--- product_id: 13722449 title: "A Short Course in Reading French" brand: "celia brickman" price: "£35.71" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/13722449-a-short-course-in-reading-french store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # A Short Course in Reading French **Brand:** celia brickman **Price:** £35.71 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** A Short Course in Reading French by celia brickman - **How much does it cost?** £35.71 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/13722449-a-short-course-in-reading-french) ## Best For - celia brickman enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted celia brickman brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A Short Course in Reading French ## Images ![A Short Course in Reading French - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81CmWzn+ouL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Short Review of a Short Course in Reading French *by E***M on Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2014* If you’re like me you’re looking at this book because there is an exam in your future—maybe your very near future. I began this book with all the anxious energy of having to pass a PhD proficiency exam. I would’ve torn through the pages except for the word of pedagogy the author was kind enough to share at the start: work slowly, she admonished, let speed build organically, she said. That bit of sage advice was what I needed to get myself to stop and take breath. So, Instead of rushing, tumbling, skipping over the surface, I began working my way slowly, deeply—and then—joyously, through the book. What happened next was what I think you call… learning. Another bit of strategic frustration built into the book was also just as critical. No answer key! At first that took me aback. How was I, outside of a classroom, going to know whether I was getting any of it right? My first thought was to email the author for the key, but then I gave the book a chance. The author explained that if I had an answer key I would give in to the temptation of jumping to it every time I hit a knotty problem. And… she was totally right. I would have. In fact, I’ve done that. Not having a key was the best thing! I puzzled through every “what, how come?” moment. And, honestly, it made me marvel at the safe-cracker skill of the calibration of questions and translation exercises. All those knots were hard enough that I had to work at them, but none that weren’t supplied with all the necessary tools. As each gave way, linguistic mechanism by mechanism, I thought again, that’s right, this is what you call… learning. There is one kind of confidence that comes from the gratification of mechanically matching an answer key, and there seems to be another that comes from understanding the living language itself. You become, slowly, but increasingly sure of your translations because, as you patiently engage it, it yields its inner workings to you. You know you are right, because, you are starting to know French. There are so many fat volumes that just lay on the desk pinned down by a bloated taxonomy of linguistic data—There’s one such introduction to French literally collecting dust in my bedroom right now—The primer Celia Brickman has produced is nimble elegance, and it’s always on hand in my satchel. It seemed to understand what I needed—and what I didn’t—in order to understand the language, and therefore felt more like a fluent partner than a ruler-straight matron.I wanted to write a review, not just because last week I strolled in and out of my French proficiency brimming, almost humming, but because something else happened along the way to my exam: I actually learned French and I learned to love French. If you think this review is already too glowing and uncritical, I can do you one better. Honestly, the first thing I did after the proficiency test? Well, I celebrated and relaxed for an hour. Then… I went to Starbucks and read French philosophy. Voila!I am under no pretense that everyone will have a uniform response to this book. As with any thing, you get what you give it. You have to take it seriously, there’s no getting around the hard work of learning a new language. But, with any truly good thing, it makes you want to give what it asks for. It convinces you that it’s worth it, and gains your trust that reward will follow. Grammar books get as boring as grammar books when all they care about are the technicalities. To be sure, this book is precise, and unfolds its arrangement in a model of efficiency and calculated accessibility. However, you get the sense the author is not interested in dissecting orthography and morphology as much as mediating an encounter with French itself. I’m sure many books get the syntax and the semantics of French right, but this one, well—it captures some of the sparkle too. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Okay introduction, but not a full course *by C***M on Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2019* This book is useful for learning elementary reading French. By itself, it won't get you to super advanced academic work, and you'll need to put in a lot of work on your own to get there. However, it is a good primary text if you need to brush up or are just getting started. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Learning comes alive in this fine book. In fact *by Q***. on Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2015* This book is truly one of a kind. In a world where true language acquisition, and where notions of internalizing the nuances of language have rather receded to the backside amongst both scholastic ideals and lay presumptions, we finally find a book that reveals the real power of intellectual prowess and integrity.Celia Brickman does with this book what almost every aspiring author of language learning desires: make the reader more able and functional with the particular language that she is studying but also inspired by the entire experience. Learning comes alive in this fine book. In fact, many of the language learning apps out there can learn a good deal from this text. Plunging hard and deliberately into this text will reap tremendous rewards.Celia is a top rate scholar of French, and what she does for the English reader wanting to learn to read French, is absolutely wonderful. For the middle schooler to the retired herdsman wanting to learn to read French - buy this one! It’s a good read, and full of depth and intentionality. It works both as a workbook and a reference text. It’s fun! French modern history will make more sense. French cuisine will say a great deal more than "bon appetite."Adieu! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/13722449-a-short-course-in-reading-french](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/13722449-a-short-course-in-reading-french) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-15*