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The overall usefulness of FSI | ||
Tags: Usefulness | FSI | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| Spanky Senior Member Canada Joined 5743 days ago 1021 posts - 1714 votes  Studies: French | Message 25 of 35 04 September 2015 at 9:05pm | IP Logged | |||||
Looks like I managed to guess correctly on this one. You absolutely win ExRN. Now I am "much the bigger fool" as you say and can't sleep. Dang.... 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Speakeasy Senior Member Canada Joined 3839 days ago 507 posts - 1098 votes Studies: German | Message 26 of 35 04 September 2015 at 11:18pm | IP Logged | |||||
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No, Speakeasy, RESIST the temptation to enter the fray!
The FSI courses continue to be recognized as the "Gold Standard" of language-learning materials, despite their age and despite the occasional use of more formal, if not stilted, language. If those who decry the use of vocabulary that is still valid in historical contexts, but which no longer holds the same purchase that it once did, fail to understand that it is still useful, well, that will be just one more lapse in their education; there is nothing that you can do about this. These "legacy" materials, which were only PART of a complete instruction programme, that was delivered in a classroom setting, REMAIN the "Gold Standard" DESPITE their oft-mentioned "lacunes". Anyone can choose to use them, or not to use them. Like absolutely everything else in life, the FSI courses have their supporters and their detractors. So, Speakeasy, let the detractors decry these materials and don't lose a moment's sleep over it. 6 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6384 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 27 of 35 05 September 2015 at 2:34am | IP Logged | |||||
As a non-native I've noticed that "try to" is falling into disuse ;D I'm consciously avoiding this in informal contexts unless I want to sound dramatic. I'm kinda glad someone still uses it but I'm not sure I've seen this variant outside textbooks. Edited by Serpent on 05 September 2015 at 2:40am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| ExRN Groupie United Kingdom Joined 3182 days ago 61 posts - 75 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian, Spanish Studies: Dutch | Message 28 of 35 05 September 2015 at 2:49am | IP Logged | |||||
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Should I say try and or try to? How about would have or would of?
Replace (I will try and fix it) with (I will try to fix it). Some grammarians label as incorrect when really it is just very informal and best used in conversation. is standard usage and appropriate for all levels of formality in both speech and writing. Other colloquial constructions are synonymous, or nearly so, with , such as be sure to and go and. Often is interchangeable with , but there are some contexts in which implies success, e.g., "Do try and behave," and others where is ironic and implies failure, e.g., "Try and make me move." Fowler's Modern English Usage (Burchfield, R.W., ed. New York: Oxford University Press [3 ed.], 1996) says, "It is an idiom that should not be discountenanced, but used when it comes natural"; but Fowler also wrote that it is "almost confined to exhortations and promises," and these are more common in informal than in formal contexts. As far as (and woulda), it is an irregular spelling of orwould've (same with coulda, could of, shoulda, should of). These forms came to be because they reflect actual pronunciation and using in writing often occurs when one is writing in a hurry. The spellings woulda and are often referred to as eye dialect, which means 'an unusual spelling intended to represent colloquial or dialectal idiosyncrasies of pronunciation.' The use of "try and" and "try to" IS interchangeable. Just to clear that up. 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6384 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 29 of 35 05 September 2015 at 3:48am | IP Logged | |||||
The golden standard where? My impression is that there simply aren't many American drill-based courses. But this doesn't mean that they don't exist elsewhere. I've used many drill-based materials and FSI was the one I liked least. But there are plenty of wonderful materials that aren't drill-based. FSI has many fans here. I don't think it makes sense to post such inflammatory messages defending it. Edited by Serpent on 05 September 2015 at 3:50am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Speakeasy Senior Member Canada Joined 3839 days ago 507 posts - 1098 votes Studies: German | Message 30 of 35 05 September 2015 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | |||||
Speakeasy, see what I mean? I told you to resist the temptation of joining fray. Now, you're being "inflammatory"! Next time, you'll know better. Edited by Speakeasy on 05 September 2015 at 12:26pm 4 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Elexi Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5352 days ago 938 posts - 1839 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 31 of 35 05 September 2015 at 1:05pm | IP Logged | |||||
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The notion of obsolescence in a language course is a relative but interest thing. I am
a great fan of the old BBC courses from the 60s to the 80s. Any specific course generally gives a large amount of native language only audio in the form of LPs, a whole series of native language only TV programs (often still available on YouTube) and communication based instruction coupled with a OKish grammar/exercise book. In all that is a good amount of comprehensible input. Most language learners here, I suspect would applaud such courses - however, if one looks at the reviews on Amazon they generally say 'These courses still use the Deutsche Mark, so I sent it back - they are useless'. It always surprises me that such people cannot mentally say 'Euro' instead of 'Mark' and get on doing the exercises. But language learning can be hard, boring and any path of resistance is enough to convince people to give up. Edited by Elexi on 05 September 2015 at 2:49pm 5 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6384 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 32 of 35 05 September 2015 at 5:56pm | IP Logged | |||||
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It can be boring but it doesn't have to be.
1 person has voted this message useful |
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