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French in Action... What do I need?

  Tags: Resources | French
 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes Post Reply
9 messages over 2 pages: 1 2  Next >>
ekendahl
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 Message 1 of 9
16 February 2010 at 7:39pm | IP Logged 
Ok,

After looking around at different options I'm most excited about the French In Action
class. Perhaps because it's so different from how I was taught German (that didn't
stick) and closer to how I learned English by watching television in Sweden while
reading the subtitles.

Anyway, my question is what do I need for self study beyond the actual TV shows for
self study. I find the different text books, work books, self study books, CD etc
confusing on Yale's website: http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/FiA/

So for a complete beginner what do I need to start?

/Robert
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dleewo
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Studies: German, Mandarin

 
 Message 2 of 9
18 February 2010 at 10:33pm | IP Logged 
I had started a similar thread just a few hours before yours....it may help answer your questions:

http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?T ID=19290&PN=1
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Magnum
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359 posts - 353 votes 
Speaks: English*, Serbian*, French
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 Message 3 of 9
21 February 2010 at 7:37pm | IP Logged 
ekendahl wrote:
Ok,

After looking around at different options I'm most excited about the French In Action
class. Perhaps because it's so different from how I was taught German (that didn't
stick) and closer to how I learned English by watching television in Sweden while
reading the subtitles.

Anyway, my question is what do I need for self study beyond the actual TV shows for
self study. I find the different text books, work books, self study books, CD etc
confusing on Yale's website: http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/FiA/

So for a complete beginner what do I need to start?

/Robert


The videos are free and it is all you need, but this method will be slow at the start if you do not have the book. The book is very helpful and will increase the speed of learning by double.

You will find that the time it takes to learn the first 10 lessons will be twice as long as it takes to learn the next 20. Learning French is like a snowball going downhill. The further downhill the snowball goes the larger the snowball gets and the more snow it picks up. Do not be discouraged if the first month is hard, it will get much easier the third and fourth viewing.
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ekendahl
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 Message 4 of 9
22 February 2010 at 1:57pm | IP Logged 
Magnum,

Thanks for the encouragement. I have bought all the course material used through e-
bay and will start the course once the material arrives. I have downloaded all the video
shows and just need to convert them to run of my iPhone. I have also downloaded the
ANKI software and will use that to study words and phrases.

It will be interesting to get into. This approach seems more doable to me then to learn
a couple of thousand words/verbs by heart (and still not being able to speak much
German).

Now, how many time should one watch each episode before going to the next? How
confident should one be that one understands each word? each sentence? the general
meaning?


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Magnum
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 Message 5 of 9
23 February 2010 at 5:39am | IP Logged 
ekendahl wrote:
Magnum,

Thanks for the encouragement. I have bought all the course material used through e-
bay and will start the course once the material arrives. I have downloaded all the video
shows and just need to convert them to run of my iPhone. I have also downloaded the
ANKI software and will use that to study words and phrases.

It will be interesting to get into. This approach seems more doable to me then to learn
a couple of thousand words/verbs by heart (and still not being able to speak much
German).

Now, how many time should one watch each episode before going to the next? How
confident should one be that one understands each word? each sentence? the general
meaning?



You do not need to be confident. You need to watch an episode every day and push forward.

The reason FIA works is you might hear a word a couple times in lesson 10 and 11 for example, then the word is featured in lesson 12 a dozen times, then in lesson 13 it is used a couple times, ect. Now you have seen the same word used in many different situations across multiple episodes. This is more effective than watching just one episode many times until you feel you know most of what is said. If you watch 10, 11, 12, and 13 three times each, you will know more than if you watch episode 10 a dozen times.

Do not worry if the first or second time you watch an episode don't understand much, just continue watching new lessons. When you feel frustrated that you don't understand much (for example if you make it to lesson 20 and you feel like you don't understand much in that lesson), go backwards 10 lessons and you will see you really understand almost everything.

Edited by Magnum on 23 February 2010 at 5:41am

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ekendahl
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ekendahl.orgRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5159 days ago

8 posts - 8 votes
Speaks: Swedish*, English

 
 Message 6 of 9
23 February 2010 at 2:58pm | IP Logged 
Thanks for the tips. It goes against how I was taught German is school (lot of by heart
drilling and very slow progress) but intuitively it makes sense. I will start at the intro
lesson and work my way through one lesson every day going through several before
looping back.

Seem like an interesting way to learn!
1 person has voted this message useful



magictom123
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Studies: Italian, French

 
 Message 7 of 9
23 February 2010 at 3:52pm | IP Logged 
Does anyone know where the appropriate textbook/workbook can be purchased cheaply. I
have acquired the audio and can watch the video's for free. I believe the study guide is
not necessary so I believe all I need now is the workbook. I would like to get it as
cheaply as possible or even free if I can.
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ekendahl
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ekendahl.orgRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5159 days ago

8 posts - 8 votes
Speaks: Swedish*, English

 
 Message 8 of 9
23 February 2010 at 4:02pm | IP Logged 
I used ebay and was able to find it cheap here in the states


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