Ani wrote:The Glossika online assessment doesn't really test you as much as it's a self assessment. It gives a sentence (I think audio only but now I can't remember) and you need to click the translation but obviously that's not reflective of your true level. You can try it free online if you want.
Ok I'm going to stick with FSI. I don't know why I got tempted away lol. I am getting the Glossika French via Italian which I shouldn't be doing but I am anyway...
My problem speaking isn't really pulling phrases or vocab but applied grammar. The vocab/expressions come to mind and I need to actively juggle it to make everything fit together. It's possible I just need to talk to adults more.. or study more grammar...
I just started Glossika Fluency 2 the last couple of days, as opposed to Fluency 1. I must say, the bar in the first two tracks (not so much, or at all, the 3rd and 4th tracks - i haven't gone beyond there), but raised simply because I released that, although I hear the passive very frequently, read it as well, I don't actively use it much at all. These first two tracks on repeat for a while helped. I still feel that Glossika (as far as the older version goes - I'm using "French Fluency 1,2,3") has too many negatives, but not enough to turn me off it completely. It's been useful and I may find that by the time I get to Fluency 3, that it really is indeed worthwhile. The other two tracks I mentioned helping activite the passive tense somewhat for me, is very worthwhile in itself, for the very small amount of passive tense that exposes me to compared to the amount of verbs out there in the real world. However, I heard "verres fumés" as a translation for sunglasses in one passage. I'm 90% convinced that that is not what French people say. All my dictionaries state "lunettes de soleil", which I've been well aware of for years. Verres fumés sounds more like tinted windows on a car to me. I'm 99.9% convinced that, if the term can be used, that it is highly unlikely to be at all common anywhere in the French speaking world, or my dictionaries would've at least brought it up as an alternative, right?
So, FSI and Glossika both seem worthwhile at this stage (i've not completed either course). I've probably made my way roughly through about the same percentage of each course (i'm not using FSI currently and haven't done for some time). I intend to complete Glossika Fluency 1,2,3, but only via audio - repeating the GMS sentences, so no writing, no other files, this will suffice. Out of the two courses FSI i guess has the draw back of being formal, whereas Glossika has the drawback of containing errors. I think I'd still recommend FSI, even though, it's very formal and audio quality low at times. Errors in Glossika again make me hesitate in recommending it. Still, for me, I think I am better off completing Glossika than not. Along the way however I probably will instill the odd error, but i'm sure it won't destroy my French overall, as I'm at a decent enough level to notice some odd translations, such as the one mentioned above.
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General talk now...
I"m falling in love with Assimil. I was thinking if I had my time over, I'd focus solely on different versions of Assimil for each language (older versions for the same language, different levels, different base languages). I took it upon myself lately to read two lessons of Assimil NFWE each evening and one lesson of Assimil Using French. I've been doing this every night before bed, and reading the same lessons upon waking each morning. It's nice that the material is familiar now, having completed both, but not so familiar that I wouldn't benefit from another 'wave', if you will. I read through the French initially, but then translate while looking at the English and speaking French. Anyway, I love the Assimil courses, and they have definitely risen to the peak of my mountain of French courses. There are other great courses out there, but something about these little packed courses has me feeling replete
Perhaps it's the short lessons, the grammar not being overburdening (otherwise, me being me, i'd bury myself and lose myself in details). They're versatile courses with plenty of different editions over the years, different levels and different base languages to entice me further. The fact that I could learn Spanish from a Dutch base, French base, German base I think, Italian as well, maybe even Portuguese, has me wanderlusting even though I have a mountain of high quality Spanish resources. Well, at least I have three different Assimil Dutch courses on hand to look forward to (edit: four! I just dug up
Dutch Without Toil from some digital files I was yet to sort, wohoo an extra 132 lessons! Now I have
Dutch with Ease - the original dates I think from 1978 but I have a newer book with same content,
Dutch Without Toil from 1979,
Le Néerlandais from 2011 and
La Pratique du Neérlandais - advanced level, from 1978), and even two more in French to try out (
Business French, it's a shame they no longer sell this one, and
French without Toil). I'm enamoured (such a nerd).
My other equally favourite resource is "Bien-dire", which isn't a course. If every language had the same publication, a combination of Assimil and Bien-dire would suit me nicely. Santa, you listening, tell those publishers in Lyon to expand their range!
