|
 |
Michel Thomas | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6012 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes  Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 97 of 185 25 July 2008 at 5:38am | IP Logged | ||||||||
1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Kugel Senior Member United States Joined 6539 days ago 497 posts - 555 votes Speaks: English* | Message 98 of 185 25 July 2008 at 12:08pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
|
Learning the subjunctive varies for each language. In German everyone knows 'möchte' in the first couple hours, yet I wouldn't say that one knows the subjunctive. Michel does cover the subjunctive at the end of the foundation course, but doesn't provide enough 'minimal differences' to fully explain the subjunctive like a college text would.
It also depends on what kind of 1st year college text you are referring to. Latin and Greek are no doubt way more demanding in ground being covered, but French, Spanish, and German texts designed for proficiency exams for graduate students, all who have no prior knowledge of the language, cover every single relevant grammar point in a semester or two. Basically, my point is that the MT method is the best there is, yet it's hindered so much by being chopped up on a Procrustean bed for marketing/financial reasons; and so in the end, the programs don't cover all that much material. Honestly, having gone through Dr. Jonathan Solity book on the Michel Thomas method, I don't see why competent language enthusiasts with near native fluency can't create their own MT courses. It's not like H@S can patent the concept of MT. If you really get down into the meat and potatoes of the method, you'll find that such a thing can't be copyrighted. I think it's sort of amusing that H@S claim to have a patent on the 'MT theory.' 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6012 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 99 of 185 25 July 2008 at 2:17pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
The only reason the can cover so much material in Latin and Ancient Greek is that it's all about decoding written texts, and possibly writing. In both reading and writing you can take your time and conciously work through rules in a way you can't when speaking or listening. I think we're basically agreed that MT gives you command of these rules rather than mere knowledge of them.
I'm curious as to what exactly you think is missing -- I'll need to study it if it's not in the course! As far as I can see, what's left is really just lexical items, and I think the genius of the method is that it avoids getting bogged down in individual words and idioms.
They're really sly on that. "Michel Thomas developed and perfected a unique method of teaching languages**. **U.S. patent 6,565,358" But if you have a look at US patent 6,565,358, you'll see it's not a patent on how he teaches language, it's a patent on the recorded lessons. None of his teaching techniques are listed. The whole patent boils down to a course consisting of a recorded lesson with a real student, and the listener uses the pause button. Oh yes, and the students errors are left in. And the student is translating from his home language. The patent really boils down to nothing more than a recorded real lesson and a pause button. I can't wait to see someone challenge this because it is so &%(&*^( trivial. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Rollo the Cat Groupie United States Joined 6035 days ago 77 posts - 90 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian, Russian, Ancient Greek | Message 100 of 185 25 July 2008 at 9:18pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
By the end of the Advanced course, I think you will know the subjunctive pretty well. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| TheElvenLord Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6081 days ago 915 posts - 927 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Cornish, English* Studies: Spanish, French, German Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 101 of 185 26 July 2008 at 6:52am | IP Logged | ||||||||
But surely this is a bit .. umm.. usual for a recording? You let the students use the pause button. You ask the student to translate You INCLUDE a student Its a bit vague, and it would be debatable wo would win in court IMHO TEL 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Cage Diglot aka a.ardaschira, Athena, Michael Thomas Senior Member United States Joined 6625 days ago 382 posts - 393 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French, Portuguese | Message 102 of 185 26 July 2008 at 8:25am | IP Logged | ||||||||
|
No course is going to cover everything. Several courses that complement each other can cover the weaknesses in each other. I started Spanish with Pimsleur but I think you would probably do better starting with MT especially considering the huge difference in price tags. MT makes a good beginning point to get one off of the ground. But you will need a lot more if near native fluency is your goal. MT French seems to be very good. That with Assimil and FSI will make a very inclusive program for French that is. I wonder when Portuguese is coming out? Edited by Cage on 26 July 2008 at 8:26am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| !LH@N Triglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6822 days ago 487 posts - 531 votes Speaks: German, Turkish*, English Studies: Serbo-Croatian, Spanish | Message 103 of 185 26 July 2008 at 11:38am | IP Logged | ||||||||
|
Hey...ohm...I don't know...but how about we do our own, free "HTLAL Language Courses" using that method described in that book?
Regards, Ilhan 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| TheElvenLord Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6081 days ago 915 posts - 927 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Cornish, English* Studies: Spanish, French, German Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 104 of 185 26 July 2008 at 12:13pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
|
Why not?
We all have experience in many languages, and I think putting together a course, made by the members of HTLAL, is a great idea. I am making an MT inpired Cornish course. TEL 1 person has voted this message useful |
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
