French for Reading

by Karl C. Sandberg, Eddison C. Tatham

Programmed text for acquisition of reading skills for beginning courses or rapid review.

Genres: France, Language, Nonfiction, Reference, Textbooks, Linguistics, Education

526 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1968

Reviews

[Jared Saltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

My "start" date was purely hypothetical. I actually read through this book in three weeks in preparation for my French Reading Exam for my Ph.D.

It's excellent. Although the approach is light on grammar--sometimes too much so!--French has enough similarities to my native English that this wasn't too much of an issue and I was able to supplement my reading with Harper's Short Grammar of French. Where Sandberg excels is through his use of exercises--very many exercises--to cement the concepts provided in the previous section, create grammar retention, and provide review of previous concepts. For students just seeking to be able to read French without needing to compose or speak it, this is an excellent resource.

Not only did I easily pass my exam, but I'm not able to read my scholarly books and articles in French with just the help of a French-French dictionary. This is pretty much the gold standard for its success in my opinion.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the standard text for learning written, academic French, similar in most ways to Jannach's German for Reading Knowledge. Sandberg gets rave reviews, so maybe my expectations were too high, but I was disappointed. The biggest flaws were the use of odd terms for tenses and voices (neither the French names nor their most common English translations), the lack of proofreading (there are pages on which answers are keyed to the wrong questions, or French phrases don't line up with English equivalents, and the fact that extremely common and extremely rare constructions were treated in roughly equivalent depth. Also, while I do understand that using out-of-copyright materials probably reduces the cost, there's really no excuse for including passages about hostile natives or benevolent Anglo-Saxon experts in a modern textbook.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for autodidacts. Although I used this as a textbook in a course, the book basically teaches itself. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to read French but isn't necessarily interested in writing, speaking, or listening.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I have emotional scars from this book...

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

For class

[Karen Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was top notch for grad students who are learning the language primarily for reading purposes. My only complaint (besides the glaring editing errors and antiquated nature of the book) was the fact that almost all of the practice translations in the first half of the book were science related. This makes it kind of frustrating for arts and humanities students. But, alas, the book did its job--I passed my French language requirement!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely the best book for anyone who wants to learn to read technical books in French. I used this to prepare for my graduate language test when working on my Ph.D. When I was done, I could read mathematics texts in French and translate them easily on the fly. I've studied several other languages using other methods and never managed to achieve much fluency in them.

[Chrisanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still can't speak it but this is a handy little book that will have you reading it in no time.

[Emmanuel B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is this book not talked about more often? It's the most ingenious and effective method I have found of acquiring a language (even better than the famed Familia Romana, in my estimation).

The mechanism is simple and elegant: a grammatical concept is explained, followed by a page or two of sentence examples. What makes this amazing is that you first read the French, then turn leftwards to compare your translation to the author's. After a couple of sections like this, the chapter ends with a text or two that use the example sentences (the texts are always real extracts).

This method has the effect of rendering to the reader confidence that his understanding of the text is exact. Likewise, it's immensely satisfying - you start a chapter not knowing how to read the end text and later breeze through it with relative ease.

The end result is that one has read the likes of Pascal, Tocqueville, Bergson, Baudelaire, Voltaire, etc.

[Cameron Averill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. Grammar lessons are clear and the exercises are comprehensive but not redundant. My favorite thing about this book is that Sandberg primes you for upcoming grammar lessons; he'll include an unfamiliar grammatical structure in one of the texts or exercises, which will be confusing at the time but which he'll explain a few sections later. Really great.

[Peg Beemer]

I used this book successfully to learn to read French for graduate studies. It worked, coupled with an excellent teacher. I am now retired and beginning it again to brush upon my French. I recommend it to anyone who needs to read academic works in French, but does not need to learn to speak the language.

[albin james · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regrets

Far, far away from the world
Where nothing ever dies
I made this long,
This sweet trip

Our souls blend
To the eternal snows
Love hidden
Its true face

Oh come on, do not be wiser
After all matter
I know the threat
Of died loves

Let us keep innocence
And carelessness
Of our games of yesteryear, stirring

Have no sorrow
Trust me, and think
at all no way
The indifference of senses
Have no sorrow
Make a promise you know that
The fall and winter have not been able loving each other

Standing maudlin head
Of dreams suspended
I drink to our loves
Infirm

To the wind that I guess
Our distraught lips
Offering weddings
Clandestin

Do not open the door
You know the trap
Of all the remorse
Of anathema

I do not care about seasons
Come I'll take you
There, where sleep those who love each other.

Have no... (Come tonight)
sorrow (Come to see me)
Trust me, and think
To all... (Come sit you down)
No way (Near me)
The indifference of senses
Have no... (Dawn is there)
sorrow (Rest here, I promise you)
Make a promise you know that
Winter (Being there) and autumn (For eternity)
Not been able to love each other

- Mylène Farmer

[Jez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the foreign language for reading books that I've used (German, Spanish), this is absolutely the best. Although I've studied French before, I needed a refresher before taking a translation exam that is required for my degree. This text covers all of the relevant verb tenses and helpful grammar constructions found in academic texts. It also reinforces useful vocabulary. Organized in short subjections, there are review quizzes at the end of each chapter complete with answers, so you can know if you are getting it or not (and it refers you back to the section if you need to further review). Love it.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

About as good as it gets for learning to read French. The book uses a unique system that inductively teaches vocab and grammar: the student uses a bookmark and scans down the page; French sentences are given on the right side; English answers are given a little further down on the left. Donc, on peut se corriger sans un professeur! This book was good preparation for my own graduate program in biblical studies, and it also was a helpful resource during my time in France.

Si on veut apprendre un peu de français, bonne chance et bon courage!

[Mattomic · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you stay with it, which sadly I haven't but should, it's a superb manual for honing your reading skills. The lessons are a must learn for those, like myself, trudging through graduate school who need to be able to read proficiently in a foreign language. This one's a keeper on my reference shelf.

[Eric Daryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best approach to gaining a reading language that I've encountered yet. If you are willing to put in five months of consistent work (2-3 sessions/wk), you should be able to gain a reading knowledge of French with nothing more than this book, a dictionary, and a few other French texts of the sort you'd like to be reading.

[Roopsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing so far. It's the kind of thing you need when your new DGS gives you one week and two days notice about your translation exam when you were expecting a month because your department's handbook says so. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read (most of) this book to prepare for a graduate school French translation exam. Biggest strength: it features TONS of exercises and passages to translate. Biggest weakness: it explains grammar concepts in very little detail.

[trickgnosis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has helped me to learn to read French several times. And next time I learn to read French I'm sure it will help me again.

[Rebecca Cantor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very impressed by this book. It's difficult to find, but so worth it if you're planning on taking a translation exam (like I am). I can't believe how much French I have learned in 6 days/

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful resource.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

How a language book should be. The best aspect is the implicit training on how to recognize new words as cognates or from their components.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best text for improving French reading comprehension.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

still great overview/review after 2nd read

[Tyler Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great textbook! Helped me a lot with my language refreshing during my PhD.