Learning French at home

[Claireysmurf]

How about the BBC website? http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/index.shtml

[Manx Cat]

Ooooh, great replies thank you everyone.

There are no evening classes on teh IOM this year doing French sadly, thus the CD idea and course. Looked up the Linguaphone folk, and they are quite pricy, but I have managed to get a set of CD's off Fleabay today, so Im going to give them a go and take it from there.

I am lucky, my brother has now moved back to the IOM, and he spent 3 years living in Brittany about 8 years back, he is rusty, but at least can speak and write in the language, Im hoping to bounce my newly learnt lingo back and forth to him from time to time (we work at the same establishment now too - handy)

Giving myself some time to do this... cos I have an agenda.

In a couple of years, Im going to have a go at cycling in Brittany, I used to holiday there with my girls with English friends, and I can remember needing some French then, but as I had French speaking friends with us it was a case of 'why bark, if you have a dog', I never learnt any of it, i didnt need to. But now I want to give it a go and take it from there.

With any luck a ride across the Channel in 2015... (if I get to do a bit more distance Audaxing done that is....)


Will let you chaps know how I get along.... For now, cant add anything in French, but one day.... one day I just might.


M

[Vorpal]

Look for L'Alliance Francaise in your area? Or try a language course on-line? There are a number of companies that teach classroom-type language courses on-line (including Berlitz).

[Mark1978]

Bonne chance!

[eileithyia]

Oh ho Manx Cat got your sights set on PBP perchance, don't worry you only need to know 'a droit' 'a gauche'. You will find yourself with some riders struggling to say something in French then find your common language is English cos they come from Oz/NZ/or the americas! lol

[thirdcrank]

... don't worry you only need to know 'a droit' 'a gauche'. ...

But be aware that droit means both "right" and "straight" so tout droit means "straight ahead." (Pretty much as in Keep right on to the end of the road... )

[LollyKat]

But be aware that droit means both "right" and "straight" so tout droit means "straight ahead."

I remember my father getting horribly lost once because he hadn't sussed that, heh heh .

[patricktaylor]

... don't worry you only need to know 'a droit' 'a gauche'. ...

But be aware that droit means both "right" and "straight" so tout droit means "straight ahead." (Pretty much as in Keep right on to the end of the road... )

Be aware that 'a droit' is not the same as 'droit'

[andrewk]

Sleep with a dictionary.

[eileithyia]

Well when i did ride it seemed that in the pelotons, the wording refferred, as it does over here, to hazards on left or right. I don't recall route confusions but then it was so well sign posted...

Anyway as well loads of native English speakers you will also be riding with lots of other nationalities; Dutch, German, Russian, Italian, Scandinavians... none of whom are French speakers lol

[Claireysmurf]

Droit as in straight and droite are prounounced differently.
Straight on is prounounced too dwah (with an added touch of soft r with the w) and to the right is pronounced ah dwatt (again with a touch of soft r with the w)

[thirdcrank]

... Be aware that 'a droit' is not the same as 'droit'

It's the difference between things like tourner à droite (turn right) tenir la droite (keep right) and continuer tout droit (keep straight on.)

Pay attention at the back - there's a test at the end.

[patricktaylor]

Droit as in straight and droite are prounounced differently ...

Good point Claireysmurf. Droit (as in straight) and droite (as in right) are different words altogether.

I was wrong with 'a droit'.

[Claireysmurf]

Confusingly the word for straight is the same as right (as in you have the right to vote). Doh.

[simonineaston]

+ 1 for the annoying Monsieur Thomas
His basic French course (I have it on 6 CDs, I think - or maybe 8...) will give you the confidence to start speaking. He doesn't get bogged down in too much grammar and is it Le or La, just gives you a framework of practical phrases.
His course (and an O level taken back in prehistory) is enough for me to travel solo in France.
On the other hand, there was the occasion when I spent 20 minutes standing on the platform at Rennes railway station, discussing my Brompton in my basic French, before me and the gent I was chatting with realised we were both English...