Rare Language Courses

[David1917]

There's definitely just a glitch in the algorithms that set prices on these sites. Perhaps because it's an item rarely if ever listed, it automatically gets that high price tag. Unfortunately algorithms aren't smart enough to adapt after nobody actually buys one of those books, and most sellers aren't smart enough to double-check what the algorithm gives them.

[Ug_Caveman]

I remember when I joined the forum a few years ago that there was a thread where people posted photos of their language learning material collections.

You might actually be referring to this old thread although a lot of the photos of our bookshelves there are now broken links.

I'm sure it was on this forum, although I was aware of the original thread on the old forum.

I've long since forgotten my password for HTLAL attempts at getting a reset email sadly seem fruitless

[kundalini]

I've just moved, so while organizing my books, I took pictures of my Assimil collection. While I don't have any very exotic or rare language instruction material, I assembled these books over a number of years . When I started collecting them, I had no intention of attempting to learn all the languages in the courses, or even a large number. I guess I just felt like somebody, somewhere, should try to put them together in the same place? In time I did go through about 10 of these courses (missing from the photos are New French with Ease, Using French, and Business French).

But the collection is far from complete -- it's missing many of the earlier generation courses, and many of the latest releases. There are also a couple I never managed to track down at a reasonable price, as well as one or two that I've lost over the years. Most of the languages in the Sans Peine collection are represented, even if specific iterations aren't.

I haven't purchased any more Assimil courses since having a child. I now have much more pressing sources of expenditure!

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[jmar257]

When I started collecting them, I had no intention of attempting to learn all the languages in the courses, or even a large number. I guess I just felt like somebody, somewhere, should try to put them together in the same place?

This is kind of why I started doing the same and I hope to keep my collection growing. Man, I'm super jealous of what you've got going on there. What sites did you buy from? I've only ever used Abebooks/Amazon but have found good deals there. I may have to do some searching tonight...

[kundalini]

This is kind of why I started doing the same and I hope to keep my collection growing. Man, I'm super jealous of what you've got going on there. What sites did you buy from? I've only ever used Abebooks/Amazon but have found good deals there. I may have to do some searching tonight...

The majority are from Abe and Amazon, purchased before 2011 or so. Many of the courses were relatively inexpensive back then; I remember paying about $30 for brand new packs that included the book and CDs. The rest I picked up inexpensively in bookstores -- some in Schoenhof's in Cambridge, MA before they shut down; others in used bookstores like one in the upper west side of Manhattan, as well as Gibert Jeune in Paris.

[Ug_Caveman]

I've just moved, so while organizing my books, I took pictures of my Assimil collection. While I don't have any very exotic or rare language instruction material, I assembled these books over a number of years . When I started collecting them, I had no intention of attempting to learn all the languages in the courses, or even a large number. I guess I just felt like somebody, somewhere, should try to put them together in the same place? In time I did go through about 10 of these courses (missing from the photos are New French with Ease, Using French, and Business French).

What a fantastic collection

How would you rank Assimil Business French as a course? I'm not quite *there* for using it yet, but expect to do so by this time next year.

[lingua]

If you're in the US you can get some Assimil from https://www.schoenhofs.com/. I found their prices much better than Amazon. They also order directly from Assimil so they might be willing to special order.

[kundalini]

How would you rank Assimil Business French as a course? I'm not quite *there* for using it yet, but expect to do so by this time next year.

It's well made. The conversations are much more stilted than French with Ease or Using French, and the content is obviously a lot more specialized. And humor is almost completely absent from the dialogues. I didn't quite love going through Business French, but I got a lot out of it.

[David1917]

Didn't know there were two editions of Breton, and that the first had 2 volumes. Is it like the Swedish where the 2 volumes still just have 100 lessons (why did they do this?)? Makes me want to learn Breton.

[guyome]

Didn't know there were two editions of Breton, and that the first had 2 volumes. Is it like the Swedish where the 2 volumes still just have 100 lessons (why did they do this?)? Makes me want to learn Breton.

There are "only" 77 lessons but they can be really long.

The first edition of the first course was just one thick volume, with a green-ish cover. I bought a copy at some point because I thought it'd be easier to have the whole thing in one place but I soon reverted to my two-volume edition (first Assimil I ever bought!), much easier to carry everywhere.

The first Assimil Breton course is actually a three-volume course since an Initiation au breton sans peine was published shortly after the main course (orange cover, 42 short lessons, 185 p.), highly recommended.