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Assimil versus US language programs | ||
Tags: Learner type | Platiquemos | Pimsleur | Reading | Language Program | FSI | Assimil | Accent | Book | Grammar | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| InsanePenguin Senior Member Wales Joined 6683 days ago 248 posts - 248 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 153 of 184 22 February 2006 at 12:16pm | IP Logged | ||
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Fanatic, would Assimil take me to a decent level after Pimsleur I II III? I also like the idea that it is European Spanish as I'm in the UK, also any other Spanish learning tips are welcomed!
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| fanatic Octoglot Senior Member Australia speedmathematics.com Joined 6958 days ago 1152 posts - 1818 votes Speaks: English*, German, French, Afrikaans, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Dutch Studies: Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Modern Hebrew, Malay, Mandarin, Esperanto | Message 154 of 184 22 February 2006 at 5:09pm | IP Logged | ||
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I don't have the latest version of Assimil Spanish. I have the old Spanish Without Toil. Certainly, Assimil will enable you to use the language and speak and understand most general subjects.
I also recommend Synergy Spanish which is quite cheap and you can download it immediately from the Internet. If you have used Pimsleur you will like the Synergy Spanish style. Each lesson is only about ten minutes in length and encourages you to use what you already know and to form your own sentences. For intsance, you are asked in about lesson four, How do you say, I want to go to the party tomorrow? It comes with a load of audio and two large pdf textbooks. I used it along with Assimil Spanish and found it helpful. I think it costs $29,95 in US currency. It teaches you how to speak the language in practical situations. I still made Assimil my major course and mainly used Synergy Spanish when I was driving. Assimil will give you a very good vocabulary and, because the recordings are entirely in Spanish, you tune your ear to the language, learn to think in the language, and get more language for your time. You learn a vocabulary of between two and three thousand words. I am not sure of the actual vocabulary for the new Spanish With Ease. You learn the important, spoken language. Language that you use and is useful. I would definitely recommend it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| tuffy Triglot Senior Member Netherlands Joined 6846 days ago 1394 posts - 1412 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, German Studies: Spanish | Message 155 of 184 22 February 2006 at 6:32pm | IP Logged | ||
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Fanatic: there is also another course called "Using Spanish" from Assimil. What you write above though applies only to "Without toil"? I have that "without toil" course; so if I would study that alone (100 lessons) I would know perfect Spanish (for understanding tv and real good(!) conversations?
I'm still not 100% sure what to do next, Platiquemos or Assimil. Platiquemos seems very difficult. But Assimil seems too easy (compared) and it seems one can do Assimil faster than Platiquemos (6 months?). So I wonder if it can have the same results?? Edited by tuffy on 22 February 2006 at 6:32pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| fanatic Octoglot Senior Member Australia speedmathematics.com Joined 6958 days ago 1152 posts - 1818 votes Speaks: English*, German, French, Afrikaans, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Dutch Studies: Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Modern Hebrew, Malay, Mandarin, Esperanto | Message 156 of 184 22 February 2006 at 8:58pm | IP Logged | ||
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My copy of Spanish Without Toil has 112 lessons. If you study with Assimil Spanish Without Toil you should have a good understanding of Spanish, be able to hold conversations in Spanish, understand most radio and television and movies. You will always get the odd word or expression you don't understand, but you will be able to ask in Spanish what it means.
I can't really compare Assimil with Platiquemos as I haven't used it, but I know you can download some sample lessons to try it. If you already have Assimil, I would try it and, if it is working, stick with it. Assimil is a very good language program. Because you already have a good program, use it, try it, before you think of buying another. All the same, I did use Synergy Spanish as well as Assimil. It was very cheap and it teaches you the useful spoken language from the start. It won't teach you to the level of Assimil. Assimil has a much larger vocabulary and much more comprehensive explanations and grammar. You can download the first four lessons of Synergy Spanish for free, or you could when I bought it. I don't know anything about Assimil Using Spanish. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| InsanePenguin Senior Member Wales Joined 6683 days ago 248 posts - 248 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 157 of 184 22 February 2006 at 11:40pm | IP Logged | ||
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Fanatic, what did it take to 'finish' your Spanish? I know there are always some words and phrases to learn, but when did you achieve your fluency? After Pimsleur and probably Assimil, I don't think there is much left other than visiting Spain itself is there?
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| fanatic Octoglot Senior Member Australia speedmathematics.com Joined 6958 days ago 1152 posts - 1818 votes Speaks: English*, German, French, Afrikaans, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Dutch Studies: Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, Modern Hebrew, Malay, Mandarin, Esperanto | Message 158 of 184 23 February 2006 at 1:38am | IP Logged | ||
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I see on Assimil's webpage that Using Spanish is an advanced course to follow Spanish With Ease.
That would be one way to consolidate your knowledge. Travelling to Spain or a Spanish speaking country is the best way to practise and improve. Otherwise, check out Spanish speaking organizations in your area. There may be religious or cultural organizations or friendship societies. Telephone the Spanish consulate for information or the consulate of a South American country. They can probably help and give you addresses and phone numbers of Spanish speaking organizations you could visit. Is there a foreign language bookshop where you live, or a Spanish language bookshop? They often have a notice board announcing activities for Sanish speakers. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| tuffy Triglot Senior Member Netherlands Joined 6846 days ago 1394 posts - 1412 votes Speaks: Dutch*, English, German Studies: Spanish | Message 159 of 184 23 February 2006 at 1:46am | IP Logged | ||
Thanks. That sounds good indeed, if you understand real Spanish TV, then you've got it made in my opinion. If you can understand it you can speak it so then it must teach you real fluency. Cool :) By the way, I also have Platiquemos, I bought that one before Assimil. I gues in the end I'll end up learning both. Oh yes, 112 lessons, mine too I think :) Edited by tuffy on 23 February 2006 at 1:49am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6915 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 160 of 184 23 February 2006 at 2:55am | IP Logged | ||
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Here's my 2 cents for what it's worth.
As I've already said on another thread here, learning style is key for what course to choose. I have both Assimil & Platiquemos and I'm using both courses. Just finishing "Spanish with Ease" is not equivalent to all 8 levels of Platiquemos, you will need to complete "Using Spanish" as well. Assimil is, as John Farley also noted in the above thread, very vocabulary-oriented. This is particularly true of the "Using Spanish" course since a large number of expressions relating to words intoduced in the main dialogue are presented in the notes only. Platiquemos, as has been said many times, is structure-based. Drills form a major part of the time you will spend completing the course. Drills form no part of Assimil whatsoever. I've also done Pimsleur I-III (as well as Plus), and I have to say that it feels like Assimil covers more ground in 10 lessons than Pimsleur does in 90. This is also true of Platiquemos. Pimsleur always feels like a massive investment in time to me compared with the returns. I'll reiterate it again there is simply no comparison in the level of language learned between Pimsleur and Assimil/Platiquemos In terms of fluency levels between the two courses, assuming completion of 8 levels of Platiquemos and both Assimil courses, I don't think there much to choose between them. Both will take you to the level you require. That being the case, the only issue is which is best suited to you personally. If you don't learn well with or hate drills use Assimil, if you feel you need drilling to assimilate the structure of Spanish, then use Platiquemos. As far as what you do after completion, I think this is running before you can walk. At the moment, you can have no possible idea what your remaining weaknesses (if any) will be after finishing. Certainly spending time in country is going to help as is reading Spanish books/newspapers and most importantly listening to native speakers via TV/Radio. There is, however, no reason why that shouldn't form part of your learning now - including holidays in Spain. Andy. 6 persons have voted this message useful |
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