And what have I been up to? I think I've come to the conclusion that I simply cannot up the anté with my French study hours. I was attempting (fantasizing) about doing four hours a day desk study. It's just not possible unless I ignore too many other things. Three hours is possible at a stretch if I remain regimented in my daily routine, and being so, can still exercise.
I didn't go into the Alliance Française last week, my wife went instead, so I'm not sure yet whether I can sit a C2 in November. Mind you, I'm still waxing and waning with regards to my level, and never find/make the time to get some decent feedback (dialang etc).
I've commenced watching the Tour de France in French and it's taking up all my desk study time. But I've kinda thought, it won't matter- I enjoy it because of the sport, the tour through the French countryside (I often look up towns and villages along the way), and my nephew and father are both very keen cyclist. It doesn't hurt my listening to hear French continuously, especially since I rarely watch sport in any language these days, and it will help my own enthusiasm for exercise of which i'm not doing enough lately.
On a side note it's great to be able to go cycling (albeit it's cold here being winter) and listen to French with the bone conducting headphones and still hear traffic noise for safety reasons, and kayak with my underwater ipod set-up, which is waterproof.
Actually on that note, much of my French comes from time away from my desk these days, driving around at work in the new job, hooking up my phone with Glossika or podcasts, commuting to my other job, kayaking and cycling as mentioned, reading lots to my daughter, TV news here and there, TV shows here and there, watching the Tour even is something I'd normally do each year in English. Don't tell me anything about Le Tour btw, as I've only just finished watching the first stage! I've been too busy and the fact that I have to watch the entire stage (which isn't so bad really) as opposed to highlights of an hour really put me behind. Looking things up online is 9/10 done in French too. If i'm lazy or rebelling against my own rule, I might go for English on the odd occasion, but generally, even if I don't know the term in French, I'll find out then search it. That includes medical things at times while at work, and usually no problems at all understanding. I still do not think I'm C2 though. Maybe I am C1, but I'm certainly weak when it comes to the exam formats.
My fluidity and pace of my French reading is improving over time but mainly from the children's stories I read to my daughter out loud, as I'm not getting enough time at my desk to get into my routine there, which includes extensive reading ("Globalia" lately). So, Globalia still feels challenging, as there's plenty of words and terminology I simply do not know.
Anyway enough dribble today, so tired too! Too much on yesterday that I couldn't get to sleep until perhaps 2300 and had to wake before 0600. Needless to say, my stolen moments today when the kids needed a nap resulted in my constant dozing off during the second stage of the Tour.
Throw a steak at your future self's face and make him/her eat it. That's what I'm sayin...
Okay so back to Assimil. Earlier today I couldn't help but look in wanderlust at Norwegian, Occitan, Breton, Arabic, Spanish, German, Basque, Corsican courses...
I read a book today (or most of it) to my daughter I bought in Nouvelle Calédonie when we were there in November. It's aimed at kids, but a nice read nonetheless, as it discusses a lot of animals and plant species endemic to the islands, so again plenty of searching there for words in dictionaries.
There is a nurse who I work with (okay I don't have a lot to do with her) who's French, and I didn't even know until recently that she's actually from New Caledonia herself. I'm glad she agreed with my findings though on the topic of money - it's bloody expensive there! Perhaps one day we might go back, but financially we'd have to be much more comfortable.
I spoke some Dutch in the last couple of days. It's interesting going into patient's homes as you never quite know what you might find (personality, ethnic background, beliefs, environment- their house). The other day I went to see a patient who I thought was Italian, given his/her surname. Me being a language nerd, once I heard his/her accent, I felt her background was Germanic. I guessed northern Italy (where they speak German) or Switzerland. Turns out he/she is Dutch and from Limburg (right down south) where my father originates. She/he said his/her accent might sound more German (not that I literally meant German, but 'Germanic', but still) as his/her native dialect is a German dialect although he/she speaks standard Dutch and German. It was nice to speak Dutch again, but gee, I feel rusty! Where's Assimil Dutch/Néerlandais?
For those who don't know, in Melbourne in terms of Europeans, we have a lot of Italian and Greek immigrants. Dutch, Macedonians feature as do Croatians in significant numbers. Most of these are on the decline though as older generations pass away. The Dutch here are generally in the later stages of their lives, and according to census info, their population is relatively quickly dropping. Interestingly, the numbers of Spanish, French and German speakers on steadily growing (not just in overall numbers but also as a percentage- that's my assumption without 'running' the numbers).