Ed Kloczko wrote:

> Greg Dyke wrote

> > I hate to but in, but what does all this phonological stuff mean

> > and where can I find ou about it (in french if possible because

> > translation of jargon does not always work out right with teachers :)

>

> Regarding "Linguistics", if that was the subject, I can only recommend

> to start with a "good" and "modern" grammar of your own Tongue. I do not

> recommend any "Introduction to Linguistics", such Books are usually

> written by ones who tries to purge your head from a fair amount of

> sanity! ;-)

> [...]



If I may nevertheless mention a book in French, I recommend "Manuel

de linguistique descriptive - le point de vue fonctionnaliste" by

Jean-Michel Builles, Nathan Université : 1998 (coll. "Fac Linguistique").



It's a high-school book, but I found it very clear and useful, with

an important part on phonetics and phonology, a good chapter on syntax,

and even a part discussing the presentation and construction of

multi-lingual dictionaries (eh eh). I would recommend it without

any hesitation. It's recent, so you shouldn't have any difficulty

finding it (ISBN 2.09190822.3)



I have a few other books by French well-known linguists (such as

Mounin's dictionary of linguistics and Martinet's "Elements de

Linguistique Generale"), but I would not recommend them (rather

obscure for a non-specialist as I am, and in any events not very

useful).



Hope that helps.



Didier.