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Product Description
Review
"Ideal for any business traveller who needs to be able to get around confidently." (Sunday Business )
"A great way to learn; it's fast and it lasts". (The Daily Telegraph )
"Five minutes into the first CD, you already feel like you're winning." (Time Out )
"Michel Thomas is a precious find indeed." (The Guardian )
"Thomas makes it simple" (Sunday Times )
"Michel's methods will teach you effectively and easily" (Daily Star )
"Hugely inspiring" (Red )
"A great way to learn; it's fast and it lasts". (The Daily Telegraph )
"Five minutes into the first CD, you already feel like you're winning." (Time Out )
"Michel Thomas is a precious find indeed." (The Guardian )
"Thomas makes it simple" (Sunday Times )
"Michel's methods will teach you effectively and easily" (Daily Star )
"Hugely inspiring" (Red )
"Excellent for learning ... This entirely audio course is easy to use and quickly results in some useful ability in the new language. Great for the car."
"Moving along at a relaxed, slow pace, punctuated by amusing anecdotes and jokes from the teacher, the new words, phrases and language rules are gently introduced and reinforced through subtle repetition without ever being tedious. In fact, despite a distinct emphasis on non-work, the course proves very effective and enjoyable, and its format is ideal for learning anywhere you like. So, if you only want to learn to speak the language, this course is highly recommended."
(Top Real Travel Product, Real Travel )Red
"Hugely inspiring"
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
233 of 236 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Just a month ago I knew no French at all. Well, apart from the one or two words that I could remember from school (ca va, ca va bien merci) and no joke that was about it.
I have used the 8 Hour complete course and this Language builder to get myself upto a level where I can 'get by'. I have tried loads of other books and tapes but they are boring. The Michel Thomas method is good because you are not bored. You feel that you are constantly progressing but also you are going over what you have learned previously so that you don't forget.
The system used on the language builder is similar to that in the 8 Hour course, but there are no annoying students to listen to. Michel gives you the phrase in English and then in French. You have to pause and answer in between to get the best out of the recordings.
I still have to think out what I am going to say for quite a long time but with practice I will become quicker and at least now I know that I can repond to a French person in French when I'm in Paris.
I found the booklet with all the phrases written down very useful as French is not as phonetic as Spanish or Italian.
I have only two complaints, one is that an awful lot is crammed in to these two hour recordings. Perhaps it could have been done a bit more slowly giving the student a bit more time to consolidate the knowledge gained. The second is that this method only teaches the structure of the language, you are not able to count and you lack the required nouns to speak the language properly. I suppose this could be remedied by buying vocab book (boring) but it would be much better if Michel covered this in addition to the structure of the language.
In addition a more advanced 8 hour course is required to supplement what is learned in this language builder. Reading the comments of other students I hope that Hodder and Stoughton (publishers) take notice and ask Michel to come back and do more.
124 of 126 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I suppose you either love Michel Thomas's method or you hate it. Personally I find it brilliant. He simply teaches you to create simple phrases and sentences, in such a way that you learn the essential grammar of the language. This language builder course is really an essential addition to his 8 disk series. You do need these phrases and vocabulary in order that you have some French to work with when you go abroad.
The best thing is that he makes learning fun, and encourages you to keep on with the language.
If he brings out some more I will buy them.
321 of 328 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Firstly, let me say I am a huge fan of the Michel Thomas method, and found his 8-hr French course an absolute joy. This Language Builder, however, is not what you might be expecting. The 8-hr course is lacking in two basic things - simple vocabulary (bread, apple, up, down, one, two, etc) and the past tense. It is touched on very swiftly towards the end of the final tape, but only with can/could, want/wanted and must/had to. I was hoping that the Language Builder would continue with more of the same teaching method and fill in these two missing areas. Unfortunately not - it is simply Michel reading out a phrase book, and very quickly at that. Without your finger on the pause button, it is very difficult to follow - which makes it impossible to use doing the housework, or driving the car. Michel's method in the 8-hr course is completely ignored, there is no variety of examples, and you need to listen over and over, doing exactly what you are not supposed to - memorising and learning by rote. I'm not saying it's a bad course - but it's nothing like the 8-hr tapes. If you think it's going to be, be prepared for a disappointment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
French Language Builder (Michael Thomas) audiobook
I recommend this highly. It is the most painless way of learning, just keep playing the CD and you learn French the way you learned your mother tongue. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lizzie Guy
french language builder
This is an excellent c.d. i am so glad i bought it now, i was a bit concerned at first, i wondered if it might be a bit fast for me to absorb,because i am a pensioner, but it... Read more
Published 18 months ago by patricia
Michel Thomas language learning
I found this to be very easy to understand and use, this product is up to Michel Thomas other products. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Finn1946
5 stars
Michael Thomas, as so many other reviewers have noted, is the one that all else must beat!
Published on 9 May 2010 by K. Brockbank
Quick and Easy
I find Michel Thomas a marvellous teacher but I do think the title of this is slightly misleading. It does not really go on to build on the grammar of previous discs but gives a... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2009 by Doc Barbara
No better way to learn a language
I've used the full (French) series and I can honestly say that learning a language this way is far simpler than anything I've ever done before. Read more
Published on 1 Jun 2009 by J. Hart
Fills out some gaps once you're more fluent
I commented on a previous review, then realised I hadn't reviewed this myself, despite giving 5 stars to both the Advanced course and 4 to the Foundation course. Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2007 by Tim Higgins
Ça vaut la peine de le faire, mais....
This language building CD is great as long as you are not under the delusion that you will attain anything other than some very useful expressions. Read more
Published on 24 April 2007 by Demob Happy
Michel is Marvellous
I have just read a review from one of your customers who does not rate the Michel Thomas Language Builder as very good at all. Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2006 by Mrs J M Ashton
worked for me
The bloke's a genius. This is a fast and furious follow up to the 8 cd course which refreshes and adds to what you've done so far. Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2004
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