Basic French in Twelve Weeks - New E-Book

Alain Bertocchi

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

The purpose of this book is to help you create your own personal phrase book.
Instead of giving you a couple of thousand readymade sentences, I help you understand the mechanism of the French language.
Once the mechanism of a language is understood all you have to do is get the parts you need, put them together in the correct order (which is taught in this book) “et voila” (there you are).
This book is made of four parts.

• General rules: a general idea of the pronunciation and some very basic grammar.
• Structures: comparing the structures of the English and the French languages.
• Appendix: reference for vocabulary and common phrases, verbs, pronouns, numbers, date and time.
• Exercises: each exercise is set to be done within a week.

If you think that you need to speak perfectly a language to be able to communicate this book is not for you. Just put it back and select another one. 
This book will give you enough knowledge to be able to clearly communicate with a French speaking person.

Leseprobe

Alain Bertocchi

Basic French in Twelve Weeks - New

BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

Foreword

 Welcome to “learn French in 12 weeks”.

The purpose of this book is to help you create your own personal phrase book.

Instead of giving you a couple of thousand readymade sentences, I help you understand the mechanism of the French language.

Once the mechanism of a language is understood all you have to do is get the parts you need, put them together in the correct order (which is taught in this book) “et voila” (there you are).

Can you remember when you were little, did you learn to say perfect sentences and then say them or did you just communicate with just the words you had at the time?

If you are like most of us you probably used the latter option because any communication is better than none. Well! I think so anyway.

If you think that you need to speak perfectly a language to be able to communicate this book is not for you. Just put it back and select another one.

If you are still reading this book I have a feeling that all you want to do is to pick up the basic skills to be able to really communicate in French. You can always learn more vocabulary as the need arises.

Did the method you used to learn your mother language work? I have a feeling it did!

* * * * * * * *

This book is made of four parts.

General rules: this part will give you a general idea of the pronunciation of the French language and its grammar.

Structures: the key to understand how the French language is built. With this part you can start building French sentences instantly.

Appendix: use it as a reference for vocabulary and common phrases, verbs, pronouns, numbers, date and time.

Exercises: each exercise is set to be done within a week. If at the end of a week you have not finished your exercise, it is more important to get onto the following week than to stagnate on the one week. The way the exercises are set you will benefit more by moving on than by trying to finish the previous week.

The idea is to understand how to build a sentence in French. There are only a few basic structures, once you are familiar with them, all you need to do is start building (ie. You learn : “i want some bread” when you are familiar with it start replacing words “you want some bread”, “he wants some water”, “they need some water”, “i need lots of water” “I have lots of bread”...

Before you know it you will have learnt the sentences and vocabulary that you need for basic conversation.

If you want to learn French with a minimum of effort follow this simple advice.

Read thoroughly all the english text within this manual from start to finish at least once. This will make you aware of how much information is made available to you and it will be much easier for you to find what you need later.

Get a little note pad and a pen that will remain with you day and night.

Anytime you think of something that you would like to know how to say in French write it down immediately on your little pad in English .it could be a word or a sentence.

Leave some room in the pad so when you get the opportunity you can translate that word or sentence in French using this manual, internet, a friend, ...

Review your little note pad often, starting from page one. You will be surprised how much time you have on your hands. For example while on transit, during a break, waiting to be picked up, waiting in a queue, ... If you were to invest daily a part of this “waiting time” in learning French, you would make quick progress and it wouldn’t cost you much of your time because you would be using “wasted time” in the first place.

You might wonder how you can remember what you learnt if you don’t use it often. The answer is very simple. Use it over and over for a short period of time and you will never forget it. For example if you learn the word “bird” and for a couple of days whenever you see a bird you say the French word for it, you won’t forget it, will you?

You deal with numbers all day long why not use your French numbers every now and then, the same goes with telling the time. I am sure you will find a lot of opportunities to practice your French through your day whether spoken or just in thoughts.

