Ultimate French: Advanced: Book

For years, I have been studying several foreign languages, at different levels. In the process of doing so, I have utilized a variety of methods and tools for self-practice purposes, books on tape, CD courses, magazines, etc. The "Living Language" series of Ultimate French courses has been, hands down, the best I have found. It is different from others in that each lesson provides a wealth of new vocabulary. The focus is a conversational one, rather than the "stiff", grammatically-centered and more traditional systems of foreign language instruction. Each dynamic unit is comprised of an extensive thematic lesson/dialogue (relevant to today's world), followed by an explanation of the vocabulary, as well as, new phrases, verbs and grammattical structures. The two sets of CDs mirror the manual's dialogues. One set is exclusively in French (with pauses for repetition). The other set, contains the English explanations. So, depending on your level of comfort with the language, you may choose which one to stick with. I highly recommend this package for anyone interested in learning French (note: there is a beginner one, as well) or, if you simply want to utilize it as a "brush up" tool, like I now do.

Great method which gives you some precious tools to understand tv progams, moovies and news. I would have expected less english traduction in this advanced course and most of all a cd version.

This is a good resource, but it is definitely for the student who is aiming for the advanced level. Although I am learning much grammer and many new words from the course, the situations are not everyday. I have also used Living Language French 2 and found that to contain many more everyday situations and more userful language.

This is the best I have found and I have tried several books. This is, hands down, better than the Tell Me More Series and better than Pimsleur. I have lived in France over four years and I re-read this book regularly. I also find something new to learn. It is well worth the cost!

The course is very well structured. I like especially the dialogues for their liveliness and the business information provided in the 'Le coin des affairs' section. There is also a good coverage of grammar, but not always enough explanation is provided so that from time to time I need to consult another source. That's why I rated the course four stars. However, this is the best advanced French course I've seen.