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French Assimil Disappointment | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| grunts67 Diglot Senior Member CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5089 days ago 215 posts - 252 votes  Speaks: French*, English Studies: Spanish, Russian | Message 25 of 34 23 July 2010 at 12:56am | IP Logged | ||||||||
As far as my understanding of the Assimil method goes, they say that you don't need to memorize the grammair rules because they use it over and over again. So basically you drill the rules without knowing it. They try to reinforce your acquisition with the excersise, especially in Read and translate section of a lesson. I do believe, as you do, that Assimil work like every other courses. It's just build in a more efficient manner. For the russian edition (in French), I wish they were less and more concise footnotes. In my version, most of the lessons, have as many grammars explanations or more than dialogue and exercises. Sometime you are just overwhelm with not so important details at your current stage. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| frenkeld Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6730 days ago 2042 posts - 2719 votes Speaks: Russian*, English Studies: German | Message 26 of 34 23 July 2010 at 1:20am | IP Logged | ||||||||
If you compare Assimil to traditional grammar-based courses, the latter often don't provide translations for their reading passages. This may be the biggest difference between the "grammar-based" and "intuitive" approaches. When the translation is readily available, you use it to get the hang of what's going on with just a bit of help from the grammar notes. The amount of grammar notes required may then have to do with how steeply graded the reading passages are. Berlitz Self-Teacher courses are graded gently, so they have fewer grammar notes; Cortina courses ramp things up more quickly, so they have more grammar notes. Edited by frenkeld on 23 July 2010 at 2:10am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| mrhenrik Triglot Moderator Norway Joined 5866 days ago 482 posts - 658 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, French Personal Language Map | Message 27 of 34 23 July 2010 at 1:22am | IP Logged | ||||||||
It explains rules every 7 lessons, but emphasises (at least in French with Ease) that this is just to tell you why things are how they are, explain the patterns you have seen etc. It explicitly tells you not to put any effort into remembering rules. You read them, understand them and move on. Edited by mrhenrik on 23 July 2010 at 1:23am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6890 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 28 of 34 23 July 2010 at 11:33am | IP Logged | ||||||||
Well with any language course I own, I can always pick out some similarities of approach. However, there are also differences - FSI, for example, tells you the rules and rather than just "let you see how they work" beats them into you with a large mallet. The Assimil approach, to my mind, is more a reversal of the order you've stated - the language is offered and then the rules are pointed out. I don't think I would classify it as "revolutionary" either, no matter how much of a fan I am. Whether it'll be genuinely effective for you, only you can tell. The courses don't appear to suit everyone's learning style - and yes I know you think there's no such thing :-) 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| tractor Tetraglot Senior Member Norway Joined 5240 days ago 1349 posts - 2292 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Spanish, Catalan Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 29 of 34 23 July 2010 at 4:51pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Oh, I see. By "in any of them" I thought you referred to the courses, not the languages. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| DaraghM Diglot Senior Member Ireland Joined 5938 days ago 1947 posts - 2923 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French, Russian, Hungarian | Message 30 of 34 27 July 2010 at 10:27am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Having used Spanish, French and Hungarian Assimil I like their intended approach but I don't like the actual execution in a large number of lessons. If I'm learning a language, I don't mind redundant information. E.g. He stirred the tea with his spoon, and cut the bread with his knife. This makes it easier to remember vocabulary. If this was an Assimil lesson the person would stir their tea with a banana, and cut the bread with a scythe.
I don't like working out a surreal situation while also learning a language. In Spanish Assimil a man is murdered by words leaping off a page and down his throat. Hungarian Assimil features a very odd dream sequence, and a nightmarish lesson about moving house using a plethora of Hungarian cases. There is also a somewhat nasty misogynistic streak to some Assimil lessons. I like the Assimil idea, but I have a lot of misgivings about the actual content. Edited by DaraghM on 27 July 2010 at 10:28am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| johntm93 Senior Member United States Joined 5114 days ago 587 posts - 746 votes 2 sounds Speaks: English* Studies: German, Spanish | Message 31 of 34 27 July 2010 at 8:06pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I'm not saying there isn't anything misogynistic in their lessons, I don't know, but the thought seems weird to me. I haven't noticed any in the old German without Toil. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| tractor Tetraglot Senior Member Norway Joined 5240 days ago 1349 posts - 2292 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Spanish, Catalan Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 32 of 34 27 July 2010 at 8:58pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Some of what I like about Assimil is that there's some humour and that the texts are not dead boring.
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