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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 |  | |
| slashelias Newbie United States Joined 6822 days ago 9 posts - 9 votes | Message 65 of 184 15 September 2005 at 1:50pm | IP Logged | ||
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What level of fluency would the "With ease courses" get you to? (If this was discussed and I missed it I apologize in advance).
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| Alex Newbie Germany Joined 7000 days ago 29 posts - 31 votes | Message 66 of 184 15 September 2005 at 2:20pm | IP Logged | ||
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My personal experience (I'm about to finish "Spanish With Ease") is that completing Assimil's "With Ease" course is roughly equivalent to completing level B1 in the common European framework (see http://culture2.coe.int/portfolio/inc.asp?L=E&M=$t/208-1-0-1 /main_pages/../documents/assessment_grid_english.doc ).
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| Duke Groupie United States Joined 6831 days ago 76 posts - 79 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 67 of 184 23 September 2005 at 9:51am | IP Logged | ||
Edited by Duke on 23 September 2005 at 9:53am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6915 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 68 of 184 23 September 2005 at 10:14am | IP Logged | ||
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Checking the ISBN on amazon.com with the Assimil site for the first one...
Hardback, 109 lessons, 478 pages and 4 CDs (total length: 3 hrs 20) ISBN : 2700510704 GENCOD : 3135415002015 That indicates to me that the Amazon title is wrong because the cassette version has a different ISBN (270051310X) and can be found here. The second one may well be an out-of-print item since it dates from 1991 and I can't find it on the Assimil site at all. Andy. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| zorglub Pentaglot Senior Member France Joined 6812 days ago 441 posts - 504 votes 1 sounds Speaks: French*, English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: German, Arabic (Written), Turkish, Mandarin | Message 69 of 184 25 September 2005 at 5:32pm | IP Logged | ||
Hello First Id like to say bonjour à M Micheloud, I just discovered you had changed your website (i'll have to change the link in my own page). About Assimil Arabic: I'm waiting for the new edition to be released, they say it will be more in the Assimil style. The present one is user hostile and sort of "hair shirt" style as would our administrator say. It is too late for me to read pages 3 to 8 of this thread , so I'm sorry if what I say is redundant. The thread was about the differences between Pimsleur, FSI and Assimil. I can tell for Pimsleur and Assimil, since I discovered them 2 years ago. I started with Pimsleur Brasilian Portuguese, and this was an astounding experience to me. Pimsleur is great and fun. You can do it while walking the dog or driving. As there is no reading nor writing, you learn naturally and achieve a very good prounciation (native speakers are always stunned upon hearing that you've been learning in your car, not even going to the country). But when you're over with Pimsleur, you're far from having enough vocabulary, far from mastering verb use. I've been using Pimsleur , then Assimil, and what I can tell is that Assimil teaches you much more vocabulary, more tenses, well: you get fluent. I'd say that if pimsleur takes you to Level 3, Assimil will take you to level 5-6 or 7 out of 10. You can read more on my web page: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/zorglub/learnlanguagesitsfun.htm I'm happy i've come upon this forum Cheers Axel Edited by zorglub on 25 September 2005 at 5:35pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7188 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes 12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 70 of 184 26 September 2005 at 12:43am | IP Logged | ||
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Welcome to the forum, Zorglub!
I am glad to say that I revised my opinion of Assimil and now think it's possible to learn a language with it. However, it is probably nicer and more efficient to start with Pimsleur like you did, then move to Assimil. It's nice that we have at least one good program publisher in French. I like very much the Gibert Jeune 'Langues' too. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| zorglub Pentaglot Senior Member France Joined 6812 days ago 441 posts - 504 votes 1 sounds Speaks: French*, English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: German, Arabic (Written), Turkish, Mandarin | Message 71 of 184 01 October 2005 at 7:38am | IP Logged | ||
It is indeed great to start with Pimsleur before working with Assimil. Pimsleur teaches more survival stuff in the early lessons (inviting a lady to dinner in Brasilian POrtuguese and latinoamerican castillan for example...)? I actually do not know how I would have liked Assimil without Pimsleur first. I am currently trying to finish "German with ease" without priming with Pimsleur, but I already had a very good basis and pronunciation for German, so I cannot really tell. What I noticed is that What you learn with Pimsleur, you do not forget. Not exactly the case with Assimil, which i often rehearse in my car. Another good trick with Assimil, that I am just trying with Italian: before starting the second program (perfectionnement) I bought the new edition of Italian with ease: the text and stories are different. It is possible to go through it very quickly, with the CDs, using the listen then shadowing method. It is sometimes necessary to have a look at the book, but I think I wil be finished in less than 1 or 2 weeks altogether (I reached lesson 81 today, after less than a week) I already find that this has improved my fluency and vocabulary. I will be doing it for Spanish too and I'll try to get an older version of German on ebay. Have a good week end, friends. 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 72 of 184 21 December 2005 at 7:05pm | IP Logged | ||
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I think that which course you prefer depends mainly on your learning style.
I find Assimil easier to work with because you can learn in five or ten minute chunks through the day. You don't have to spend half an hour at a time like Pimsleur. Also, I don't like drills. They just seem like hard work, but that is how Pimsleur seems to me, and FSI type courses even more so. With Assimil you continue to the next lesson each day, even if you feel you haven't completely mastered the previous lesson. You pick up what you have missed naturally without stress. I think that somebody already posted that Assimil is ideal for the lazy language learner. Because it is easier, I find it easier to keep up my commitment - I am less likely to get discouraged and give up. I also find the small bite size lesson for each day is not too much and it is entertaining as well as teaching me the language. I have some Pimsleur programs and I find them difficult to stick with and take too much time for too little return. That is just my experience and how I have responded. I don't want 30 cassettes or CDs because it means I have to spend so much time doing drills which don't entertain or inform. We learn differently and I know that everyone else won't agree with me, but the bottom line for me is, if it works for me and I find I have learnt the language very well through Assimil, then I am satisfied with it. It has done the job. If you learn your language well with FSI or another program then it has done the job as well. I do find, reading the posts, that Pimsleur, in spite of the glowing reports, seems to come short in actually teaching the language. There seems to be a complaint that after spending six or seven hundred dollars and working upo to the highest level, that people still find they are not very fluent in the language. My experience is that with Assimil I have been able to use the language well and certainly get by (and get employment) using the language after less than six months and less than one hundred dollars learning the language. 4 persons have voted this message useful |
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