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Pre-Spanish Assimil | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies |  | |
| Norvasc Newbie Canada Joined 6285 days ago 30 posts - 31 votes Studies: French | Message 1 of 7 04 December 2014 at 5:31am | IP Logged |
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I have just started learning Spanish. I have finished the 30 day Ultimate Spanish
course and was looking for something similar. I tried to do Assimil Spanish and the regular Unlimited Spanish course but am not making too much progress. I found that it was a big jump to these two later courses. Is anyone aware of simple books [ very simple ] in Spanish with basic phrases or short stories with English translations on one side so that I further improve my word count and get to more verbs and basic structures above the simple 30 day unlimited Spanish Easy course. I feel that if I find this then perhaps it will be a platform for me to progress to Unlimited Spanish or Assimil. Short stories with high frequency words or everyday common phrases would be excellent. Thank you in advance. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| kanewai Triglot Senior Member United States justpaste.it/kanewai Joined 4685 days ago 1386 posts - 3054 votes  Speaks: English*, French, Marshallese Studies: Italian, Spanish | Message 2 of 7 04 December 2014 at 7:29am | IP Logged |
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Michel Thomas courses are great for walking you through the basic structure of a language.
I wouldn't worry a lot about word count with Assimil; they'll take care of that. But I think it's a much better course if you're familiar with the grammar already. I'm also a fan of the new Living Language, but I might be in the a minority on that. I'm not sure if short stories would help - that's kind of what Assimil already does, yeah? You might experience the same difficulties. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| James29 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5171 days ago 1265 posts - 2113 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 3 of 7 04 December 2014 at 3:07pm | IP Logged |
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The following courses would be great for pre-Assimil Spanish: Michel Thomas Foundations, Pimsleur 1-2, Paul Noble Spanish.
Edit: and I must add the new Language Transfer Spanish course which is supposed to be great. Edited by James29 on 04 December 2014 at 3:07pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| bryanpeabody Groupie United States Joined 4781 days ago 48 posts - 79 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 4 of 7 04 December 2014 at 3:28pm | IP Logged |
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I have some simple Spanish books that I recommend. They are in simple present and read
pretty easily (and they are cheap) http://www.amazon.com/Paco-Ardit/e/B00N64TWVK/ref=sr_ntt_src h_lnk_2?qid=1417703236&sr=8-2 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| fstop Newbie Canada Joined 4836 days ago 17 posts - 20 votes Speaks: English Studies: Mandarin, French | Message 5 of 7 04 December 2014 at 4:56pm | IP Logged |
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You can try the 'Spanish Conversation Demystified'. 'Easy Spanish Reader' is even more
basic at the beginning but it doesn't have English translations except on some selected words. Edited by fstop on 04 December 2014 at 5:00pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 4805 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 6 of 7 04 December 2014 at 5:56pm | IP Logged |
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Your definition of what you seek sounds like Assimil to me. I doubt there are even
easier bilingual readers available. If you want to use it, why don't you just start and supplement it with other sources wherever an obstacle arises? Or might just be another kind of learner and a different course might be more suitable to you. There are many more options than Assimil. What is the trouble exactly? If you don't retain enough vocabulary just from there, you might want to try srs or wordlists or anything. If it is the less structured grammar approach, you might want something like gramatica de uso del espanol to give you explanations. Or you might like more traditional courses like TY or perhaps something like Spanishpod101. Or audio courses, as kanewai says. Really, there are many options but I am afraid the only thing missing is the even easier bilingual reader than Assimil. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Speakeasy Senior Member Canada Joined 3848 days ago 507 posts - 1098 votes Studies: German | Message 7 of 7 06 December 2014 at 6:17pm | IP Logged |
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Hello Norvasc,
Generally speaking, I agree with all of the comments above. Nonetheless, I find myself wondering whether the issue is really more one of “participation” in the Assimil course rather than one of “prior preparation.” Here are my thoughts: VOCABULARY ACQUISITON: Assimil versus Most Other Self-study Language Courses In my experience, most introductory self-study language courses use dialogues to acquaint the independent learner with a minimum of vocabulary that would be useful in typical situations that a traveller is most likely to encounter, such as: arrival the airport, arranging for taxis, car rental, rail transportation, checking into a hotel, ordering in restaurants and cafés, shopping for gifts and clothing, requesting directions, and dealing with minor emergencies. Accordingly, the learner can easily “visualize” himself in these situations and can feel that he is making real progress as he moves forward through the lesson material. Assimil differs markedly in that the dialogues seem quite unrelated one to another; they do not seem to be connected to any direct, predictable situation or even to an overall theme. Thus, the presentation of vocabulary can appear to be rather haphazard. If I cannot “visualize” myself in the Assimil dialogues, what vocabulary should I retain? Why should I even bother? GRAMMAR / STRUCTURE: Assimil versus Most Other Self-study Language Courses Given the goals of most self-study language courses, many of them address matters of grammar both indirectly and somewhat superficially. Verb usage is most often introduced throughout the lessons by verb tense and mood in increasing levels of complexity, that is: the present, the simple past, the compound past, the future, the modal auxiliaries, the conditional, the subjunctive. Verbs are chosen to fit the situational dialogues and the whole process seems rather natural. Although the word “grammar” is studiously avoided, the proper use of prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, word order, etcetera, and general syntax are often spread throughout the lessons. While most methods are rather weak on grammar (and understandably so), in my opinion, the explanations in Assimil, however well-intended, are particularly obtuse. I