Michel Thomas took the language-learning world by storm. With no books, no memorising and no homework, Michel teaches the basic grammar of the language painlessly. Using the method he perfected over 50 years, he shares his secret with the world - and 'makes it simple' (Sunday Times). In only a matter of hours, he gives you a comprehensive grasp of the structure of the language, enabling you to communicate with confidence. The present, future, conditional and past tenses are covered, and you are taught to think about the ideas that you are trying to communicate, rather than to translate words slavishly. He points out the similarities of the vocabulary in English and French and gives you the tools to guess the words you do not know, or think you do not know. Join two students as they learn in real time. Become the third member of the class and experience the excitement of learning a language as if by magic! This new edition has one, very significant, new feature -- an additional 'Review' CD. All the main teaching points have been lifted from the Foundation (8-hour) course and are contained on just 2 CDs. The student hears Michel teaching a specific point, there is a pause which allows time for the student to give his/her response to Michel's prompt, followed by Michel giving the correct response. If the student has struggled or given an incorrect answer, s/he can use the index in the accompanying booklet to locate the area of the main course where the specific language point was being taught in depth and can return to the main course to work through the relevant section again, quickly and efficiently. It can also be used very successfully by those coming back to the course after a lapse of time, either to check how much they have retained or as a quick revision tool. Only Michel's words and phrases are on the new CD, so the course is summarised succinctly and with a new, snappy pace. Finally, the new edition is repackaged, with an up-to-the minute cover treatment and robust DVD-type cases inside a rigid card slip case, to ensure that the CDs remain damage-free and are easy to access and use.

Table of Contents

Similarities with English: '-able', '-ible', '-ary', '-ent', '-ant', '-ance', '-ence', '-ion', '-ation', '-al' endings; 'it's possible, it's comfortable, it's for you, it's not for me'; it's like that, it's very different'; elision of last consonant of previous word to first of following; 'necessary'/'I would like...': 'je voudrais parler francais avec vous' (I would like to speak French with you); 'Will you...': 'voulez-vous venir avec moi' (will you come with me = polite request); 'voulez-vous aller manger avec moi' (will you go eat with me); 'ou voulez-vous aller?' (where do you want to go?); 'ou voulez-vous aller manger ce soir?' (where do you want to go eat tonight?)/'je voudrais savoir ou c'est' (I would like to know. where it is); 'je voudrais savoir combien c'est' (I would like to know how much it is); pronunciation of final consonants; 'c'est tres petit' (it's very small); 'c'est tres tard, c'est trop tard' (it's very late, it's too late)/'il est grand, elle est grande' (he is big, she is big); 'c'est tres vite, c'est trop vite pour moi' (it's very fast, it's too fast for me); 'vous parlez trop vite pour moi' (You speak too fast for me); 'vous allez trop vite pour moi' (You go too fast for me'); 'c'est si bon, si c'est si bon' (it's so good, if it's so good)/'je voudrais savoir pourquoi c'est si bon' (I would like to know why it is so good); 'normalement' (normally: -ly > -ment); 'je voudrais un peu' (I would like a little); 'plus tard' (later); 'voulez-vous venir plus tard' (will you come later)/'autre', 'chose' (other, thing): 'je voudrais manger quelque chose' (I would like to eat something); 'je voudrais la meme chose pour moi, s'il vous plait' (I would like the same thing for me, please); 'je voudrais autre chose' (I would like something else); 'encore' (another/more/again): 'je voudrais encore un verre de vin blanc' (I would like another glass of white wine); nouns, adjectives, verbs; 'je dois parler avec vous' (I must speak with you); 'je suis tres fatigue maintenant' (I am very tired now)/'je suis tres occupe maintenant' (I am very busy now); 'je peux un peu' (I can a little: same sound); 'pas maintenant, pas pour moi merci' (not now, not for me thank you); 'je n(e) peux pas' (I cannot: this isn't a double negation); not all French people use ne signal/'je n(e) suis pas fatigue maintenant' (I am not tired now); 'je regrette' (I am sorry)/'I am staying' same as 'I stay'; 'it is/it isn't'; 'I go/he goes/it goes'; 'I can/he can/it can'; verbs derived from similar nouns/'I must/he must'; '-s' ending for 'I' (self); '-t' ending for 'he/she'; '-oir' verbs: 'avoir' (to have), 'savoir' (to know), 'devoir' (to have to), 'voir' (to see), 'pouvoir' (to be able to); 'aller' (to go); 'le faire' (to do it)/'le voir/la voir/les voir/vous voir/me voir' (to see it/him/her/you/me); 'lui' (to him); 'moi/vous/nous/lui/elle/leur' (me/you/us/him/her/them); 'mon, ma, mes/son, sa, ses/leur' (my/his/her/their); 'il y a' (there is)/'pas' (not); 'heureux de le faire' (happy to do it); 'quel/quelle' (which); 'que' (what), 'ce que' (what = that which); 'je dirai' (I will tell)/three ways of forming future; 'on' (one/we); 'je me leve, nous nous levons, vous vous levez, il se leve, on se leve' (I get up, we get up, you get up, he gets up, one gets up); 'en': 'en France, en francais' (in France, in French); 'en passant, en attendant' (in passing, in waiting); 'en' to replace 'de ca' (of it, from it, some/any of it, some, any); 'il faut' (one must, it is necessary)/'je peux/veux/dois' + 2nd verb ('I can/want/must' + 2nd verb); 'je pouvais/voulais/devais + 2nd verb' ('I could/wanted/had to' + 2nd verb); 'j'aime' + 2nd verb ('I like/love' + 2nd verb).

About the Author

Michel Thomas had an amazing life. Born in Poland, he spent his early years in Germany and then in France, where he studied psychology at the Sorbonne in Paris. When war broke out, he fought with the Resistance and suffered imprisonment in slave labour camps. At the end of the war he joined the US liberation army and later settled in the US where he established his world-famous language school. For more than 50 years he taught languages to the rich and famous and became the world's most sought-after language teacher.

Reviews

"Ideal for any business traveller who needs to be able to get around confidently." -- Sunday Business "A great way to learn; it's fast and it lasts". -- The Daily Telegraph "Five minutes into the first CD, you already feel like you're winning." -- Time Out "Michel Thomas is a precious find indeed." -- The Guardian "Thomas makes it simple" -- Sunday Times "Michel's methods will teach you effectively and easily" -- Daily Star "Hugely inspiring" -- Red