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Subject Topic: Good French Phrase Book Post Reply Post New Topic
28/5/2012 at 9:02pm
 Location: Livingston Scotland
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Hi all, although I did my Higher French at school (25 years ago!!) I thought it would be a good idea to brush up a bit before we go - does anyone have any recommendations of a good phrase book?

Thanks
Tracey

-------------
Tracey & Steven


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28/5/2012 at 10:41pm
 Location: North Herts
 Outfit: Monterey4 Cabanon E
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I have one from BBC Active called 'Get by in French' which I quite like, plus a Rough Guide phrase book. Both are small enough to put in a pocket.I also have an Eye Witness visual phrase book which is useful.

Why not have a look on Amazon and see what is popular?

I expect there are MP3s and DVDs galore as well.

Finding someone to practice with out loud is REALLY helpful too.

-------------
Do campers 'peg it'?


28/5/2012 at 11:23pm
 Location: None Entered
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I really like the Penguin French Phrase Book - good variety of topics covered (driving, directions, cycling, travel,hotels, camping, youth hostelling, meeting people, restaurants, menus, shopping, post office, sightseeing, entertainment,sports & games, beach, countryside, travelling with children, business, doctor's, dentist's, problems & accidents, time & dates,numbers, weights & measures) and there's the usual grammar section and pronunciation is given for each phrase.

The book measures 11cm wide, 13cm high and 2cm deep so very portable. If you look on Amazon, you can 'see inside' and get a feel for whether it's the type of thing you're looking for.

Are you going to the Camping de la Plage near Carnac? If it's that one, we went there 2 years ago and had a wonderful time - hope you enjoy it.

Bonne chance!


29/5/2012 at 12:40am
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I'm hoping to find a decent app I can use on my ipod touch. Any suggestions?

-------------
Thistledown Easter
Nantcol June
Domaine du Verdon Castellane and Etoile d'Argens Frejus Aug


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29/5/2012 at 10:57am
 Location: County Armagh
 Outfit: Hobby 700
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Collins little French Phrase Book and Dictionary is very handy. 

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Sometimes You're the windscreen; sometimes the fly


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29/5/2012 at 11:36am
 Location: None Entered
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I have one (though my french is very bad) which is pretty good, I think it was from eyewitness travel


29/5/2012 at 11:48am
 Location: None Entered
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Quote: Originally posted by savanne1 on 29/5/2012
I'm hoping to find a decent app I can use on my ipod touch. Any suggestions?


The following app is meant to be good.

French app



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29/5/2012 at 3:13pm
 Location:  Wonderful Rural Yorkshire
 Outfit: VANGO-CAPRI 500 Airbeam (2018)
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I'd go with the app idea, but there are some really useful phase 'cards', which have phrases and vocabulary for quick revision. These are often sold in the ferry terminal shop (can't remember who produces them)

Altavista babelfish translater is superb.

CD's are always a good option,as you can learn as you travel  

I usually do a refresh about a month before we go.......I change the language on my phone to French, you soon get the basics.

 Much depends on where you go, but if you want to be polite it is always good to use the basic courtesy.

Whatever you do don't speak loudly and slowly this will just make them people patronised.

You won't go hungry anyways as you just walk in andtake it off the shelf.

A few basic essentials if you are camping are:

Un emplacement ce soir s'il vous plait - A pitch for tonight please.

Un tent - one tent

Deux adult - 2 adults

Un biere sil vous plait - a beer please!!!

Pain pour ce matin - bread in the morning ;)

       



-------------
CAT

Favourite site:
Camping Nanzel, Limone, Lake
Garda..perfect for MTB, Kayak, SUP and fell running training.
Favourite areas: Provence, French Alps, Savigny (as a stop over for Southern France: Rhein valley as a stop over for Italy.   78



     


29/5/2012 at 9:28pm
 Location: Livingston Scotland
 Outfit: Outwell Whitecove 6
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Thanks everyone, will have a look. Am hoping my pronunciation is OK, its just remembering the words!

Yeah Cat going to that campsite and can't wait!

Cheers bobcat, I'd have to add un vin rouge s'il vous plait too!

Merci beaucoup mes amis

-------------
Tracey & Steven


30/5/2012 at 9:07am
 Location:  Wonderful Rural Yorkshire
 Outfit: VANGO-CAPRI 500 Airbeam (2018)
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Believe me , if it's warm you'll want beer not Vin Rouge. I only ever drink lager/ beer in France, I always find it too warm to quaf red wine, it makes me feel sickly.

To get the correct pronunciation, listen to one of the French radio stations, if you can tolerate the Euro pop......it really is bad.

 



-------------
CAT

Favourite site:
Camping Nanzel, Limone, Lake
Garda..perfect for MTB, Kayak, SUP and fell running training.
Favourite areas: Provence, French Alps, Savigny (as a stop over for Southern France: Rhein valley as a stop over for Italy.   78



     


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31/5/2012 at 7:32pm
 Location: Norfolk
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We bought a book which came with CDs that we used at home and in the car just after arriving in France to help train our ears! I found the CDs very useful as you get the correct pronunciation. The one we bought I think was by Collins but was a 8? week course however we only did a few sections.

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From tents to trailer tents to a tin tent to an air tent to trailer tent and back to tin tent!


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31/5/2012 at 7:49pm
 Location: England.
 Outfit: Tents (Lots of em)
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My best phrase book is a 15 year old French girl who is a pupil at the school where my daughter is a teacher.

When I cycle toured in Normandy I wrote down all the possible questions I could think of (relating to bikes & camping etc) and she wrote down the same but in French.

At least I was half way there...They knew what i was after.

After that it was my broken French and sign language and of course talking loud and slow in English ha ha ha

Oh and in case you wonder, YES the school did enter the girl into French A levels and guess what? an A*

-------------
Snowmen fall to earth in kit form........

Every day is a gift..That's why it's called the present.

Nostalgia is not what it used to be.

Stressed is just 'Desserts' spelt backwards



31/5/2012 at 7:50pm
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The first French I learnt was off Labelle singing "Lady Marmalade".

"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?"

Still worth knowing - just in case your luck is in!!

-------------
Ollie

2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup


01/6/2012 at 8:52am
 Location:  Wonderful Rural Yorkshire
 Outfit: VANGO-CAPRI 500 Airbeam (2018)
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Yeah right...try tha phrase on a burley French man in a PMU bar.

Listening to the radio while travelling is an excellent way to pick up French words, although they seem to like our music, not surprising whne then repertoire goes no further than Europpo and sounds like a Eurovision entry. Faure and Bizet would have been upset , when they wrote such fine music.

It woudl be good to note a useful words from the French vocabulary though. We were locked out of our car, and neede a wire coat hanger, not a pharsae you would expect to need...it was like charades trying to explain myself  

 

 



-------------
CAT

Favourite site:
Camping Nanzel, Limone, Lake
Garda..perfect for MTB, Kayak, SUP and fell running training.
Favourite areas: Provence, French Alps, Savigny (as a stop over for Southern France: Rhein valley as a stop over for Italy.   78



     



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