The words that you find difficult to remember, associate them with words that you already know in English, French ... It works the same as if you meet a new person called “Sue” if you associate the new person to a “sue” that you already know, how can you forget? It makes sense, doesn’t it? Always associate the new things with the old ones.

The start will be slow but as your little note pad starts filling up, you will soon gain the confidence to start communicating whenever you have the opportunity.

Always remember to trust your instinct when you speak French. If you have a gut feeling about a word in French but not quite sure about it just say it, to the worst you might say the wrong word. I still believe it is more important to say something wrong than nothing at all. By saying something, the conversation goes on and you give the opportunity to the other person to help you progress.

Here is a little anecdote about me as a waiter speaking Spanish to a customer in a restaurant. I know basic Spanish but I am far from fluent.

As I gave bread to a customer i put a little dish of butter on the table and said “burro”. The customer laughed and said “burro” means donkey, “mantequilla” is the correct word. I laughed too and was grateful for the lesson.

Have fun learning and speaking French and like we say in French “bonne chance”.

Alain Bertocchi

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Introduction

The potential of this book goes beyond imagination. It is a powerful tool put at your disposition to build your own conversation book and to master the basic skills enabling you to communicate with the locals when you are over there or when they are visiting Australia.

There is no need for heavy studying

Just a daily commitment to write on a note pad the English vocabulary or sentences that you would like to know in French -ions that note pad near you 24 hours a day.

Write the French translation on your note pad when you get the time or the opportunity.

Read through your little note pad whenever possible.

Practice what you know whenever possible. For example, you are counting why not try in French, any French speaking people around you? Practice with them...

Do your weekly exercises.

To practice with others you have to be bold. Leave behind any fear of being ridiculous. Who will look ridiculous when you are able to speak French?

The 12 weeks plan

Follow this program and you will build a solid base for your French. I recommend to stick to the 12 weeks program. It should take you a week to assimilate each session. Don’t forget that if you haven’t completed a week in time, still go onto the next one.

If Wednesday is a relatively quiet day for you then make it the start of your studying week and stick to it for the next 12 weeks. If sunday is a better day, so be it. It doesn't really matter which day you choose as long as it stays that ways for the following 12 weeks.

Each exercise should be done on the day one of "your week" and again on day six or seven. Learning a language is made easier if you understand how it is built. By this I mean the structure of sentences but as well how words are built. There are patterns all the way through any language, identify them and you are almost there. Always look for similarities among groups of words.

Week 1

Study

- Introduction to the course, Read the “Introduction Section”

- Get familiar with the contents of the manual. Study the table of contents so that you know what is covered in this manual

- To be (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn by heart the first person of each tense of “to be”: je suis, j'étais... (Verbs Section)

- Do exercise #1 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 2

Study

- Structures: positive statements (Structures Section)

- Numbers & measurements (Numbers and Measurements Section)

- To have (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn by heart 3 examples of the positive statements (Structures Section)

- Learn by heart the first person of each tense of “to have”: j'ai, j'avais... (Verbs Section)

- Learn numbers from 1 to 100 (Numbers and Measurements Section)

- do exercise #2 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 3

Study

- Structures: negative statements (Structures Section)

- Date and time (Date and Time Section)

- Must (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn by heart 3 examples of the negative statements (Structures Section)

- Learn the first person of each tense of “must”: je dois, je devais... (Verbs Section)

- Learn to tell the time (Date and Time Section)

- Do exercise #3 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 4

Study

- Structures: questions (Structures Section)

- Pronouns (Pronouns Section)

- “can”, “to want” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn by heart 4 examples of questions (Structures Section)

- Learn the first person of each tense of “can” and “to want” (Verbs Section)

- Learn the pronouns on table 1 & 2 (Pronouns Section)

- Do exercise #4 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 5

Study

- Numbers & measurements (Numbers and Measurements Section)

- “To like” and “to speak” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “to like” and “to speak” (Verbs Section)

