First, This is NOT for babies, this is for the mothers/fathers who would like to better their french to be able to converse with their kids
First start French 1I recently had the opportunity to review First Start French 1 from Memoria Press:
http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/first-start-french.html(You can order, see a sample page from the books and get more info on this website)
http://www.firststartfrench.com/(On this website you'll find a newsletter specifically for French studies, some articles and crossword puzzles. You can also download extra quizzes and keys from the website)
I absolutely loved this course. It's fun and goes at an excellent pace for someone who has a background. I studied French as a third language in school for 8 years, but haven't read one French word in another 10 years or so after that so I had completely forgotten it. This course was perfect because I already had a previous exposure to the language and grammar before. The book and CD go through the most important and conversational items first and progress fairly quickly in a way that keeps you engaged.
I wouldn't recommend it though for someone who has had absolutely zero French instruction before; simply because there are not enough explanation of rules and practice on the grammar and structure of sentences…etc. An absolute beginner would need much more worksheets and much more explanation of the rules than is provided. (I'm a beginner but for the second time round – which makes all the difference with this course)
Having said that, I think this is the perfect course for someone who has started another program and stopped, someone who had learned some French a long time ago or who has the basic "common sense" of French but can't speak, read or understand yet. Basically if you've been exposed to French before through any means and have a primal understanding of how it is constructed, then this course is ideal. Otherwise, you'll have to supplement it with a grammar book and worksheets.
I believe that is the course's only setback. Otherwise, any age will enjoy it starting from grade 3 according to the website.
The teacher book is in English so you don't have to start out with knowledge of French to understand the instructions. There are always pronunciation guidelines and grammar tips that are relevant and to the point. The lessons themselves all include insights on how the French act, speak and express themselves where appropriate. They also include small comparisons between English and French in a way that opens up the readers mind to understanding better.
The student book has the lessons themselves, starting with a song or French proverb and including vocabulary and a small grammatical snippet like conjugation of regular verbs for example. Each lesson is only 1 page so it's easily done every day and yet it is a perfectly chosen page of information at that stage. After every lesson in the student book, there's one page of exercises on that lesson's vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure. The exercises are not exhaustive though, as mentioned at the start. The exercises also tend to bring in old stuff from the previous lessons so they build on each other very nicely, but not entirely. Answer keys are available, and after every 5 lessons there is a revision and a page talking about one aspect or another of the French culture.
The CD has pronunciation from a native for every lesson's vocabulary and tracks for the 6 songs as well (although these would have been easier to find if they were named after the songs instead of numbered).
The books also have a pronunciation guide, planning grid and ideas on how to use the books and practice further. The websites above also have tips and samples to give you a feel of the course.
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