Michel Thomas Beginner French

Have you ever tried to learn a new language, only to find yourself unable to progress past the basics? Michel Thomas's unique teaching style is designed to overcome the frustrations usually faced by language students to help you learn in a more natural way.

What is the Michel Thomas Method?

Lessons 1 7, the Beginner course: This course makes no assumption of knowledge of any language other than English and gives the beginner practical and functional use of the spoken language. It is also appropriate for anyone who has studied French before, but has forgotten much of it or does not have confidence in speaking. The Beginner course is designed to take you from complete beginner to intermediate level.

Lessons 8 11, the Intermediate course: This course is for those with an intermediate level foundation in French, or those who have completed lessons 1 7 and want to take their learning to an advanced level and speak French proficiently and easily.

How does it work?

Unlike most language courses that focus around topics or grammar forms, the Michel Thomas Method works by breaking a language down into its component parts, enabling you to reconstruct the language yourself to form your own sentences, to say what you want, when you want. Within the first 10 minutes of the course, you will be generating complete sentences on your own. It is important that you complete the lessons in order. The Method is successful because it builds on the language you learn in each lesson and 'recycles' language taught in earlier lessons, allowing you to build ever more complicated sentences. Because the Method is based on understanding, not memorisation, there is no set limit to the length of time that you should study each lesson. Once you feel you have a good grasp of the language taught in one lesson, you can move on to the next.

In lesson 1 of the French Beginner course, you'll learn how to make simple statements and ask questions with…- similarities between French and English; words ending in ible and able: 'possible', 'probable', etc.- 'it is' and 'that is': 'that's life'; 'it is good'; 'it is very comfortable'- 'for' and 'with': 'for me'; 'with you'- 'not': 'it is not…'- 'like this, like that'; 'I'm sorry, but…'- words ending in ant, ent, ary, ance, ence, ion, ical: 'important', 'different', 'necessary', 'difference', 'importance', 'condition', 'practical', etc.- pronunciation and word stress- 'I would like (to)…'; 'will you…?/do you want (to)…?'- 'to speak'; 'to come'; 'to eat'; 'to go'; 'to know'; 'to do'; 'to give'; 'to spend (time/money)'; 'to dine'- question words: 'where?', 'how much?', 'what?', 'which?', 'what sort of?'- time expressions: 'this evening/tonight', 'at the present time'- 'thing', 'something', 'the same thing'- polite expression: 'please'- 'the'; 'a'- 'do you have…?'- 'of': 'what sort of…?'- 'in'; 'to'In the next lesson you'll learn about word order and pronunciation, and how to say what you must and can do.