[Polar Bear]

Learning French is a bucket-list item for me. And I'm starting from square one. Is there any group or club for beginner French?

[CFrance]

There is a great teacher up at the Lifelong Learning Center--Terry Willard She teaches many levels of French. I believe as a beginner she would suggest her French For Travelers class. Her classes start in October and go through May. I tried to find the specific catalog page that describes the French classes, but that part of the site is not working presently--perhaps because there are no courses in the summer. But here is the catalog web site, or you can stop in their office in TV High School. The entrance is on the Belvedere side, facing a parking lot. The Villages Lifelong Learning College enrichment classes for adults.

We have taken three different languages from adult ed, and she is the best teacher we've had.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by CFrance

There is a great teacher up at the Lifelong Learning Center--Terry Willard She teaches many levels of French. I believe as a beginner she would suggest her French For Travelers class. Her classes start in October and go through May. I tried to find the specific catalog page that describes the French classes, but that part of the site is not working presently--perhaps because there are no courses in the summer. But here is the catalog web site, or you can stop in their office in TV High School. The entrance is on the Belvedere side, facing a parking lot. The Villages Lifelong Learning College enrichment classes for adults.

We have taken three different languages from adult ed, and she is the best teacher we've had.

CF - do you have an opinion about Rosetta Stone?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by dbussone

CF - do you have an opinion about Rosetta Stone?...

I'm sure I don't know nearly as much as CF, but I have done some research and, just FYI...

Rosetta Stone is supposed to be very good, but pretty expensive also. I've been using a learning system called duoLingo (duolingo.com and accompanying mobile apps). From the reviews I've read, it's actually supposed to be somewhat comparable to Rosetta Stone. And here was the clincher for me...it's free. I figured I'd give it a try at that price. Heheh.

It's basically an immersion system of sorts, kinda like Rosetta Stone. So I've purchased a book to use along with it that helps with basic grammar, gender, tense, and such stuff. But duolingo seems very good so far at leading me along a beginner's path.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by dbussone

CF - do you have an opinion about Rosetta Stone?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I think it's a matter of self discipline. I had the Rosetta Stone course for Italian and was enjoying it, but without a specific time & place, I didn't keep up with it. It was too easy to let other things take priority.

We personally prefer to have a teacher and be in a group setting--more fun.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

I'm sure I don't know nearly as much as CF, but I have done some research and, just FYI...



Rosetta Stone is supposed to be very good, but pretty expensive also. I've been using a learning system called duoLingo (duolingo.com and accompanying mobile apps). From the reviews I've read, it's actually supposed to be somewhat comparable to Rosetta Stone. And here was the clincher for me...it's free. I figured I'd give it a try at that price. Heheh.



It's basically an immersion system of sorts, kinda like Rosetta Stone. So I've purchased a book to use along with it that helps with basic grammar, gender, tense, and such stuff. But duolingo seems very good so far at leading me along a beginner's path.

Thanks PB!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Polar Bear

I'm sure I don't know nearly as much as CF, but I have done some research and, just FYI...

Rosetta Stone is supposed to be very good, but pretty expensive also. I've been using a learning system called duoLingo (duolingo.com and accompanying mobile apps). From the reviews I've read, it's actually supposed to be somewhat comparable to Rosetta Stone. And here was the clincher for me...it's free. I figured I'd give it a try at that price. Heheh.

It's basically an immersion system of sorts, kinda like Rosetta Stone. So I've purchased a book to use along with it that helps with basic grammar, gender, tense, and such stuff. But duolingo seems very good so far at leading me along a beginner's path.

It sounds like you are really self-disciplined, PB. In that case, you might find a verb drill workbook helpful.

In Italian class, we were learning more nouns than verbs. It was taught by someone used to teaching very young children, and her method did not work well for us. One thing I learned from the class was that without verbs, you really can't say much of anything. Even if you can just throw out the infinitive, you're halfway there when trying to speak to someone in another country's language.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by CFrance

It sounds like you are really self-disciplined, PB. In that case, you might find a verb drill workbook helpful.

In Italian class, we were learning more nouns than verbs. It was taught by someone used to teaching very young children, and her method did not work well for us. One thing I learned from the class was that without verbs, you really can't say much of anything. Even if you can just throw out the infinitive, you're halfway there when trying to speak to someone in another country's language.

Ciao CF. Io sono contento che avete preso l'italiano. Faccio bene a parlare quando sto lì, ma lotta sul mio. E non posso scrivere italiano presso tutti i. È così piacevole conversare con voi su TOTV.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by dbussone

Ciao CF. Io sono contento che avete preso l'italiano. Faccio bene a parlare quando sto lì, ma lotta sul mio. E non posso scrivere italiano presso tutti i. È così piacevole conversare con voi su TOTV.

Capisci cosa intendo? Non avrebbe potuto dire che senza i verbi! (A little help from Google translate...)

[CFrance]

Oh, e grazie!

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Capisci cosa intendo? Non avrebbe potuto dire che senza i verbi! (A little help from Google translate...)

Moi aussi


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Nucky]

Beautiful language, my dad spoke German & Italian around the house. I liked Italian much more because it never included a beating. Italian music is brilliant. I would love to learn Spanish.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Nucky

Beautiful language, my dad spoke German & Italian around the house. I liked Italian much more because it never included a beating. Italian music is brilliant. I would love to learn Spanish.

Keep Lifelong Learning College in mind if you would like to learn Spanish, Nucky.

I too love Italian music. Big time.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Keep Lifelong Learning College in mind if you would like to learn Spanish, Nucky.

I too love Italian music. Big time.

Ahhhhh, Antonio Vivaldi, Luciano Pavarotti, Enrico Caruso, Francesco Cavalli (operas), etc. And at her request, my wife's ringtone is the Theme from the Godfather.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by dbussone

Ahhhhh, Antonio Vivaldi, Luciano Pavarotti, Enrico Caruso, Francesco Cavalli (operas), etc. And at her request, my wife's ringtone is the Theme from the Godfather.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Okay, looking up Godfather theme.