Pardon My French
Page 28
I’m not particularly gifted in learning a new language. It took me a long time to be able to read French, and when I started, I did not start with a classic by Voltaire or Camus. I began by reading the Jean-Jacques Sempé-illustrated series, Le Petit Nicolas, by René Goscinny. These little books recount the antics of the incorrigible, pint-size Nicolas and his gang of cohorts. They are funny and easy to read—an ideal selection for the beginning French student.
After reading Le Petit Nicolas, I felt more confident. It was then that a French friend in the States recommended reading the plays and screenplays of Marcel Pagnol—the complete works. This, too, was a good choice. First, Pagnol wrote about the people of Provence, particularly Marseille. The characters are colorful and immediately engaging. I can still hear their conversations in the bar by the port. Second, plays and screenplays are, of course, all dialogue. That was exactly what I wanted: to understand, not so much how the French wrote, but how they spoke. It took me a full year to read the two volumes, but I can still smell the saltwater of Marseille. I recommend starting with the classic Marseille trilogy: Marius (1931), Fanny (1932), and César (1936).
If you are going to do any reading in French—or any speaking, for that matter—you will need to build your vocabulary. My favorite book was Mastering French Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach (Barron’s Foreign Language Guides). Written by Wolfgang Fischer and Anne-Marie Le Plouhinec, this vocabulary treasure comes with ten hours of MP3 audio, which, of course, is essential to getting the pronunciation right. I went through the book multiple times, highlighting the words I couldn’t remember. Then I went back and drilled on the highlighted words. It was a workout, but it was a big boost to my fluency.
Reading about French Culture
I read a number of books about French culture, but my favorite was Harriet Welty-Rochefort’s memoir entitled French Toast: An American in Paris Celebrates the Maddening Mysteries of the French. Harriet (I feel like I can call her by her first name) is an American writer who speaks with refreshing candor, clarity, and wit. She is the kind of unpretentious writer one would like to have over for dinner. Most importantly, she knows the French. She married a Frenchman and has lived in France for forty years. I have found her observations to be consistently accurate. Her book is only 224 pages long, but every page rings absolutely true. As a plus, it is currently available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio CD.
If you enjoy French Toast, I also recommend Harriet’s book, Joie de Vivre: Secrets of Wining, Dining, and Romancing Like the French. It’s great fun.
Just for the pure joy of it, Peter Mayle’s bestseller, A Year in Provence, is a must-read. And, by the way, the French were also big fans of the book. The 1993 mini-series starring John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan is priceless.
French Reference Books and Applications
On a more technical level, I discovered a number of books and applications that were indispensable. The first was The Ultimate French Review and Practice by David Stillman and Ronni L. Gordon. It is the best book on French grammar that I have seen. Any intermediate or advanced learner who has the discipline to work through it—cover to cover—will be amply rewarded. The paperback comes with a CD or, if you prefer, it is also available on e-book. (Be warned, this is not a textbook for beginners.)
Two of my must-have reference books were found in my favorite bookstore in Montpellier, the Librarie Sauramps. The first was the Dictionnaire du Français as edited by Josette Rey-Debove and published by Le Robert & Cle International. I will tell you that it is hard to find, but if you ever come across it, grab it while you can. This is not a French/English dictionary. It is a purely French dictionary, but one that is designed for the foreigner. It offers not only the meaning of the word, but—to name only three of a dozen features—the pronunciation, construction within a sentence, and examples of its use. I think it is terrific.
My second find in the Librarie Sauramps was the two-volume set of Le Robert & Collins Super Senior Grand Dictionnaire Français-Anglais/Anglais-Français. It was a happy day when I made that purchase. Sure, I have pocket-size French/English dictionaries, but I rarely use them anymore. The Super Senior has everything I need: all the meanings, all the expressions, and precise counsel on what is considered familiar or crude. It even includes a French and English thesaurus. There are not a lot of bargains in France, but at Sauramps I paid half the price posted in the States.
If you are looking for a French/English dictionary that you can slip into a purse or hip pocket, I recommend the six-by-four-inch Langenscheidt’s Pocket Dictionary. One big plus about this dictionary is the inclusion of the international phonetic pronunciation of all French words. This is a must. What good is a word if you don’t know how to pronounce it? Naturally, the user will have to learn the phonetic alphabet—indispensable if you are going to learn a language—but that can be done in a couple of sittings.
If you would like a bilingual dictionary for your handheld device, I recommend the French English Dictionary + by VidaLingua. Just tap on the word to hear it clearly and accurately pronounced. It includes both verb conjugations as well as essential French phrases, all of which are clearly and perfectly pronounced.
Another terrific resource can be found at www.sonicomobile.com. They have two wonderful programs: iTranslate and iTranslate Voice 2. Both programs allow you to translate complete sentences from English to French or French to English. Just record your voice and, voilà, your sentence is instantly translated. This is a lifesaver for those who are just learning the language. The spoken audio is superb.
Internet Sites
As you can imagine, there are innumerable Internet sites dedicated to understanding almost every dimension of France, including means of travel, conversion tables, and facts and figures. These are the ones I found to be the most useful.
General information
www.info-france-usa.org: This French Embassy site literally includes information from A to Z, including a French news magazine, information on visiting France, and a delightful section just for kids.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/: This CIA publication offers a wealth of facts and figures regarding, among other things, French government, economy, military, and transnational issues.
Transportation
www.renaultusa.com: For those planning to stay in France for over eighteen days, consider a short-term car lease. The price can be attractive.
www.autoeurope.com/buyback_home.cfm: This site offers Peugeot’s version of the short-term lease plan. As with Renault, the car is fully insured and may be picked up at a wide range of locations throughout France.
www.sncf.com: This site details how to get around France by train.
About the Author
ALLEN JOHNSON’S HISTORY HAS BEEN DIVERSE. With a doctorate in psychology, he was a popular keynote speaker and leadership development consultant. He is also an avid cyclist, actor, musician, painter, photographer, videographer, and screenwriter. When not in France, Allen and his wife Nita live in Richland, Washington.
His other book titles include:
The Awakening: A Novel of Intrigue, Seduction, and Redemption
The Power Within: The Five Disciplines of Personal Effectiveness
This Side of Crazy: 54 Lessons on Living from Someone Who Should Know Better But Keeps Messing Up Anyway
allenjohnsonphd@charter.net
booksbyallen.blogspot.com
twitter.com/allenjohnsonphd
facebook.com/booksbyallen
amazon.com/author/allenjohnson
s="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share