am often left with the impression that one must have previously mastered the essential elements of grammar that are presented in the lesson notes in order to understand the Assimil explanations thereof. The Linguaphone courses suffer from the same problem. As an antidote, prior to using Assmil, I recommend that you acquire a very SIMPLE grammar, that you read it superficially three times so as to get an overview of how the language is structured, while spending almost no time on the more complex verb tenses, and that you put it aside and consult it only as needed. WORKING WITH DIALOGUES While there are a few exceptions, most self-study language courses use dialogues as the “base” from which the student is meant to learn the rudiments of a language. For numerous reasons, very few publishers include the drills and exercises (text and audio) that would otherwise reinforce the student’s learning. Thus, mastering the dialogues is the “key” to learning with these types of courses. From my perspective, the real beauty and value of the Assimil dialogues is that, despite the fact that they seem rather disjointed, cumulatively, they can have an effect similar to that of the FSI-style pattern, variation, and substitution drills. So, while everyone has their own approach, here is my suggestion for practicing with DIALOGUES, whether Assimil’s or any other flavour: Step 1: Familiarization with the Structure There is endless debate as to whether one should familiarize oneself with the structure (grammar) that is developed in the dialogues prior to working with them or whether one should make this the final step. I have listed this as step 1 as a suggestion only and I do not wish to rekindle an unresolable debate. Ultimately, I believe that it is a matter of personal preference. Step 2: Familiarization with the Dialogue: Some people prefer to listen to a dialogue, in an effort to discern the gist of the conversation. Then, they read the text version for clarification. Alternatively, others prefer to reading dialogue prior to listening it, with a view to anticipating what they will hear. Both approaches have their merits. Your goal should be to “familiarize” yourself with the content. Repeat this step a number of times until you are “reasonably comfortable” listening to it. Step 3: Practicing the Parts of the Dialogue There are endless variants of this type of practice. Everyone has their own preferences and they probably vary their approach within a particular course and/or over time. Here’s a suggestion: Using the “pause” button on your playback device, repeat the individual sentences (or phrases, if the sentences are initially too long) a number of times. As a first step, I prefer listening to a given sentence once and then repeating two or three times before proceeding to the following sentence. Reproduce this DRILL several times (8 to 10 times). Using the “pause” button on your playback device, repeat the individual sentences once only. Repeat this procedure several times. Either with or without the “pause” button, or with or without the accompanying text, “shadow” the dialogue. That is, repeat the dialogue while listening to it. Try to maintain the same cadence as the speakers. Try this a few times. Step 4: Practicing the Conversation (Role-Playing) Take the role of one of the participants in the mock conversation. For example, when you hear the First Speaker’s portion, stop the recording and respond with Second Speaker’s part. Try this a few times. Switch roles. Step 5: Repeat-Repeat-Repeat Repeat the various parts of the above, according to your taste. But, DO REPEAT the process! Admittedly, the above technique has all the subtlety of an unrelenting frontal assault against an imposing obstacle, but it works. For finesse, I suggest that you refer to the Pimsleur method. Step 6: Practice Sessions We all have our own preferences. However, you should develop a study plan that allows for regular repetition of the dialogues, both individually and cumulatively, along with reviews. Two steps forward, one step back; two steps forward, one step back. RETENTION OF VOCABULARY AND STUCTURE Whether you choose to work with Assimil or some other programme, and whether you adopt the suggestions above, or some other practice method, in my opinion, repetition of the material will have a positive effect on your ability to retain the vocabulary and the structure. PIMSLEUR The Pimsleur Method incorporates a memory-reinforcement technique WITHIN the lessons. The only way to avoid the technique, along its attendant benefits, is to not do the lessons. The underlying studies on learning and memory were validated in the 1930’s. Decades later, Paul Pimsleur incorporated these theories of memory and techniques into his self-study language course. The method does not present a direct discussion of grammar. Rather, the student is expected to “deduce” the structure of the language as he might otherwise do in a controlled “partial immersion” environment. This works, but it is not infallible. Ultimately, the student will experience gaps in learning that can be completed by consulting any small grammar. There is no written material, save for a so-called Reading Pamphlet that, in my opinion, borders on the useless. The lessons are lengthy and the course modules are expensive, but the method works. MICHEL THOMAS and PAUL NOBLE Michel Thomas was truly a heroic figure in real life. He also developed a commercially-successful language-learning method that emulates a small classroom. Essentially, the method presents the recorded voice of Michel as he provides very basic language instruction to two students, whose participation is also recorded. In my view, the much-vaunted success is more a function of the very limited nature of the material than the method itself. Furthermore, Michel was not a native speaker of any of the languages for which he was the teacher and, rather obviously, neither were his students. As a result, the listener is exposed to incorrect pronunciation, along with the students’ occasional errors, throughout the entire course. Paul Noble corrected these deficiencies by removing the students’ participation and by including a native speaker in his recordings. Regrettably, Paul admires the sound of his own voice far too much. Consequently, you’ll hear more of his voice than you will that of the native speaker. Do I recommend these courses? Yes, provided you have low expectations and wish to maintain the illusion of having achieved anything useful. PARTICIPATION versus PREPARATION I do not consider any course as being an essential step prior to attempting the Assimil method. For languages that are reasonably closely-related, the method yields very good results, providing that the user adopts a solid programme for practicing the dialogues. PRIVATE MESSAGE I sent you a private message to accompany my comments above. Good luck with your studies! Edited by Speakeasy on 06 December 2014 at 7:08pm 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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