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French Slang and Colloquial French |
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The French you learn in the
classroom is not the same as what you'll hear on the street or in the
news. While
it is essential to master correct, formal French, it is
equally important to be able to understand and use slang and colloquial
expressions before you can
call yourself fluent. The following resources teach you what very few teachers ever
dared: real French, as spoken between friends and enemies. Please note that by
their very nature, most of these resources may be offensive to some people. |
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1)
Le
français familier et argotique, by Pierre-Maurice Richard
Subtitled "Spoken French Foreigners Should Understand," this book is
a complete course in colloquial French. It includes extensive vocabulary lists,
dialogs, a detailed pronunciation/structure guide, tests, and speaking and writing
exercises. This is an excellent tool for anyone who has already learned to speak
French correctly and is now ready to learn to speak it like a native.
Unfortunately, it's out of print, but you might get lucky and find a
second-hand copy.
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2) Insider's
French, by Eleanor & Michel Levieux
This "beyond the dictionary" dictionary defines and explains today's
French - what you'll see and hear in the news. It includes cultural, political,
governmental, economic, and technological terms and acronyms, with clear
definitions and real-life examples.
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3) Street
French Slang Dictionary & Thesaurus, by David Burke
Over 1,000 terms and expressions, from familiar language to
extremely vulgar words, are covered - you can pick and choose which levels of
language you are interested in mastering. For me, this is by far the most useful
book in the
Street French series.
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4) Dictionary
of French Slang and Colloquial Expressions, by Henry Strutz
A pocket French-English (no English-French, unfortunately) dictionary with
about 4,500 terms, including slang, colloquial French, and jargon. Each term is translated, defined, and used in example sentences.
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5) Merde
encore, by Geneviève
More for fun than reference, this is an amusing look at the world of French
slang and familiar language. Its varied topics - including gestures, sound
effects, kiddie talk, franglais, to name a few - are illustrated with silly cartoons which bring
the highlighted expressions to life.
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6) French
à la Cartoon, by Dr. Albert H. Small
This cute book includes 101 cartoons that illustrate French language and
culture. Each cartoon is explained with a sentence or two in
French, with the English translation and a list of key words. There is also a
glossary (French-English and English-French) as well as a subject index to help
you find cartoons related to a particular topic.
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7) Merde:
The REAL French You Were Never Taught in School, by Geneviève
Not as good as its sequel, Merde encore, but still fun: this book goes
into depth regarding more basic key words and themes, including the
"merde" and "con" families, body parts, love and sex,
food, work, and more. Illustrated with the same kind of cartoons as Merde
encore.
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8) French
for Adults Only: A Complete Course in Sexual Slang, by George Stone
Unique among these recommended resources, French for Adults Only is not
just a book, but a set of three cassettes filled with the basest and most vulgar French that
exists. The subject matter is less useful than the other choices listed here, but the fact
that it is on audio means that you can really learn what it sounds like when
someone is talking dirty to you. Extremely vulgar, graphic material.
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