French in Action
Learn French in the 1980's
Background
Studying French is a hobby of mine and the subject occasionally comes up in domestic conversation. When it does, I like to be able to point people to this section and say something like:
You say you are interested in studying French? You should take a look at French in Action; let me show it to you here on my website.
Sustaining a Cultural Treasure
I began studying French earnestly over ten years ago and I love it as both an escape from the ordinary as well as an entertaining brain challenger.
Thinking about studying French? Want to revisit the language after a hiatus? For anyone eager to jump in to self-study French, it would be difficult to recommend a more entertaining and effective program than French in Action.
Why This Site Dedicated to French in Action ?
French in Action is an endearing and effective French language learning program and this is my effort to sustain it.
The video episodes aired regularly on PBS in the 1980s and I enjoyed watching them after having taken one semester of French in college. Much later, I personally followed the complete program to kick off my french language study hobby, which I continue to pursue today. What a great curriculum. Words and phrases first learned from French in Action pop up often and I enjoy recalling the amusing methods used to teach them in the program.
Your Comprehensive Guide
My guide will help you confidently gather all the materials required to get the most out of this cultural treasure.
Accessing the study materials can be confusing because so many different editions have been released over the years. But don't worry, this guide will simplify things greatly.
The program's video and audio materials are available for free. And you will find the textbooks and workbooks available frequently at used book stores (and their websites) at good prices. If you want to jump in with brand-new, latest edition printed materials, those are available too.
Overview
- Follows two young french speakers and their adventures in Paris
- Entertaining, informative, amusing, clever
- A wealth of entertaining and educational study
Course Summary
The complete French in Action franchise is a remarkable resource for students of French. Not only is it effective, but also well-conceived, comprehensive, and finely executed. Conceptualizing such an all-encompassing program alone is impressive, but actually producing and distributing it is remarkable.
Study Materials
The heart of the French in Action program is the entertaining video library, hosted online. Viewing the video episodes is free. Meanwhile, to fully embrace the program, students will need to purchase the printed materials. Use this guide to navigate all of the materials and editions available. My aim is to help you choose the best edition for you.
Entertaining, Effective, Endearing
Made in the 1980's, this program is very charming and captures France of that time very well. Some might say it is dated, but I love the unmistakably 1980's-accurate fashions, scenery and especially the automobiles. Importantly, the program presents much more than french culture in that decade, it emphasizes french history and culture through the centuries.
A Comprehensive Learning System
The charming videos (free to users in the U.S. and Canada) are entertaining and will doubtless impart some knowledge on their own (without viewers also studying the other materials). But for anyone desiring to converse in french, working through the separate audio material, text books, and workbooks, is critical. And fun.
What's Missing?
What's missing? The only thing missing is person-to-person conversation, but this is a great program to prepare you for that next step.
Bon courage !