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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| hypersport Senior Member United States Joined 5909 days ago 216 posts - 307 votes  Studies: Spanish | Message 9 of 17 15 August 2010 at 8:52pm | IP Logged |
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I went to the library for Basic 1 and 2 as I already had 3 and 4 ready to go. They were packaged under Barrons Mastering Spanish, which is the FSI Basic course with a few other things thrown in so they could market it as their own.
So yeah, I did Basic 1-4. Very good course. The thing is, I put it off for a long time as the name "Basic" had me thinking it wouldn't be worth the time. Well after I had experimented with Programmatic I was really curious so I sampled some of the Basic 3 that I had on the pc and it was more of the same, really good stuff. When I checked out 1 and 2 I actually had to request an inter-library loan to acquire one of them and I lucked out as the course had the book too. It was on cassette tape but that was fine with me as I could easily return to where I had left off as I was doing the course. The book was nice to have instead of a pdf. Easy quick reference whenever I needed it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| johndem Newbie Joined 5244 days ago 16 posts - 16 votes Studies: English | Message 10 of 17 16 August 2010 at 1:34pm | IP Logged |
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Thanks again hypersport.
But what learning method did you use? By that I mean, did you only move to the next unit or lesson when you really mastered it or did you (as some advise) went over it faster and repeated the course several times in this faster way? The latter option may have as an advantage that you are re-exposed to the material earlier. From what I've heard from FSI is that the repetition of earlier learned material is minimal. I don't know if it's true, I didn't try it out yet, but in this case the faster method maybe more suitable. I don't know if LSLC also has this "problem"... What do you advise? Edited by johndem on 16 August 2010 at 1:34pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| hypersport Senior Member United States Joined 5909 days ago 216 posts - 307 votes Studies: Spanish | Message 11 of 17 16 August 2010 at 2:05pm | IP Logged |
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Keep in mind that I had done LSLC 1 over 30 times through before I could buy LSLC 2. In the beginning I made sure I knew the lesson before moving on.
The course is very easy up to about lesson 12, then it takes off. I remember somewhere around lesson lesson 23 or 24 I was really having a hard time so I just kept repeating it, maybe it was 25. Anyway after about 8 or 9 tries I moved on and then each time I re-did the course those upper lessons got easier and easier. When I finally got LSLC 2 I did the same thing. For some of the lessons I needed to do them 3 or 4 times before moving on. The thing is, after doing the lessons this way to ensure that I had it mastered I went back and did the whole course again. And again and again and again... I knew that I was going to be repeating it for as long as it took. Until everything that they covered was getting boring, too easy. So that's what I did. So when I was doing FSI I was already very advanced. But it was still challenging in spots and very good, well worth the time. I'm glad I did it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| johndem Newbie Joined 5244 days ago 16 posts - 16 votes Studies: English | Message 12 of 17 16 August 2010 at 10:43pm | IP Logged |
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Thanks once again!
That looks like a lot of work, that I'm ready to do btw, but a very good plan of action. How many hours did you study each day? Also, if you would be so kind to let me know, how often did you use the books, or in LSLC's case transcripts? Did you use them with every lesson, just in the beginning of each lesson or not at all? Thanks again for your help. John 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| hypersport Senior Member United States Joined 5909 days ago 216 posts - 307 votes Studies: Spanish | Message 13 of 17 18 August 2010 at 2:24pm | IP Logged |
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It's hard to quantify how many hours I was studying each day. A lot for sure. Even today, I have something going on in Spanish almost all day.
With LSLC, I tried to write each opening dialog on my own using the pause/rewind button. When I couldn't understand something, I referred to the transcript. After I had it written, I re-read it out loud several times, then read it while I listened again and got to the point where I could identify everything they were saying. Then I started talking over the speakers and mocking exactly what they were saying at the same speed. I ended up doing this with the exercises too, mocking the question and then giving the answer, trying to reproduce everything. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| johndem Newbie Joined 5244 days ago 16 posts - 16 votes Studies: English | Message 14 of 17 19 August 2010 at 3:06pm | IP Logged |
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Thanks once again!
It seems like a very thorough way to master the contents of an audio course. I take it that you did not write each opening dialog on the first time you listened to each lesson? Because you probably would have made many spelling errors in that case. Or did you refer to the transripts for the correct spellings once you understood what was being said? Edited by johndem on 19 August 2010 at 3:07pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| hypersport Senior Member United States Joined 5909 days ago 216 posts - 307 votes Studies: Spanish | Message 15 of 17 20 August 2010 at 2:24am | IP Logged |
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I just used the transcript when I couldn't understand. In the beginning there were times when I couldn't understand what they were saying so the transcript bailed me out. I found errors in the transcripts compared with what was actually recorded here and there, but that wasn't a big deal. The point was that with the transcript I was understanding the audio.
I was already reading books at this time too and looking lots of words up in my dictionary and on wordreference.com so spelling wasn't a problem. Edited by hypersport on 20 August 2010 at 2:24am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| johndem Newbie Joined 5244 days ago 16 posts - 16 votes Studies: English | Message 16 of 17 20 August 2010 at 10:38pm | IP Logged |
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Ok, great! Thank you. I understand.
I'm out of questions now. :-) Hypersport, thanks so much for your help! 1 person has voted this message useful |
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