Review: "Champs Elysee" vs "Fluent French Audio"

[Hegs]

These are both CD or tape based audio magazines. Both are expensive ($20 for each issue of FFA and EUR 99 for 5 issues of CE).

I have had 4 issues of CE (one didn't turn up) and one of FFA so far.

For both, you get a tape or CD of one hour, a magazine with a transcription in English and explanation of complicated phrases about every two months.

CE is more "high culture" : fine arts, cinema, books, theatre with some tourism and occasionally a little politics. The notes contains lots of background to the people mentioned in passing. The accent range isn't terribly wide, concentrating on Paris.

CE can supply you with a study guide, including listening exercises, comprehension and reading/writing exercises. It was quite good, but relatively expensive (?4 euros an issue?) for a few sheets of A4. Apparently there is a new upgraded version available.

FFA is much more "low brow", more general interest, the articles in the one issue I have are young people talking about la bise, an interview with an astrologer, articles about types of tourism. The range of accents is much wider - and they place emphasis on where people come from.

FFA also comes with a second CD of pronuniciation exercises (I haven't tried that yet but looks very promising).

My opinion is that both are worthwhile trying for listening experience and vocabularly, especially if you have plenty of time to listen to CDs with little background noise so you can concentrate. If you have a liking for high arts, or want to discuss French culture, CE may be better, if not you might find the articles repetative after a couple of issues (I did). For general conversational experience, especially if you are in the sticks, FFA is more worth a punt.

I have no connection with either firm!

Links:
http://www.champs-elysees.com/
http://www.fluentfrench.com/

[Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas]

I had CE about six or eight years ago and everything you say about it was true then, you paint a very accurate picture; I don't thing FFA existed then.