The Standard Deviants: French, Part 1
If you're looking to really learn the French language, as opposed to briefly memorizing a few phrases to help you find a bathroom or complain to the doctor of your traveler's stomach, the Standard Deviants have the video for you. Their French, Part I is a language lesson for the MTV generation. Short segments, funky graphics, and personable youthful teachers make watching this tape entertaining, rather like Sesame Streets for grownups. Using the functional approach (making sure people can communicate and accomplish tasks in the new language), the video introduces French with phrases and full sentences, introducing ideas through demonstration. The idea is to help you think in French. Dialogue is clearly transcribed on the screen, so you can see what the words look like, and two cards are included with the tape that give translations of some of the dialogues and useful vocabulary. Note, though, that all of the explanations are given in English, as opposed to an immersion program (meaning all in French, including explanations), such as French in Action. Which style works best is purely a matter of personal preference. Skits put the conversations into context and provide levity. Yet, as is clearly stated in the beginning of the lesson, this series is intended to be a supplement to a class, and French really needs to be practiced through speaking and writing. The benefit of video, though, is you can rewind as much as needed to master pronunciation and to let the concepts sink in. The video opens with pronunciation, with close-ups of faces as they pronounce the alphabet to help you learn how to shape your mouth around the French letters. The video then covers a range of topics including -er verbs, gender, articles, adverbs, être, adjectives, pronouns, avoir, numbers, aller, and faire. While the video could benefit from more native French speakers, this is a delightful introduction to the language and a fun complement to a high school or college French class. Don't miss the flubbed lines during the credits. --Jenny Brown The Standard Deviants: French, Part 2
French, Part 2 picks up, not surprisingly, where the Standard Deviants French, Part 1 leaves off. Using the same functional approach to French, this tape uses fun graphics, humorous skits, transcriptions, and translations to help you learn the language (and once again the video begins with the caveat that these videos are intended to supplement, not replace, a class). Two cards are included with the tape that give translations of some of the dialogues, conjugations, and useful vocabulary. Beginning with a subject near and dear to le français, we visit a café where we learn about food while also discovering le partif, prendre, and different ways of asking questions. Three more sections cover describing yourself, shopping, and morning and evening rituals, covering topics such as irregular verbs (including décrire, vouloir, and dire), regular verbs, more adjectives and adverbs, conjugations, the past tense, direct and indirect pronouns, and reflexive verbs. Occasionally dialogues are repeated with the English translation beneath them, which seems superfluous given that the translations are provided on the enclosed cards. While the video could benefit from more native French speakers, this is a delightful introduction to the language and a fun complement to a high school or college French class. --Jenny Brown |
