When learning a new and challenging language, I ...

[luke]

With our discussions of Using Multiple Beginner Courses and our old friend Progressor Arguelles' lectures on course typologies, learning preferences, etc, it seems we could use one more poll.

Here, "course", generally means "self study material", not "course with other students", but you're free to answer how you see fit.

Note that the question says, "challenging", which means different things to each of us, and may not mean "learning Italian" for a native Spanish speaker, but we all have different challenges. Myself, I count Spanish and French, category 1 languages for a native English speaker as "challenging".

You may choose 0 - 5 answers. The goal is to select those that you think most accurately reflect your preferred or normal approach, rather than what you may have tried and wouldn't do again.

Comments and written answers can be the most informative part of these things.

[księżycowy]

First vote (or I guess first four votes)! Score!

I'd say that when available, I tend to favor comprehensive courses. But, in lieu of that I'm not afraid to dig into more than one beginning course, it just depends on what the course is like, and how much I like it's method.

I don't do very well doing more than one textbook/resource at once, so I chose sequencially. There are a few exceptions, such as Pimsleur, however. I can handle Pimsleur and a beginner course at the same time. Usually.

[galaxyrocker]

I prefer comprehensive courses, though, depending on my goals and previous exposure to the language, I'll sometimes use multiple complementary ones (nature method and something like Assimil or Pimsleur, for instance). My main reason is that I suffer from resource paralysis. When I pick one comprehensive course, I can stick with it. If I've got multiple, I start to wonder if it's actually the best combination, and then start flitting back and forth, achieving nothing.

I also do courses sequentially, as I like having a specific order in which to learn things. It also helps to do this with a graded reader (or using graded texts in Nature Method-type stuff and/or in the textbook itself) as opposed to skipping around. This can be an issue though if things go too slowly, so I might learn verb tenses right away, then go back and review things in a more sequential matter, allowing me to at least do basic sentences (once I've gotten vocab down).

[zenmonkey]

Is Assimil or Pimsleur a comprehensive course?

[BeaP]

My experience tells me that for me the best option is to use one comprehensive course and complement it with native materials. Learning a textbook thoroughly improves speaking and writing, native materials improve reading and listening. But it's usually only a theory, because I don't know at the beginning which course to choose. I start one, I'm not satisfied for some reason, I start a second one and so on. I can choose the best textbook only when I've already learned a language.

[sporedandroid]

Right now I’m “starting” Finnish by messing around on Duolingo, watching some learner videos on YouTube and looking up words on wiktionary to get familiar with high frequency vocabulary and get a very rough idea of how Finnish grammar works. I’d consider this more pre-studying than true studying. I only really do this once in a while when I feel like it and I don’t make fast progress at all. I just find I learn better if I have a rough idea of how something works and a bit of intuition. I really don’t like intensive beginner courses.

[einzelne]

I don't see the option "... I open a textbook, look at the first page, immediately close it, and kiss the language goodbye for good."

[IronMike]

Until this poll, I didn't know a beginner course couldn't be a comprehensive course.

Seriously, though, I think I'm using two comprehensive courses to revive my BCS, but they're also beginner courses. So I chose all three.

[dedalus66]

... I like to make sure that my language learning material is always nearby. So, on the coffee table where I can pick it up and peruse without it feeling like "study" - or of course, the mighty throne room. It's all about allowing opportunities to practice!

[zenmonkey]

Until this poll, I didn't know a beginner course couldn't be a comprehensive course.

Seriously, though, I think I'm using two comprehensive courses to revive my BCS, but they're also beginner courses. So I chose all three.

I still don’t know what comprehensive means in this context.