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How to learn a language: Where to start? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Advice Center |  | |
| iguanamon Pentaglot Senior Member Virgin Islands Speaks: Ladino Joined 5251 days ago 2241 posts - 6731 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Creole (French) | Message 17 of 20 03 December 2011 at 1:22am | IP Logged | ||
What are you waiting for? Start learning French now! Looks like a good program, make it happen. If you wait until you're "ready" you'll never get there. Remember, do something in the language everyday. Know that there will be good days and bad days with the language and also know that if you persevere, the bad days will become fewer and fewer as you keep learning. Stick with it and don't quit. Keep learning every day and in a few months you'll be amazed at how much progress you'll make. Don't try to do too much at the start. Pimsleur and Assimil to start is a good plan, stick to it. Also remember that courses aren't everything. Listen, read, write, speak- even when you're not "ready". Don't be afraid to make mistakes- that's how you learn. Let us know how things are going. One last bit of advice, start a text file in order to save all of the links and advice on this thread and elsewhere on the forum. They could come in handy later. Bon chance mon ami! Edited by iguanamon on 03 December 2011 at 1:26am 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6586 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 18 of 20 03 December 2011 at 9:25am | IP Logged | ||
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You can totally start the things listed in the second paragraph from day 1, as long as it doesn't cause you frustration. if it's pleasant for you to listen without understanding, do it... if/when you get irritated, use easier materials.
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| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4898 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 19 of 20 03 December 2011 at 10:23am | IP Logged | ||
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I would say you could start using French in Action right away. It is a beginner's course, and the first couple lessons assume no French knowledge at all. For the next few, the only problem is that the students in the course have learnt some French using the exercises and you haven't. However, if you are using other materials, you should be able to slowly progress with FIA (e.g. watch an additional episode every week or two).
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| Scorpicus Triglot Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5324 days ago 27 posts - 46 votes Speaks: English*, ItalianB2, FrenchB2 Studies: Russian | Message 20 of 20 09 December 2011 at 12:18pm | IP Logged | ||
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I would advise to use Assimil as your main 'text book' (covers far more vocabulary and grammar then either Pimsleur or Michel Thomas), and use Pimsleur as a supplement (since you have free access to it in the library) to train your pronunciation. I really don't see the point of doing Michel Thomas on top of that, as after finishing Assimil and Pimsleur you will have well surpassed the level of the material in Michel Thomas. Might as well save your time and money!
I would second what the person above me said, and definitely integrate the French in Action videos into your 'beginner level' study. After you've completed the first few lessons of Assmil and Pimsleur, start watching FIA to train your comprehension. Assimil's 'Using French' is a really good advanced course, but I wouldn't advise using it straight after 'French with Ease'. Instead, it's a good idea to tackle a grammar book in-between (I would recommend 'Schuam's Outline of French Grammar' - very thorough) to solidify your knowledge of the grammar first. Then turn to 'Assimil Using French' to enrich your knowledge of vocabulary and idioms. After all that you will have nothing left to do but throw yourself into native materials :) 1 person has voted this message useful |
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