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How to use Assimil? | ||
Tags: Learning Strategy | Assimil | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Advice Center |  | |
| Somnium Newbie Joined 6352 days ago 14 posts - 14 votes Speaks: English Studies: French | Message 1 of 19 23 September 2008 at 9:38am | IP Logged | ||
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Hi,
I've decided to start learning French and so after reading recommendations in this forum bough 'Assimil New French with Ease'. The problem is I'm not sure how to use it, I've understand I 'just' need to listen to the text and read the translation later, but how many times? How do I know I've worked thru the lesson efficiently? I'll appreciate any guidance. Thanks in advance, Sooki 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Whisky Triglot Groupie Germany Joined 5947 days ago 63 posts - 64 votes  Speaks: German, French*, English Studies: Japanese | Message 2 of 19 23 September 2008 at 10:31am | IP Logged | ||
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One way of doing it (mine :) ) is like this :
1. I read through the lesson in TL. 2. Then I read TL again, but perusing the translation, one sentence at a time, once or twice. 3. Then I extract the vocabulary to make flash cards. I also make cards out of sentences, usually simplifying them to some extent while still catching the relevant grammar. 4. I learn those and go back to steps 1 and 2. 5. listen to the audio once or twice, passively a few times 6. shadow-read the lesson a few times Once I'm satisfied that I understand the grammar and the vocabulary as well as I can, I move on to the next lesson. I usually work on 3-5 lessons simultaneously, at diverse steps. Note however, that while this is my typical routine, I've never made a rule out of the above, that's just how things emerged for me. I feel comfortable doing things this way, I use the Assimil to learn Japanese (still in book one, book 2 foresees that you go through book 1 again) Edited by Whisky on 23 September 2008 at 10:33am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| TheElvenLord Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6082 days ago 915 posts - 927 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Cornish, English* Studies: Spanish, French, German Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 3 of 19 23 September 2008 at 11:07am | IP Logged | ||
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Everyone finds their own way, and you will too.
Try with some other peoples methods, and you will just find a method you prefer. There is no REAL way to use Assimil, becuase for everyone it is different! I personally: 1: Listen to the recording several times 2: Start listening to it one sentence at a time and repeat until comfortable 3: Start speaking with the speaker until comfortable 4: Look at the TL (Target language) writing, covering the English, and I take note (mentally) of the spellings, and if there is a strange one. 5: Compare and analyse the English with the TL 6: Listen while reading the English By Step 4, I would have pretty much memorized the whole dialogue - which is good, because you will also know every word in it. TEL 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| awake Senior Member United States Joined 6638 days ago 406 posts - 438 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Esperanto, Spanish | Message 4 of 19 23 September 2008 at 11:47am | IP Logged | ||
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Yes, I agree that everyone has to find their own best method, and some experimentation is in order.
Basically, I judge myself as having finished a lesson when the following criteria are met: 1) I can read the target language dialogues in the lesson with full understanding of their meaning. That is, I can read the Spanish (or whatever) text while keeping my mind thinking in Spanish, rather than looking at the words and translating them into English. To me this is the most important aspect, being able to think in the target language (even just for the short duration and content of the dialogue). 2) I can listen to the recordings of the dialogue, without needing to read along, and have full understanding (again without having to translate the meaning into English) 3) With the text in front of me, I can shadow the dialogue and enunciate all the syllables while following the tempo and rhythm of the native speakers as best I can. When I can do those things, I feel ready to move on to the next lesson. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| zenmonkey Bilingual Tetraglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6554 days ago 803 posts - 1119 votes 1 sounds Speaks: EnglishC2*, Spanish*, French, German Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew | Message 5 of 19 23 September 2008 at 3:20pm | IP Logged | ||
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awake,
That is ok as phase one, but you only have acquired a passive learning. Later go back and learn to translate the dialogue, on demand, from SL to TL. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| TerryW Senior Member United States Joined 6359 days ago 370 posts - 783 votes Speaks: English* | Message 6 of 19 23 September 2008 at 11:07pm | IP Logged | ||
When you say "read the translation later," do you mean you're listening to the French without knowing what it means (not looking at the English translation)? When Assimil talks about doing the "active phase" later, that means translating an English phrase back to the French. Listening to the French without knowing the English translation is not very efficient. The suggestions the others have given are pretty good, but just want to clear up that point, if that's what you're doing. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| fanatic Octoglot Senior Member Australia speedmathematics.com Joined 7148 days ago 1152 posts - 1818 votes Speaks: English*, German, French, Afrikaans, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Dutch Studies: Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Modern Hebrew, Malay, Mandarin, Esperanto | Message 7 of 19 24 September 2008 at 1:41am | IP Logged | ||
I read through the French and look at the translation to see what each word means. I play the audio while looking at the French text and try to follow the meaning as I go. After playing the lesson through three or four times I find I can understand what I read and hear without too much difficulty. Then I listen to the audio without looking at the text and check that I can follow the meaning. Then I will read the text aloud after I can follow the printed and spoken lesson. That is it for me. I don't make flashcards. I review the lesson several times per day. I probably spend a total of around half an hour per day on each lesson. I review the previous day's lesson each day before beginning a new one. Each seventh day I read the notes and explanations for the week and play through the whole week's lessons. When I am several weeks into the course I play through the lessons beginning at the second or third week (lesson 15 or 22). I find it painful to repeat the first week's lessons because the audio is repeated and the dialogue is too slow. I do this as I work my way through the course when I have free time to review. I can do this without the book. I also review the notes for each lesson in the book as they make more sense as you get used to using the concepts. Simple instructions: Play and read each lesson until you understand it. You don't have to memorise it. Move on to the next lesson even if you feel you haven't completely mastered the previous one. You will be revising it anyway. Play the lessons in the car to revise. Don't make hard work of it. I saved writing the lessons for the active phase. I don't like to make hard work of the course or I will probably get discouraged and give up. After two months you will be amazed how much you can understand. My first language for self study with Assimil was German. After six to eight weeks I sought out Germans I could speak with in German and I was surprised how well I could hold a simple conversation. 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| FuroraCeltica Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6867 days ago 1187 posts - 1427 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 8 of 19 24 September 2008 at 6:17am | IP Logged | ||
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I listen to the lesson once through. Then, I listen to it again, pausing every few seconds to write down what I thought I heard. Then, I compare what I thought I heard to what was actually there.
1 person has voted this message useful |
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