- Learn the numbers from 100 to 1 million (Numbers and Measurements Section)

- Do exercise #5 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 6

Study

- Date and time (Date and Time Section)

- “to go” and “to know” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “to go” and “to know” (Verbs Section)

- Learn to tell the date (Date and Time Section)

- Do exercise #6 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 7

Study

- Pronouns (Pronouns Section)

- “To remember” and “someone’s name is” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “to remember” and “someone’s name is” (Verbs Section)

- Learn the pronouns on table 3 & 4 (Pronouns Section)

- Do exercise #7 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 8

Study

- Numbers & measurements (Numbers and Measurements Section)

- “To take” and “to understand” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “to take” and “to understand” (Verbs Section)

- Learn numbers from 1 to 1 million (Numbers and Measurements Section)

- Do exercise #8 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 9

Study

- Date and time (Date and Time Section)

- “To finish” and “to say” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “to finish” and “to say” (Verbs Section)

- Learn to tell the date and the time (Date and Time Section)

- Do exercise #9 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 10

Study

- Pronouns (Pronouns Section)

- “To be”, “to come” and “to have” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “to be”, “to come” and “to have” (Verbs Section)

- Learn the pronouns on table 5 & 6 (Pronouns Section)

- Do exercise #10 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 11

Study

- Structures: positive and negative statements (Structures Section)

- “Can”, “to do”, must”, “to want” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “can”, “to do”, must”, “to want” (Verbs Section)

- Do exercise #11 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Week 12

Study

- Structures: questions (Structures Section)

- “To like”, to sleep” and “to speak” (Verbs Section)

Homework

- Learn the first person of each tense of “to like”, to sleep” and “to speak” (Verbs Section)

- Do exercise #12 (Exercises and Answers Section)

Structures

When translating from English to French use short and simple sentences. The following chapters demonstrate positive statements, negative statements and questions.

Positive statements

English structure: Word(s) + verb + word(s)

French structure: Word(s) + verb + word(s)

English: I want a bicycle

English with French structure: I + want + a bicycle

French: Je + veux + une bicyclette [j'u/ vœ/ ü nn/ bee see kl'a tt]

English: I am australian

English with French structure: I + am + Australian

French: Je + suis + australien [j'u/ sü e/ or strr are lee å]

English: The cake is good

English with French structure: The + cake + is + good

French: Le + gateau + est + bon [l'u/ g'are t'or/ a/ bö]

English: It is my dog

English with French structure: "c'" + is + my dog

French: C" + est + mon chien [s'a/ mö/ she å]

English: I come from australia

English with French structure: I + come + from Australia

French: Je + viens + de l’Australie [j'u/ vee å/ d'u/ l'or strr'are lee]

English: It is a house

English with French structure: “c’” + is + a house

French: C’ + est + une maison [s'a/ t'ü nn/ m'a zö]

Negative statements

English structure: Word(s) + neg verb + word(s)

French structure: Word(s) + “ne” + verb + "pas"+ word(s)

English: I don’t want a bicycle

English with French structure: I + “ne" + want + "pas" + a bicycle

French: Je + ne + veux + pas + une bicyclette [j'u/ n'u/ vœ/ p'are/ ü nn/ bee see kl'a tt]

English: I am not Australian

English with French structure: I + “ne" + am + "pas" + Australian

French: Je + ne + suis + pas + australien [j'u/ n'u/ sü e/ p'are/ or strr are lee å]

English: The cake is not good

English with French structure: The cake + “n'” is + "pas" + good

French: Le gateau + n' + est + pas + bon [l'u/ g'are t'or/ n'a/ p'are/ bö]

English: It is not my dog

English with French structure: "ce'" + “n'” + is + "pas" + my dog

French: Ce + n' + est + pas + mon chien [s'u/ n'a/ p'are/ mö/ she å]

English: I don’t come from Australia

English with French structure: I + “ne" + come + "pas" + from Australia