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FSI "Programmatic Spanish" vs "Basic"

  Tags: Platiquemos | FSI | Spanish
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68 messages over 9 pages: 13 4 5 6 7 ... 2 ... 8 9 Next >>
luke
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 Message 9 of 68
08 May 2005 at 5:34pm | IP Logged 
Another way the "missing answers" in Programmatic
Spanish effects the course is that it's a little more
difficult to determine if you've mastered the material.
The forward mentions if you can handle the Applications
section, you can skip the lesson. The answers or
translations for the Applications section aren't in the
student or instructor manuals though.
    
For instance, here is a sentence for translation:
1) I have to prepare that for him.
This is in a practice that has an answer, which is:
Tengo que prepararle eso.
When I started the review, my first thought was:
Tengo que preparar eso para él.
My first thought answer seems like something I learnt
from Michel Thomas. I'm not sure if both are correct
though. If this was in the Application section (there
are similar translations there), I might blissfully be
unaware of the course's expected translation.

With the Basic Course, which is mostly audio practices;
if you produce the correct responses and know what
you're saying, you can assume you know the material.

Edited by luke on 08 May 2005 at 5:37pm

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czech
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 Message 10 of 68
19 May 2005 at 8:48am | IP Logged 
Francois, which ones did you use?
In your success story, you say that one can get this program from Barron's.

Edited by Malcolm on 19 May 2005 at 9:48pm

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 Message 11 of 68
19 May 2005 at 8:52am | IP Logged 
I used all four volumes of FSI Spanish sold by Audioforum. I would use them again - they were very good.
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czech
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 Message 12 of 68
19 May 2005 at 10:04am | IP Logged 
I see, I have been wondering about FSI Spanish courses between Platiquemos, Barron's, Programatic, and those old school ones online. This thread has helped.

So I take it you used the Basic, Intermediate, Advanced A, and Advanced B?
Are the first 2 the same as Barron's?

As for the vocabulary of these courses, could some take a look at this, and evaluate the level and differences between the vocabs.

Edited by czech on 19 May 2005 at 11:10am

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czech
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 Message 13 of 68
19 May 2005 at 4:07pm | IP Logged 
Also, I know that the course is aimed at oral fluency. I probably have the vocab of the 2 first levels, and most of the others.
But I don't have a good grammatical understanding of the subjunctive and some other features.
At what level is the subjunctive introduced?
Does the material from the first levels reocurr enough throughout the advanced levels?

Thanks in advance
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luke
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 Message 14 of 68
20 May 2005 at 7:58pm | IP Logged 
czech wrote:
Are the first 2 the same as Barron's?
   
   
Basic and Intermediate by audioforum are Programmatic
Spanish Vol 1 and 2. There is a little subjunctive in
vol1. Vol2 has several units that work on the
subjunctive.    

Advanced A begins working on the subjunctive in Unit
36. The subjunctive is covered through the end of
Advanced B (Unit 55).

The vocabulary in the link posted above covers a lot of
military terms that are not in the audioforum or
platiquemos courses, which focus more on diplomat and
civilian vocabulary.


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czech
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 Message 15 of 68
20 May 2005 at 9:50pm | IP Logged 
Thanks,
Does the course above have all the terms of Platiquemos and Barron's, plus more?



Edited by czech on 20 May 2005 at 9:51pm

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luke
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3133 posts - 4351 votes 
Speaks: English*, Spanish
Studies: Esperanto, French

 
 Message 16 of 68
30 May 2005 at 1:43pm | IP Logged 
Another difference between Programmatic Spanish and the    
Basic Spanish Courses is that Programmatic Spanish (PS)   
numbers most oral exercises, whereas Platiquemos or   
Barrons or FSI Basic doesn't. I imagine the numbering   
was included in PS so students could ask the teacher   
"about number 16". Sometimes, as in the case of the   
comprehension variations, they could be used to look up   
phrases in the instructors manual. For the self
studier, the numbers are more of a nuisance though.   
They slow the pace of the exercise and put English in   
the middle of the Spanish.     
    
The Basic Course has more consistency in the types of    
exercises. Most units have tense substitutions, person    
number substitutions, general substitutions,    
translations, response, replacement, and variation    
drills. The benefit of this consistency is when you    
hear the type of drill, you know what is expected. For    
instance the basic course could take one phrase and use    
it in several drills.    
    
¿Es usted alto?    
    
Person number substitution response:    
¿Son ustedes altos?    
    
Response drill response:    
Sí, soy alto.    
    
Tense substitution response:    
¿Era usted alto?    
    
Programmatic Spanish practices (drills) are more    
frequently one of a kind exercises. That's not to say    
they are better at drilling a specific point either.     
For instance, when introducing the command form of a    
verb, they had a practice like:    
    
1) Instructor's prompt gives infinitive, you give the    
command form. I.E.    
number 1 trabajar trabaje    
number 2 mandar    mande    
number 3 estudiar estudie    
    
So the drill was neither challenging nor realistic.    
    
My earlier fascination with Programmatic Spanish may    
have been primarily because of the phonology portions    
of units 1 - 14 (first section of each unit). As I go
further in the course, I'm less impressed, however I
still feel it's valueable and plan to continue using it
in conjunction with the Basic Course.    
    
One challenge for me with either course has been    
finding sufficient context. By that I mean the drills    
are generally not situational/contextual. Usually,    
each exercise in a drill is unrelated to the previous    
exercise, other than that they are covering a similar    
grammatical point. To combat this lack of context, I    
memorize and shadow the dialogs in addition to doing    
the drills.

Edited by luke on 30 May 2005 at 1:48pm



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