audio CDcontains dialogues, spoken by native speakers!

Table of Contents

Welcome!	xv
Getting Started in French	xvii
What's Going on in the Diaglogues
What Words You'll Learn
The First Step	3	(20)
Introductions A group of young people meet
Hello, my name is...: How to meet and greet people in French
Me, myself, and I: The personal pronouns
To be or not to be: The verb etre (to be) in the present tense
To have and have not: The verb avoir (to have) in the present tense
(In)definitely so: The and a / an in French
Paris at Night	23	(16)
Arrived at Last! Two Young women arrive at the Paris airport...
This is It, We're in Paris!...and catch a bus for the city
Have a pleasant flight: Talking about airport and travel
Just Say NO!: Using non (no) and ne pas (not)
Living in the present: Verbs ending in -er in the present tense
Any questions?: Asking questions using intonation or est-ce que
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs voir (to see) and croire (to believe) in the present tense
Traffic	39	(18)
The Pleasures of Driving Three siblings argue in the car on the way to their parents' country home...
An Original Present!...and shop for an anniversary present at the gas station
Stuck in traffic: Talking about the pleasures of driving
Happy Anniversary!: Shopping for a present
Any questions?: Asking I questions using who?, what?, where?, etc.
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs vouloir (to want) and pouvoir (can) in the present tense
I'm on my way: The irregular verb aller (to go) in the present tense
It's going to rain: Talking about things in the immediate future
The countdown: Let's count from 1 to 29
Make your point!: Using stressed pronouns
The Bride Wore Black	57	(18)
Here Comes the Bride! Two friends chat as they observe a wedding ceremony
The Family Picture At the wedding reception, the guests are getting ready for a group photo
It's all in the family: Talking about family and weddings
Here comes the bride: Talking about weddings
The countdown: Let's count from 30 to 100
Time to add up your possessions!: Words that say you're an owner-my your, his, her, etc., in French
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs devoir (to have to), recevoir (to receive), and savoir (to know) in the present tense
Living in the present: The regular verbs ending in -ir in the present tense
Just say no!: Using never, nothing, etc., in French
The Dream Life of Angles	75	(16)
It's Hard to Be Back...An executive is back at the office after a dream vacation...
It's Hard to Be Back (cont'd)...and he's getting ready for a business meeting
In and out of the office: Talking about work
A dream vacation: Talking about vacations
What time is it?: Telling time in French
To and fro: Using a (to; in) and de (from; of) with articles
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs faire (to do) and dire (to say) in the present tense
Strut your stuff! (review)
The Little Thief	91	(18)
Shopping with Dad Is so Sad! A girl goes food shopping with her father
The Thief! Two women experience trouble at the flea market
Shopping list: Going to the supermarket
On a shopping spree: Shopping at the flea market
The countdown: Let's count from 101 to 999
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs vendre (to sell) and prendre (to take) in the present tense
Talking about what' there isn't''
I'll have a little bit of that: Using preposition de (of) with articles to talk about parts of something
Talking about ``this'' and ``that'': Pointing to things using ce / cette (this) and ces (these)
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others	109	(18)
Who's Coming to Dinner Tonight? A young couple has friends over for dinner
Let's Watch the Soccer Game! An evening of food and fun continues
Enjoy your meal: Talking about food
Mix it up!: Making crepes
Give It to me: Personal pronouns like (to) me, (to) you, (to) him / her, etc.
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs venir (to come), tenir (to hold), and servir (to serve) in the present tense
I've just done it: Talking about what's just happened
The Telephone	127	(18)
Always on the Phone! A guy can't reach his friends on the phone
After All... Two friends attend an opening of a photo exhibition
Hello?: Talking on the phone and leaving a message
Arts and leisure: Going to an art show
She's so talented!: Chatting at a photo exhibition
Who's Calling?: More on using telephones
Just say no!: Using ni...ni (neither...nor...)
Been there, done that: Talking about past events using the passe compose
Been there, done that, part 2: The passe compose of avoir, etre, and aller
The Subway	145	(16)
An Ordinary Day...A woman takes care of things at the post office...
