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I Hate Michel Thomas | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6010 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes  Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 9 of 61 11 April 2010 at 2:31pm | IP Logged | ||
The Polish course isn't a real Michel Thomas course. I've tried several of the courses published after his death, and none did what he did, except for the Dutch... because it was almost 100% identical to the German course. (Even then, following the same syllabus meant that they were throwing new sounds in far too quickly.) Likewise, I've been told the Portuguese is also good, because it's an almost total copy of the French, Italian & Spanish course, but I've never tried it so I can't really vouch for this. I did listen to the course sample though, and I'm not impressed. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| datsunking1 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5584 days ago 1014 posts - 1533 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: German, Russian, Dutch, French | Message 10 of 61 11 April 2010 at 3:21pm | IP Logged | ||
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I honestly loved the German Course, I didn't just go out and buy it, I actually came across it at my library and after hearing everyone talk about it, I figured I would give it a try :)
I completely agree with Cainntear. When you are having fun with the language, you will learn at an AMAZING pace. I have close to 8 German books, and to be honest, I haven't made it through any of them. (yet) Courses seem really boring for German, like I can't bring myself to complete one. I love music though and especially interviews. I've been learning at an amazing pace with just those two things. I do not understand the grammar completely. (I can use it fairly well, but if you ask me what the Genetiv and Dativ is, I would stare blankly.) I have a little grammar reference that I can use to look up simple points or things I don't understand entirely. Den Hund beisst der Mann Der Hund beisst den Mann ^^ these are completely different sentences (all I know is the dog is bitten by the man, and the man is bitten by the dog, maked each with the "den" noun declension thingy hahaha) I'm learning much faster with native materials than I could have dreamed. I have a few newspapers and a couple magazines, as I do with every language I study :) I'm reading Harry Potter in Spanish, I only miss 0-5 words per page surprisingly. I would go through "Berlitz Self Teacher- Spanish" if I were you. Excellent little course made in the 1950s. I noticed you said you were between basic and advanced fluency? At that point I would be talking to EVERYONE possible. As I always like to say, DIVE INTO THE LANGUAGE :D If you have a good grasp on the language basics (present, future, past, vocabulary etc) Your level will skyrocket. Talk to "irishpolyglot" about his "Spanish in 3 months" learning style. It's very effective. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| schoenewaelder Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5559 days ago 759 posts - 1197 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: German, Spanish, Dutch | Message 11 of 61 11 April 2010 at 4:14pm | IP Logged | ||
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I found MT Spanish very effective, but I hate his voice so much I will never be able to use another one.
If you're trying to evaluate something, you really need to give it a proper trial. I actually tried MT about a decade ago and hated it and immediately abandoned it, and it was only reading these forums that made me try again 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| delta910 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5874 days ago 267 posts - 313 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Dutch, German | Message 12 of 61 11 April 2010 at 5:34pm | IP Logged | ||
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I tried MT Spanish just to see what it is like. I don't like it. There is just too much English on the recordings. His
voice was just terrible. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6010 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 13 of 61 11 April 2010 at 6:49pm | IP Logged | ||
That says less about the effectiveness of the course than it does about you. The course is effective precisely because it uses English. Your preconceived notions of how languages and learnt stop you being able to evaluate the method in it's own terms. Edited by Cainntear on 11 April 2010 at 6:50pm 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Splog Diglot Senior Member Czech Republic anthonylauder.c Joined 5668 days ago 1062 posts - 3263 votes Speaks: English*, Czech Studies: Mandarin | Message 14 of 61 11 April 2010 at 6:53pm | IP Logged | ||
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If you don't like the MT courses, then you are probably not part of the target audience. The courses are aimed at giving the man in the street a quick boost-up in his ability to speak in French, or Spanish, or whichever language. Reading and writing are completely omitted, and this gives the courses a new angle that many are likely to find refreshing. Plus, the fact that on most of the courses the students are not fluent is a bonus: usually one of them is a very poor student (so you don't feel so dumb in comparison) and the other is quite good (which gives you something to aim for).
I know several people who have used the MT courses to at least get a first step on the ladder of language learning - and without those courses they wouldn't have bothered. Because of that, I consider the courses to be a great success. Edited by Splog on 11 April 2010 at 6:54pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| josht Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6445 days ago 635 posts - 857 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Spanish, Russian, Dutch | Message 15 of 61 11 April 2010 at 8:36pm | IP Logged | ||
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I've used a number of the courses (German, Spanish, and French), and mostly enjoyed them. I learned a good deal from all of them, but I did dislike one thing in particular: Michel Thomas's various, for lack of a better word, "sounds." It may seem like a peculiar thing to complain about, but if I'm going to listen to a man speak for hours, it would be nice if they could edit out his various noises that pervade the pauses in speech. I think they may be due to him having false teeth at the time of recording, but I'm not sure.
3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Elexi Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5564 days ago 938 posts - 1840 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 16 of 61 11 April 2010 at 8:41pm | IP Logged | ||
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I do not quite understand the 'too much English' criticism when applied to Michel Thomas. I understand this criticism for courses like the modern Berlitz New Basic courses and their ilk, but what you are getting with Michel Thomas is a few hours leg up to understanding how the basic structure of the language works mixed with a good method for internalising that structure. Nobody reads Shaum's Outlines of Grammar or TY Quick Fix Grammar and complains that there was too much English explanation - one needs such explanation, especially when you are starting the language (or at least I do). In my experience of French, German and Dutch the MT method does what a learner's grammar book does but does it in an entertaining and novel way that sticks with you when you move onto something serious like Assimil or Linguaphone.
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