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Mandarin - Assimil - 2+yrs w/ ILR results

  Tags: Assimil | Mandarin
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107 messages over 14 pages: << Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 9 ... 13 14 Next >>
BobbyE
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5057 days ago

226 posts - 331 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin

 
 Message 65 of 107
23 March 2012 at 3:31am | IP Logged 
nah, thank you Hendrek. I'm glad the log is encouraging. I've done FSI (actually
Platiquemos) for Spanish... and honestly after listening/reading with Assimil I'll never
go back to that type of methodology. I'll post a review of Assimil along with my course
completion/progress video.
1 person has voted this message useful



BobbyE
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5057 days ago

226 posts - 331 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin

 
 Message 66 of 107
10 April 2012 at 12:30am | IP Logged 
I'm doing Lesson 89 today, and therefor I have about 16 days until I am completely done
with Assimil and will starting using Linguaphone. I'm very happy about this because I
really believe that my sweep through Linguaphone is going to be where I reach an
advanced-beginner or intermediate level. My methodology will be very different but
similar. I'll post a review of Assimil, how I used the books/CDs, as well as a little
bit of me speaking in Mandarin. I will still be a beginner, but I know that if I did a
3rd wave my Mandarin would improve dramatically. The reason I am not doing this is
because I can use Linguaphone to cover a thousand more words in the same amount of time
and with more interesting content. I imagine I might revisit Assimil later for some
revision, who knows.
2 persons have voted this message useful



Expugnator
Hexaglot
Senior Member
Brazil
Joined 4976 days ago

3335 posts - 4349 votes 
Speaks: Portuguese*, Norwegian, French, English, Italian, Papiamento
Studies: Mandarin, Georgian, Russian

 
 Message 67 of 107
10 April 2012 at 10:12pm | IP Logged 
I'd like to know more about Linguaphone. Are you going to open a new log for it or rename this one? Which version do you use?

I've done lesson 79 today. I'm a little behind because I missed some days. I just can't stand Assimil book anymore =D I'm doing another French book which I find much better. Once I'm done with that one as well, I'll try something specifically on hanzi.
1 person has voted this message useful



BobbyE
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5057 days ago

226 posts - 331 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin

 
 Message 68 of 107
12 April 2012 at 4:17am | IP Logged 
Expugnator, I think I will start a new log. Or maybe even a blog since I'm learning
Spanish as well and I can keep all my thoughts in one place, but i'm not sure yet.

I'm doing Linguaphone Spanish right now, and I have to admit that even though it is 40
years old, the layout and content is definitely more interesting. I imagine based on
my perusal of the Chinese volume is that it is the same. First, each chapter starts
with a monologue. And then the second part of the lesson is a dialogue, and the third
is a variety of dialogues that may or may not relate to the main characters of the
book. On top of this, the characters are even somewhat developed (slightly) and are
consistent through the entire book which is nice. The different dialogues even connect
with each other in more interesting ways than just chronologically... for example in
dialogue 1 Manuel meets his friend's family, and his friend says "Here comes Manuel,
late is usual" at some point in the dialogue. Then in Dialogue 2, Manuel think's he is
on time for a meeting, but finds out that he is already an hour late. He says "Oh, my
watch again". And you have the realization that he's always late because his watch is
broken. Even though this doesn't constitute good literature, having these small things
in every lesson means something to me at least.
3 persons have voted this message useful



BobbyE
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5057 days ago

226 posts - 331 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin

 
 Message 69 of 107
09 May 2012 at 5:36am | IP Logged 
I've been using Linguaphone ever since I finished Assimil. Oh, and this is my Assimil
completion video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HQjV827cQo&feature=g-upl

Anyway, Linguaphone is amazing. Seriously. I'm on lesson 5 and the grammar and
dialogues are already more advanced then the 105th lesson in Assimil. I highly highly
recommend anyone to get there hands on one of these old 80's linguaphone sets.
3 persons have voted this message useful



Expugnator
Hexaglot
Senior Member
Brazil
Joined 4976 days ago

3335 posts - 4349 votes 
Speaks: Portuguese*, Norwegian, French, English, Italian, Papiamento
Studies: Mandarin, Georgian, Russian

 
 Message 70 of 107
09 May 2012 at 10:14pm | IP Logged 
Don't you find it hard to deal with a course that is basically monolingual? (The English translation being just an offshore)
1 person has voted this message useful



BobbyE
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5057 days ago

226 posts - 331 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin

 
 Message 71 of 107
10 May 2012 at 2:35am | IP Logged 
Expugnator, I have the 1981 ed. (I think) Linguaphone course, and the English handbook
has the completely and entirely translated dialogue, followed by an extensive two or
three pages of grammar notes and a vocabulary list. The Spanish linguaphone course I am
using right now is, I think, more what you are talking about. It only has a vocabulary
list and grammar notes with translations of the lines with the the grammar points, or
other information they find important. I like this a lot less than the entire dialogue
being translated, but I think it is not a problem at all with Spanish, although that
could only be because I have experience with the language and confidence in the process.
I plan on using Linguaphone's Finnish course in the future (after being really
comfortable with my current languages), and it contains only vocab and absolutely no
grammar notes. I'll use this to test the reading and listening method, especially with
the reputation of Finnish being grammar heavy.

Edited by BobbyE on 10 May 2012 at 2:41am

2 persons have voted this message useful



BobbyE
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5057 days ago

226 posts - 331 votes 
Speaks: English*, Mandarin

 
 Message 72 of 107
10 May 2012 at 2:49am | IP Logged 
New update, this will be my last term taking Mandarin Chinese at school. The class
simply eats up too much time for so little return. I skipped class the other day in
order to go self-study in the library, and now I know for sure that if I had that time I
spend in class at my disposal, my acquisition of Mandarin will occur significantly
faster. I know it's not a humble thing to say, but I'm quitting Mandarin class because
it is slowing me down.

Edit to add: I think this teacher is probably the best language teacher I've ever had.
That is comparing two Spanish teachers and one French teacher. This Mandarin teacher's
method is wayyyy better. But still, I disagree with the haste to make students produce
the language that you find in any class.

Edited by BobbyE on 10 May 2012 at 2:50am



1 person has voted this message useful



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