22 July 2009

Parlay vue Fransay?

Can anyone out there suggest a good beginner's text for learning to read French?

I don't need to speak French. . .just learn enough grammar to pass a translation test using a dictionary.

Thanks, Fr. Philip

7 comments:

  1. well, I can think of a resaurant or two where you could practice on the menus......

    does that help ;-)

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  2. Anonymous2:25 PM

    Fr. P.,

    If you know Spanish, and I guess that you know a little, having been a priest in the Dallas area, you should be able to learn French by yourself.

    My suggestion: read a piece of news from a French newspaper website everyday for a month and you should be up to that task.

    HTH

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  3. I used "French For Reading":

    http://www.amazon.com/French-Reading-Karl-C-Sandberg/dp/0133316033

    I was worth the price.

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  4. I remember enjoying reading "L'histoire d'une ame" by Ste.Therese and it's very easy French.

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  5. Flambeaux4:59 PM

    I have a book on my bookshelf that may fit the bill.

    How soon do you need this?

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  6. Anonymous7:18 PM

    In all seriousness, couldn't you go stay with French or Canadian Dominicans for a while for full immersion and get really good at it in the same amount of time as to get so-so at it through a text book alone? It could only help your academic work in the future, especially if you go back to the post-modernism and theology research agenda.

    Brian2

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  7. Anonymous8:14 PM

    I give you the advice of a former professor.

    Pick a book you want to read: then get an English and French version of it. Dive in!

    This after learning the barest bones of grammar.

    It was a key he used to learn many languages.

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