Asking for information
Asking for things
Asking for suggestions
Making suggestions
Making arrangements
Talking about your plans
Saying what you like, dislike, prefer
Listen out for
Lifestyle Tips
Ouch!
Rétablis-toi vite! Get well soon!
Describing the problem
Saying what happened
Asking for information
Asking for things
Saying what you want to do
Making suggestions
Listen out for
Lifestyle Tips
Help!
Ne vous en faites pas! Dont worry!
Describing the problem
Saying what happened
Describing people and things
Asking for information
Asking for things
Saying what you want to do
Saying what you have to do
Making suggestions
Talking about your plans
Listen out for
Lifestyle Tips
Getting in touch
Qui est à lappareil? Whos calling, please?
Making a telephone call
When the person youre calling answers
Saying why youre calling
Giving information
Answering the telephone
Ending a telephone call
Listen out for
Writing emails and letters
Texting
Social media
Lifestyle Tips
Time, numbers, date
Trois, deux, un Partez! Three, two, one Go!
Les nombres Numbers
Lheure The time
Listen out for
La durée Saying how long
Les saisons The seasons
Les mois de lannée The months of the year
Les dates Dates
Les jours de la semaine The days of the week
Lalphabet The alphabet
Listen out for
Interesting days and dates
In summary
Bon, résumons So, to sum up
Apologizing
Asking for and giving explanations
Asking for information
Asking for permission
Asking for things
Complaining
Describing people and things
Explaining a problem
Expressing opinions
Making suggestions
Saying whats happened
Saying what you have to do
Saying what you like, dislike, prefer
Saying what you want to do
Talking about your plans
One-stop phrase shop
Je vous demande pardon? I beg your pardon?
Hellos and goodbyes
Please and thank you
Attracting someones attention
Making sure youve understood
Checking facts
Wishing someone something
Apologizing
Reassuring someone
Opinions
Agreeing, disagreeing and declining
Congratulating someone
Reacting to good and bad news
Exclamations
Surprise
Encouraging someone
Handing someone something
Dangers and emergencies
Speaking your mind
Conversational words
Grammar
Nouns
Articles
Pronouns
Adjectives
Questions
Negatives
Some common translation difficulties
Verbs
Verb tenses
Verb tables
Aimer: to love
Finir: to finish
Attendre: to wait
Sasseoir: to sit down
Aller: to go
Avoir: to have
Devoir: to have, to owe
Être: to be
Faire: to do, to make
Pouvoir: to be able
Vouloir: to want
Vocabulary builder
About the publisher
Introduction
What is it?
Collins Easy Learning French Conversation is a book for learners of French of all ages. It will increase your confidence in holding a conversation in French, whether you are just starting to learn French, studying at school or at an evening class, or brushing up your language skills. You may be going on holiday or planning to go travelling in a French-speaking country, go there on business, or live there. Whatever your situation, youll want to be able to communicate effectively and naturally in French.
Why do you need it?
Becoming proficient in a foreign language means being able to use and understand a number of different aspects vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and so on. However, it takes a while to be able to put all these elements together and be sure that what you are saying sounds like natural French. The Easy Learning French Conversation has been carefully designed to bring these aspects together and give you language structures which you can use in conversation with confidence, knowing that you will be speaking French as spoken by French speakers.
How is it structured?
Collins Easy Learning French Conversation is made up of 12 units, each illustrating the language used in a particular situation, followed by a summary which brings together the key phrases covered throughout the units. Youll also find the One-stop phrase shop a unit which contains all the important expressions and turns of phrase that help you to sound more natural in French.
A short grammar and verbs supplement gives you additional language support, ensuring that you have everything at your fingertips. Finally, the English-French glossary covers the most important vocabulary you may need to personalize your conversation.
How does it work?
Language allows us to express ourselves and interact with others. In any given situation, we perform different language tasks, such as asking for information, agreeing and disagreeing, complaining, making suggestions and so forth. To do this, we use linguistic structures (How?, When?, Could I?, Id like and so on) which can be used in a variety of contexts. Each unit in Collins Easy Learning French Conversation gives you all the phrases you might need in a given situation, grouped by structure. English headings help you navigate through the structures to enable you to find what you want quickly and easily. Throughout the units, there are also tips headed Bon à savoir! which highlight important differences in the way English and French work.
A conversation, by definition, is a two-way process. It is as important to understand what is being said to you as it is to be able to respond. At the end of each unit, there is a section headed Listen out for. Each of these sections gives you a variety of the most typical phrases you might hear in a given situation. Becoming familiar with these will allow you to have a successful conversation with a French speaker. For further help with pronunciation, a free download with all the important structures recorded is available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources.
Communicating effectively in French isnt just about linguistic competence its also about cultural knowledge. For you to feel confident in a French-speaking country, it is useful to know more about French culture and lifestyle. At the end of each unit, the Lifestyle Tips will give you the information you need to gain a deeper insight into the language, the country and its people.
Why choose Collins Easy Learning French Conversation?
easy to use all the key language structures you need to give you the confidence to hold a conversation in natural French
easy to read a clear, modern layout which allows you to find what you need quickly and easily
easy to understand the language you may hear from French speakers in a given situation
easy to speak free audio download available on www.collins.co.uk/easylearningresources
The Collins Easy Learning range
The Collins Easy Learning French Conversation is part of the best-selling Collins Easy Learning range, which includes the highly acclaimed Collins Easy Learning French Dictionary. Collins Easy Learning French Grammar and Collins Easy Learning French Verbs support you with all your grammatical needs, and the Collins Easy Learning French Words allows you to learn and practise your French vocabulary. The Collins Easy Learning series is the ideal language reference range to help you learn French.