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Old Assimil - is it obsolete? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
 newyorkeric Diglot Moderator Singapore Joined 6377 days ago 1598 posts - 2174 votes  Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Mandarin, Malay Personal Language Map | Message 49 of 66 31 May 2010 at 6:51pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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I'm not trying to be insensitive, but ultimately it is she who is responsible for what is posted on her own site, not the people who link to it. Assimil has started enforcing its claim to its materials and whether you respect intellectual property rights or not it would be foolish to link to any Assimil materials right now. Edited by newyorkeric on 31 May 2010 at 6:52pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| tractor Tetraglot Senior Member Norway Joined 5451 days ago 1349 posts - 2292 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Spanish, Catalan Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 50 of 66 31 May 2010 at 6:55pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Besides, they would have a hard time explaining why their new courses are inferior instead of updated and improved courses.
I really don't see the problem with the antiquated vocabulary. The old-fashioned words are not terribly useful, but one day even a term like blotting paper may come in handy if somebody is speaking about old days. Edited by tractor on 31 May 2010 at 6:58pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| cordelia0507 Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5836 days ago 1473 posts - 2176 votes Speaks: Swedish* Studies: German, Russian | Message 51 of 66 31 May 2010 at 7:53pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Even more annoying, lots of people have uploaded "fake" versions of the 1950s course.
It's stupid to the point of ridiculous. Anyone who has ever listened to an old LP record or watched a 1950s film can tell that the people on these audios are contemporary and not from 1950.. The audio does not match the 1950s pamphlet and there are plenty of references to St Petersburg which most people would be aware was not used as a name of that city in the 1950s. I am not going to complain about something that's free but it's annoying to be mislead with this fake upload several times. The real thing WAS available but can no longer be found on the internet or BT (it has no seeds). This is the direct result of somebody posting links on the forum. If you want to use this course you will have to use the later versions which are based on French, not English. I would much have preferred English, I think the effort of learning out of French is a huge distraction since I constantly have to stop and think of what the French text actually means. And NO, for record the 1950s course is NOT available to buy anywhere so nobody is missing out on their precious profits, don't worry. UPDATE: Got it and will share. Seek and ye' shall find... Edited by cordelia0507 on 01 June 2010 at 10:11pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| RedBeard Senior Member United States atariage.com Joined 6100 days ago 126 posts - 182 votes Speaks: Ancient Greek* Studies: French, German | Message 52 of 66 31 May 2010 at 9:49pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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So if I don't sell a current one thereby making a direct profit today, it isn't my intellectual property any more?
Someone's property rights don't disappear when the item gets old. I still have 45 rpm records. Even if I'm not playing them, they are mine. (Edited, it sounded mean. I'm not trying to stir a hornet's nest.) Edited by RedBeard on 31 May 2010 at 9:52pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Elexi Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5563 days ago 938 posts - 1840 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 53 of 66 31 May 2010 at 9:50pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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I have three editions of French Without Toil - an almost mint 1958 edition with the [never played] 78s in their original box (which I got on ebay for £10.99 incl. p&p!), a completely destroyed 1961 version (which is the one I used) and a 1981 hardback (i.e not clothback) edition. I will look at the differences and post them.
Having completed French Without Toil and New French With Ease, I personally think that New French With Ease is the better paced and better developed course for the false beginner (as all Assimil students ideally should be [in my opinion]). However, I love Without Toil - at times it is almost akin to literature - to me following Without Toil to its conclusion opens a window to French culture that no other language course even approximates - to be hyperbolic, it is the Francois Truffaut of language courses. In that sense, it may be 'obsolete' in a tourist sense (although the words it teaches are still in use, the idioms may be sometimes a bit out of date), but it captures something that is quite essential about the French language. I should add - it is also a pretty intensive course if you do the supplemental verb exercies that crop up from about lesson 40. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| RedBeard Senior Member United States atariage.com Joined 6100 days ago 126 posts - 182 votes Speaks: Ancient Greek* Studies: French, German | Message 54 of 66 31 May 2010 at 10:52pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Elexi: "...although the words it teaches are still in use, the idioms may be sometimes a bit out of date..."
I've seen such comments before regarding certain courses (Berlitz Self Teacher among them) and it makes me smile. I would be thrilled if a visitor or tourist spoke to me as if they stepped out of 1609 or 1807 or 1951. What a treat. I imagine also a time 10 years from now when the tourist phrase books would say for example: Ou sont les toilette? = "Hey, like, where's the bathroom and stuff?" 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| geirtbr Groupie Norway Joined 6655 days ago 83 posts - 90 votes Speaks: Norwegian* Studies: Russian | Message 55 of 66 10 June 2010 at 5:42pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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- For anyone who is interested, i talked to Assimil and they plan on producing new courses of many languages
(ukrainian, cantonese, + others) and republish the "using" (advanced) series. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| newyorkeric Diglot Moderator Singapore Joined 6377 days ago 1598 posts - 2174 votes Speaks: English*, Italian Studies: Mandarin, Malay Personal Language Map | Message 56 of 66 10 June 2010 at 5:47pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Cantonese would be very cool!
1 person has voted this message useful |
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