Getting by in French: A Quick Beginner's Course for Tourists and Business People

by Pierrick Picot

Updated with freshly restyled handbooks and improved cassettes, the Getting By series is filled with practical foreign-language words and phrases and their English translations. Both the book and the two 90-minute cassettes are divided into six study units encompassing these topics: meeting people, shopping, getting about, finding somewhere to stay, eating out, and doing business.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812096789
• ISBN13: 9780812096781
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

a fabulously helpful book

i searched and search, tried rosetta stone and all kinds of useless things. traveling to France or a French speaking country? This is it. Fabulous tips like - you don't understand the concierge's answer because he is speaking too fast in answer to your question if a room is available - listen to the tone of voice - if his/her voice goes up - voila! you have a room. if his/her voice goes down, try the next place. don't understand what's on the menu? look around the cafe, catch the waiter's eye, point to someone else's plate, and say "si vous plait." boy, does this make traveling and getting by easier. and for me, anxiety relieved, the tongue loosens, and voila! french emerges. tortured French for sure, but as long as you are not in Paris, the people will generally respond good naturedly to your attempts. The French are quite friendly actually.

Getting By in French

I have had many years of French in America which in no way prepared me to speak anywhwere in France...especially in out lying country regions.Formal address of each person is mandatory at all times with proper attire(coat/dress pants/tie/dress shoes for men , skirt/dress and dress shoes for women)will get you every where in France as long as you speak as fast as the tape or faster.I played the tape each day for 2 months and everyone understood me.Eight years of American French will not help without extreme speed in talking. Best intro tape ever,,,don't forget the new Euro. Viva La France and good luck , Capt, Mike

Just as advertised

French is very difficult for those who have never learned another language. I made use of this tape/book combination for about a month and was truly able to "get by". I found as many do, that just giving an effort put me in good graces with people I came in contact with. They would then most often speak in English. Give the book and tape a good effort--Lots of repetition--and you'll benefit.

It Works! Its Easy!

Do you need to be spoken slowly to and have everything explained and repeated to learn it? Well, I sure do! Especially when it comes to learning another language and this book does the trick!! Other tapes I tried first made me think I could never learn French... Thank god I tried this one. An Excellent introduction to the language.

The best travel language tutor for the non-speaker.

Unlike Berlitz, which gives you long, wordy sentences to memorize, Getting By In French teaches you quick phrases that the French use themselves, without the excess verbiage. How to understand the responses you will get using keywords is also stressed. I used it to practice for a few weeks before my trip, and it made communication much easier. I even got compliments (!) from the French (!!) in Paris(!!!)!