French Textbook for University Freshmen A Paris Tourist Guide for French Learners Title: Un petit tour dans Paris (A Little Tour of Paris) Author: Yoshio Fukui Publisher: Editions ASAHI Published: 1989 Preface When I heard the idea of including video materials with a beginner's textbook, I was somewhat surprised by the bold concept, given my experience in creating video materials with public funds. Moreover, they were going to film on location in Paris, so even as someone who acknowledged the effectiveness of video materials, I was initially concerned about the cost. Video materials themselves have limitations. Fixing visible time is only seeing the outside, and you can't go inside. This "Paris Story" also only touched lightly on what it wanted to show and its meaning. I think it became a little more lively because they had simple conversations performed on location, but even so, the frustration of not conveying my own feelings for Paris remained. However, I believe that the beauty of Paris, the living Paris, and a glimpse of Parisian life were conveyed through the images. I believe that when students memorize French sentences, these images and sounds will help them, but more than anything, I would be delighted if they would become familiar with France through French. If they can pronounce proper nouns correctly, they will be able to learn them to some extent in relation to their spelling. I would like you to guide them to memorize French sentences, putting grammar items second. Spring 1989 Yoshio Fukui Thank you for reading.