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Marishka Newbie United States Joined 5240 days ago 25 posts - 56 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, French, Dutch
| Message 225 of 344 02 February 2013 at 9:15pm | IP Logged |
Dutch With Ease
Active Wave: Lessons 36-42
I had a pretty easy time translating the English text to Dutch in this set of lessons. It was almost as though I had been sprinkled with Assimil fairy dust. I was elated because I thought that some sort of shift had occurred and that I was now "assimilating" just as the course had promised. Then reality set in and I realized what was really happening.
When I began this Assimil experiment, I knew there was no way I could retain all of the vocabulary and idioms right off the bat, so I paid special attention to what I thought were the most useful Dutch words and phrases from a traveler's perspective. I focused on the words and phrases needed for understanding directions, buying things, making hotel reservations, getting around by various means of transportation, talking about the weather, and how to tell time the Dutch way.
Now it just so happened that the conversations in this past week's lessons included discussing the weather, traveling by train, bus and tram, asking for and receiving directions, and getting a room at a hotel. Because I had zeroed in on words and phrases related to those topics during the passive wave, I was able to translate those dialogues from English to Dutch quite easily.
After I had this realization, I reviewed the dialogues from the previous set of lessons, and sure enough, I made no errors when I translated the parts related to telling time and buying things. I've concluded that my ability to translate accurately is not really as hit-and-miss as I had thought.
In any case, it's so pleasant to have a week in which Assimil lessons are truly done "with ease!"
2 persons have voted this message useful
| jeronz Diglot Newbie New Zealand Joined 4850 days ago 37 posts - 79 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French, Yiddish, Latin, German, Italian
| Message 226 of 344 05 February 2013 at 9:58am | IP Logged |
El Nuevo Francés sin Esfuerzo
Passive Wave: Lessons 78-84
Active Wave: Lessons 29-35
I succumbed to completing the entire 8 CDs of michel thomas's french course. I was feeling really
lost, but now after having completed it things are making a lot more sense. It is amazing how much
only 8 hours of this type of learning can help.
One thing that I think I have learned from this experience about my own learning is that of the three
learning styles (analytical, intuitive and learning by doing i.e. drills) I am predominately an
intuitive learner A.K.A assimil style, but I need a bit of drilling for things to stick. This
experience has been very useful in allowing me to realise that. I will continue updating my progress
here but it is no longer a pure assimil log.
Doing FSI is definitely seeming like a very good option for me for once I finish with assimil.
EDIT: I have just made a video of myself talking in french for four minutes. I also have a video of my
one month and two month levels. I didn't make a three month video because I was feeling very
disillusioned at that point. But wow, there is a huge difference. I never really realized the
improvement until comparing them!
Edited by jeronz on 06 February 2013 at 10:55am
3 persons have voted this message useful
| Noorina Bilingual Tetraglot Newbie Saudi Arabia Joined 4313 days ago 14 posts - 16 votes Speaks: Arabic (Written)*, Arabic (Gulf)*, Japanese, English Studies: French, Korean
| Message 227 of 344 05 February 2013 at 2:02pm | IP Logged |
New French With Ease
Passive wave : lesson 31
This is my first Assimil book and I really like it.
I feel like I'm "learning" something!
I can't speak yet but I understand better than before and I can make simple sentences.
I feel very happy because now I can understand some sentences when I read or watch animated series.
1 person has voted this message useful
| Expugnator Hexaglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5158 days ago 3335 posts - 4349 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, Norwegian, French, English, Italian, Papiamento Studies: Mandarin, Georgian, Russian
| Message 228 of 344 05 February 2013 at 2:16pm | IP Logged |
Il nuovo russo senza sforzo
I'm about to finish the book, lesson 68 today. Like I said at the very beginning, I don't
do a passive wave. I always try to translate into source language, even if I have to look
everything up. This is because I really hate re-reading. I'm going to review the book by
studying from another book, Russian without toil. So, theoretically the experiment will
not be over for me by now.
1 person has voted this message useful
| Arekkusu Hexaglot Senior Member Canada bit.ly/qc_10_lec Joined 5373 days ago 3971 posts - 7747 votes Speaks: English, French*, GermanC1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian
| Message 229 of 344 05 February 2013 at 2:59pm | IP Logged |
Expugnator wrote:
Il nuovo russo senza sforzo
I'm about to finish the book, lesson 68 today. Like I said at the very beginning, I don't do a passive wave. I always try to translate into source language, even if I have to look everything up. This is because I really hate re-reading. I'm going to review the book by studying from another book, Russian without toil. So, theoretically the experiment will not be over for me by now. |
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I don't know if Assimil makes a B2 claim with Russian as it does for some other languages, but what level do you feel you are at now that you've finished the entire book?
1 person has voted this message useful
| Expugnator Hexaglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5158 days ago 3335 posts - 4349 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, Norwegian, French, English, Italian, Papiamento Studies: Mandarin, Georgian, Russian
| Message 230 of 344 05 February 2013 at 3:19pm | IP Logged |
I feel like I'm moving into A2. :/ Just the same as for Chinese, Norwegian and German.
2 persons have voted this message useful
| geoffw Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 4680 days ago 1134 posts - 1865 votes Speaks: English*, German, Yiddish Studies: Modern Hebrew, French, Dutch, Italian, Russian
| Message 231 of 344 05 February 2013 at 5:58pm | IP Logged |
Arekkusu wrote:
I don't know if Assimil makes a B2 claim with Russian as it does for some other languages, but what level do you
feel you are at now that you've finished the entire book? |
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I'd love to hear as well. FYI, I have the English base Russian course, and it says "B2" on the cover. Having gone
through the first 16 lessons, I find it hard to believe this course will get close to as far as their French or Italian
courses. Thus far the dialogues are all very short and very slowly spoken. I like the course so far, so I'm not
complaining, I'm just saying that's the way it goes.
1 person has voted this message useful
| oruixo13 Triglot Newbie Australia Joined 4411 days ago 33 posts - 35 votes Speaks: FrenchB2, Spanish*, EnglishC1 Studies: Mandarin
| Message 232 of 344 05 February 2013 at 6:31pm | IP Logged |
I have a question. What level do you think Assimil brings you? If it depends on the
language, let's say Chinese, which is the one I am currently studying. Sorry if that
question has already been raised. I've been looking for it without luck.
1 person has voted this message useful
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