Good French textbook for an adult?

[Wabi Sabi]

I took three years of French in high school but didn't keep up with it after graduating. I'd like to get a tutor and start learning it again, but first would like to find a good general textbook and brush up on my own. Are there any textbooks (preferably something readily available used) that are more highly regarded than others or do you think any high school French book would be fine? 

[CadenceSophia]

CLI makes great books. There are several series, but they are all excellent. They are all in French but it understood you will be looking up some words along with the lessons. Each book has an answer key sold separately that you would need to purchase also. Grammar Progressive du Français débutant is the beginning grammar book. I know some people who love the Grammar en Dialogue series from them as well, which has short recorded conversations for each lesson with grammar explanation.

 

Assimil is a very popular way to learn as well. It us not a text book at all but daily recorded conversions that you study. There are grammar notes interspersed with the book. You read, listen, and repeat the dialogue for 15-45 minutes per day. It's best for a parts to whole learner. As a whole to parts learner myself I find it pretty maddening but it is rare to find a more thorough course. In fact, I think there are only two more complete, FSI and FIA

 

FSI French phonology and French Basic are completely free and can be found online. They were created by the foreign services institute and so are in the public domain. It is light on grammar explanation (but you work it out through drill) and can be rather boring but very effective.

 

FIA/French In Action is an old program produced by Yale. The videos are free online at Learner.org but to actually follow the course you need two workbooks and two textbooks, parts 1 and 2 as well as a large collection of audio files. I was told recently the FIA audio is online free now (I could find it if you were interested). It is a HUGE undertaking. Would take a couple years of dedication to complete but it works rather well.

 

If you are actually interested in learning French, I think a high school text would be a total waste. I'm kind of a language geek though and I have no patience for bad materials when there are great options available for all learning styles and budgets.