Not Your Mother’s French Lessons: Level 1 Update

Languages change with societies that speak and write them. French is no exception. Like first names like Georges or Jacqueline, the French you hear in France today is different from the French you heard 20 or more years ago and from the language you learned in school, even though the grammar is the same. The 3rd version of Pimsleur French Level 1 reflects today.
Language Changes

French citizens now call the US les Etats-Unis instead of l’Amérique. In France, calling young women mademoiselle is outdated. Inverted enquiries like Parlez-vous anglais? or Voulez-vous danser? are also obsolete.

The revisedFrench 1 will help you speak and comprehend like millions of native speakers.

Many new words and expressions (excusez-moi, une écharpe, un coca) have been introduced, while a few are still cited with a more modern alternative (comment? is less common than pardon? Va is significantly more common than nous allons).

Casual Conversation and Questions

The new edition matches France’s informal contact style. Starting language learners should always speak properly and address people correctly. However, learning to speak more informally when travelling, working, or vacationing in France is also helpful. The redesigned course lets you ask enquiries politely (Où est-ce que vous voulez manger?) and casually. You will also learn when and where to use the informal tu (Tu vas bien, Juliette?) instead of the formal vous (Vous allez bien, madame?) and on (On est américains.), which is replacing nous in ordinary speech.

The French Liaison

The connecting of words (liaison), a phonetic technique to make sound more fluid, is also less common in conversation. Some liaisons are still required (vous z-êtes, trois z-heures), but others are being abolished. Where you might have heard C’est t-ici. You will now hear C’es(t) ici more often since the silent “t” in est is pronounced as if it were part of the word. (“t” is silent, there is no connecting between the two words); pas z-allé is now pa(s) allé, etc. New discussions and scenarios in the redesigned course mirror modern speech: relaxed, fun, and free-flowing.

Everyday French Learning

Pimsleur French 1’s latest edition teaches neither “textbook” nor “street” French. Instead, you’ll learn French as it’s spoken by individuals of all ages and origins across the country.