C.S. French

Advantages: Authentic recordings; good listening, reading and speaking practice
Disadvantages: Grammar not in great depth; less emphasis on writing skills

...-based material, concentrating therefore on listening and speaking skills; four pages of reading material, with texts from newspapers and magazines; and two pages for 'language production' by the learner through, for example, role-play. There is also a 'Profile' at the end of each unit, centring on an interesting personality or institution. This section will stretch your knowledge and understanding of French considerably more than the regular exercises. After each two units, a four-page assessment unit reviews your progress. Topics are similar in nature to those of Book 1: accommodation, money, leisure, lifestyle, weather and so on. The grammar of Book 1 is consolidated and moves further up the ladder in Book 2 to include the subjunctive, the conditional tense, infinitives followed by à or de, when to use c'est and when il est. The French... Read review

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Advantages: Vast amount of information; very lightweight
Disadvantages: No English-French listing

...for one of the most boring books ever to be published, but it is a mine of information that could make you realise how much there is still to learn. The first section on grammar of the verb covers how verbs are divided into three main groups, agreement of the verb with the subject, and agreement of the past participle. Although only seven pages long, this section clears up potentially sticky points, such as the fact that the verb has to agree with its subject, except when the subject is qui, so in French we say 'c'est moi qui suis descendu le premier', which differs from English. The tables of conjugation begin with some general tables covering avoir, etre, passive voice, reflexive voice, one for all the endings of the three groups, and finally active voice. After this there are thirteen tables for verbs in the first group (ending in -er... Read review

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Advantages: A bit of fun for Francophile cat-lovers
Disadvantages: It probably won't help you pass a French exam

...Are you thinking of house-sitting in France next summer, and are worried that you won't be able to communicate with your hosts' cat? Then this is just the book for you. When the cat says meow, is it trying to say, "Here comes a fur ball," or "I did not break that vase"? All will be revealed in Henry Beard's mini bilingual book of catspeak. With English phrases given first followed by French translations in italics and accompanied by illuminating illustrations, each page gives us a rare insight into the inner workings of a feline brain. We are first introduced to The Major Cat Parts (of the body), and these are followed by The Basic Cat Wardrobe consisting of a bell, flea and tick collar, and name tag. When we proceed to the section on Cat Names, puss starts to voice his opinions quite firmly: "I will answer to Serafina, Caesar," etc... Read review

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