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Assimil

 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes Post Reply
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Hexaglot
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 Message 65 of 278
09 October 2005 at 10:05am | IP Logged 
I would take Platiquemos.
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tuffy
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Netherlands
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 Message 66 of 278
11 October 2005 at 3:42pm | IP Logged 
Ok, thanks. And I must say I'm glad to hear that, since I already bought Platiquemos for 200 dollars. I think in 3 months I can start then (I have almost finished the first level of Pimsleur now).
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zorglub
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France
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 Message 67 of 278
15 October 2005 at 9:46am | IP Logged 
tuffy wrote:
Ok, thanks. And I must say I'm glad to hear that, since I already bought Platiquemos for 200 dollars. I think in 3 months I can start then (I have almost finished the first level of Pimsleur now).

And if you find it too hard (I mean, you really have to concentratte more than with Assimil that you can use in a more laid-back way, you can try Assimil which is cheap. And Assimil is in European Spanish, but very nice pronunciation.
Probably Platiquemos is better because of the exercises that help you speak grammatically correct Spanish.Then you may improve Vocabulay and culture with Assimil.
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zorglub
Pentaglot
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France
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 Message 68 of 278
15 October 2005 at 9:47am | IP Logged 
Duke wrote:
There is a new 2005 edition? Do you know if there are any major differences between this and the 1994 edition (which I am expecting will arrive in 1 week)?


Yes, I just bought it. Not started yet (I'm on Italian and German...).
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Brent
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United States
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55 posts - 54 votes 
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 Message 69 of 278
30 October 2005 at 7:36pm | IP Logged 
I have been reading this forum for months, I just haven't had anything to contribute up to this point. I took three years of high school Spanish a few years ago and I don't remember anything from it.

I have spent the past several weeks using Pimsleur's Spanish program, which I got from my local library. I have access to all 3 volumes, but I am currently only up to lesson 18 of volume 1.

Reading and re-reading the multiple threads about Assimil has convinced me that it is really the best way for me to become proficient in the language. I have tried FSI Spanish, which is also available at my local library, and found it very boring. I ordered Spanish With Ease from Amazon and expect it to arrive in the next week or so.

My question is, should I continue using Pimsleur or should I start on Assimil right away? Pimsleur is available to me for free, so cost is not a factor. I know using all 3 levels of Pimsleur and following it up with Assimil would be effective, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the time to finish Pimsleur first. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Sir Nigel
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 Message 70 of 278
30 October 2005 at 8:37pm | IP Logged 
Really, it just depends on what you can accomplish. If you feel you don't have enough time to devote per day to study, stick with Pimsleur and follow up with Assimil. However, if you would like to vary up your study routine, starting Assimil would compliment what you're learning with Pimsleur. Considering you've done Spanish in HS, how would you rate your language skills?

Edited by Sir Nigel on 30 October 2005 at 8:41pm

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Brent
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United States
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Speaks: English*

 
 Message 71 of 278
30 October 2005 at 10:54pm | IP Logged 
I would say that most of the skills I gained in high school are gone. I can still recognize several individual words and I can understand many verb conjugations, but I have zero listening, speaking, or writing skills. Listening to the first several Pimsleur lessons, I know that 99% of what I am hearing is review, but I feel that it is sticking with me now. When I was taking the language in high school, I was doing it only to fulfill the requirement. Now I actually want to learn the language, so I'm putting in effort.

I am not too worried about the time commitment whether I decide to keep going with Pimsleur or immediately start Assimil. It sounds like Assimil only requires 30 to 45 minutes a day to shadow each lesson enough times to internalize it. This wouldn't be much more time than I spend on Pimsleur, and because it wouldn't have to be a half hour straight through, it would probably actually be easier for me to stick with.

My only concern with Pimsleur is that progress is slow. If I keep going at a rate of one lesson every day or two, it would be a few more months before I even begin Assimil. Going through the entire Assimil program, however, is supposed to be possible in 6 months. My main question is whether I would gain anything from Pimsleur that Assimil doesn't cover. If not, I'd probably be best starting Assimil right away.

Thanks for the speedy response, and I look forward to becoming a more active member of this forum.
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Alex
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Germany
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29 posts - 31 votes

 
 Message 72 of 278
31 October 2005 at 4:00am | IP Logged 
Pimsleur is good for a complete beginner, especially someone with little experience in learning a foreign language. It is also excellent for working on pronunciation. But progress is extremely slow. Just use it until its slow pace starts boring you. But I'd recommend you try to start with Assimil right away instead of waiting to complete the entire Pimsleur program. The first few lessons are rather simple. See how you are getting along. You don't need to shadow all the time. I usually start a lesson by simply listening to it over and over again, and for review listen to the last 10 lessons or so once in a while. This has the advantage that you can learn your lesson while there's people around, like on the bus or train to work. You'd probably get some strange looks doing your Pimsleur lesson in a public bus...


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