Rendez-vous at the Studio...and takes a subway to meet her boyfriend
You've got mail! Going to the post office
Say it when you need Something: Using il faut (it's necessary) and il me faut (I need)
Any questions?: A third way of asking questions in French
Been there, done that: The passe compose of the -ir verbs
I scream, you scream: The passe compose of several irregular verbs
Farewell to a Sex Symbol	161	(20)
Feel Like Going to the Movies? Friends go to the movies...
We're Treating You to a Drink!...and chat about it over drinks afterward
Every day is not a holiday: The French calendar and saying dates
It's a classic: Talking about movies
Out on the town: All the French you need to have fun
Been there, done that: The passe compose of attendre (to wait), prendre (to take), and other similar verbs
Any questions? Asking questions using which?
Like it or not: The irregular verbs plaire (to like) and nuire (to hurt) in the present tense and the passe compose
Strut your stuff! (review)
Genesis	181	(24)
It's Easy, Grandpa! A boy teaches computer skills to his grandpa
Send Two friends chat online
Life in cyberspace: Computers and the Internet in French
Please sit down!: How to give orders in French
Little words say a lot: Using en (from there) and y (there)
Know thyself: Reflexive pronouns like myself, yourself, etc., and verbs using them
A Sunday in the Country	205	(20)
Everything Is Ready! A family gets tickets and catches a train
Listen to Nature's Silence! Everybody enjoys a leisurely day in the country
There are no more seasons!: Talking about the weather and seasons
Round-trip to Brest, please!: Traveling by train
A Sunday in the country: Talking about a weekend in the countryside
As time goes by: Expressing time using since, during, ago, etc.
Take a seat, please: The verb s'asseoir (to sit down) in the present and past tenses, and the imperative
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs venir (to come), tenir (to hold), and se souvenir (to remember) in the past tense and the imperative
How perfect!: Using exclamations with quel (what) and comme (how)
The Port of Shadows	225	(24)
Let's Rehearse! Two friends rehearse a play and talk about love
My Darlings! Actors face a producer
Lights, camera, action!: Talking about acting and theater
More or less the same: Making comparisons
What will be, will be: Talking about the future
I scream, you scream: The irregular verb partir (to leave) and its look-alikes
Write that down: The irregular verbs ecrire (to write) and lire (to read)
Prevert's Song	249	(22)
What to Buy? A guy looks for the right jazz CD for his girlfriend
At the Concert A group of friends enjoy some good music
It's music to my ears: Let's talk about music and the French chanson
Let's celebrate!: Talking about events in life worth celebrating
Give them some applause!: Going to a concert
What will be, will be: The future tense of some irregular verbs
I could have been somebody: Using somebody and nobody in French
I scream, you scream: More irregular verbs-offrir (to offer) and its look-alikes
It's worth the effort: Using the expressions cela vaut (it's worth) and il vaut mieux (it's better)
``The Americas'' Hotel	271	(22)
A Charming Hotel A couple checks in at the hotel...
Finally, Some Quiet!...and has a ``quiet'' breakfast on the terrace
Closed for vacation: learning the French you'll need in hotels and on vacation
Head and shoulders...: Names for body parts
I scream, you scream: The irregular verbs paraitre (to seem), connaitre (to know), and mettre (to put, to place)
The way we were: A new tense to talk about how things used to be
To whom it may concern: Putting sentences together using relative pronouns
Strut your Stuff! (review)
Appendix A: A Shortcut to French Grammar	293	(6)
Appendix B: Exceptions That Prove The Rule	299	(14)
Appendix C: When You're Stuck for Words	313	(2)
Appendix D: A Shortcut to Sounding French	315	(2)
Appendix E: What Do All Those Grammar Terms Really Mean?	317	(2)
French-English Glossary	319	(19)
English-French Glossary	338	(19)
Map of France	357	(1)
Map of Paris	358	(1)
Map of Parisian Subway	359	(1)
Map of (Lower) Quebec	360	(1)
Index	361