Re: Learning French (self-study) - Joe Cleland
Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:44 pm
I have been hibernating but I am back now! I have taken the past 3 weeks off due to personal reasons and the holidays. I feel like I have forgotten everything...well the little that I knew! I have tried reading native material and using a grammar book on my own but the over abundance of boredom only migrated me away from my computer (my study area) to the couch. I have decided to give the company Lingoda a try. Despite their very cautioned reviews regarding 'full refunds for marathon or sprint participants' I've decided to take the online approach seriously and use this opportunity to learn from a native daily.
First impressions: I had to take a placement test prior to getting started. I scored in the A1 range. Lingoda recommended that I start from ground 0 I had already been self-studying for a little over 4 months and was able to converse on a basic level so this was disheartening. Nevertheless, I do not consider myself great at French so I am following their recommendations. Of the first three trial lessons that I attended it had other students (between 2-5 members each class) from all over the world..Germany, Dubai, Brasil, Canada, USA, and Switzerland, so far. It's very interesting to hear the different accents at even the basic level of French.
My first class I thought was way too easy, my second class I felt I didn't know anything (grammar) I think maybe I was the worst in the class, and my third my instructor suggested I may be studying below my means. It messes with my brain but I figure it can't hurt to cover the material again. The package I have enrolled in is 30 classes a month all 1 hour in length. There is a validity period of 90 days to use your credits. If you do not use your credits they disappear but I emailed the concierge team and they said they could retro-actively re-enable them; weird process??
Anyways, I decided to not get my hopes up on having my money returned to me (due to their stringent guidelines) but to use this program to learn the material and to practice speaking with a native for one hour every day. You decide what classes you take and which ones you want to skip: reading, writing, grammar, speaking. You can decide to jump up to any level you feel appropriate A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2.1, B2.2, and B2.3.
I will say if had I not studied on my own before joining I would soooooo lost in these A1 courses. Everything is completely in French. Literally everything. The questions, exercises, intros, etc...are all intended to create an immersion process for the student. The teachers have been communicating only in the target language. In my three classes there were two students that were so lost and I felt so bad as they didn't have any exposure to the language. I only write this as a cautionary to those intending to join without prior knowledge. Other than that, I will post an ACTUAL update of my progress and my opinion of the company with some more time utilizing.
First impressions: I had to take a placement test prior to getting started. I scored in the A1 range. Lingoda recommended that I start from ground 0 I had already been self-studying for a little over 4 months and was able to converse on a basic level so this was disheartening. Nevertheless, I do not consider myself great at French so I am following their recommendations. Of the first three trial lessons that I attended it had other students (between 2-5 members each class) from all over the world..Germany, Dubai, Brasil, Canada, USA, and Switzerland, so far. It's very interesting to hear the different accents at even the basic level of French.
My first class I thought was way too easy, my second class I felt I didn't know anything (grammar) I think maybe I was the worst in the class, and my third my instructor suggested I may be studying below my means. It messes with my brain but I figure it can't hurt to cover the material again. The package I have enrolled in is 30 classes a month all 1 hour in length. There is a validity period of 90 days to use your credits. If you do not use your credits they disappear but I emailed the concierge team and they said they could retro-actively re-enable them; weird process??
Anyways, I decided to not get my hopes up on having my money returned to me (due to their stringent guidelines) but to use this program to learn the material and to practice speaking with a native for one hour every day. You decide what classes you take and which ones you want to skip: reading, writing, grammar, speaking. You can decide to jump up to any level you feel appropriate A1.1, A1.2, A2.1, A2.2, B1.1, B1.2, B1.3, B2.1, B2.2, and B2.3.
I will say if had I not studied on my own before joining I would soooooo lost in these A1 courses. Everything is completely in French. Literally everything. The questions, exercises, intros, etc...are all intended to create an immersion process for the student. The teachers have been communicating only in the target language. In my three classes there were two students that were so lost and I felt so bad as they didn't have any exposure to the language. I only write this as a cautionary to those intending to join without prior knowledge. Other than that, I will post an ACTUAL update of my progress and my opinion of the company with some more time utilizing.