2021: A Spanish Odyssey
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 11:06 pm
FRENCH
I completed a gruelling 6 week French resurrection plan here: My should-have-been-9-week-but-actually-became-6-week ultra-intensive French resurrection summer project.
To help those who may want to do something similar, here are the courses/content that I used:
Assimil FWOT
Assimil NFWE
Linguaphone (1950)
Linguaphone (1971)
Living Language Ultimate: Beginner - Intermediate (2000)
Cortina Conversational French in 20 Lessons (1954)
Cortina Conversational French in 20 Lessons (1918) (33rd ed.)
DLI French Basic
Hugo French In 3 Months (1987)
FSI French Phonology
Teach Yourself French (2003)
Teach Yourself French (1918)
Teach Yourself French Grammar (1961)
FSI Metro Fast French
FSI Belgium Headstart
FSI Sub-Saharan French
Colloquial French 1 & 2
Practice & Improve: French
Immersion French Deluxe
Immersion Plus French
G. Mauger's Cours de Langue et de Civilisation Francaises I (1953).
MÉTHODE Berlitz: Partie Francaise - 1er livre (1888)
MÉTHODE Berlitz: Partie Francaise - 2eme livre (1889)
Oxford: Take Off In French (2000) abandoned because of the staggering amount of English!
Native Media:
Fluent French Audio Podcast
RFI: Le Journal en Francais Facile
French In Action (video only)
If someone is starting French as a true beginner, I would recommend:
Assimil NFWE
Assimil FWOT
Linguaphone (1971)
Linguaphone (1950)
Living Language Ultimate: Beginner - Intermediate (2000)
If someone is simply trying to resuscitate moribund French (that hasn't been used in years), I would recommend something more stimulating:
Linguaphone (1950)
DLI French Basic
Assimil FWOT
Cortina Conversational French in 20 Lessons (1954)
G. Mauger's Cours de Langue et de Civilisation Francaises I (1953)
MÉTHODE Berlitz: Partie Francaise - 2eme livre (1889)
Both language camps would still need to use native media in addition to the above-mentioned courses. I have to stress again that Berlitz and Cortina are NOT for the faint-hearted! The learning curve in those courses is PARABOLIC! Eg: the futur simple (indicatif) "je choisirai" used in the 9th sentence of the SECOND (!!!) lesson of the Cortina 1918 (33rd) ed.
*********************************************************************************
FRENCH PHASE TWO (20 weeks to DELF B2 Pro)
I am aiming for the DELF B2 Pro in February 2019. Here are my courses:
Assimil Using French
Assimil Business French
CLE Vocabulaire PdF (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
CLE Grammaire PdF (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
CLE Communication PdF (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
CLE Comprehension Orale (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
G. Mauger's Cours de Langue et de Civilisation Francaises II, III & IV
Didier Reussir le DELF B2
Living Language Ultimate: Advanced French
NATIVE CONTENT:
Fluent French Audio Podcast
RFI: Le Journal en Francais Facile
French In Action (audio & video)
Podclub.ch
LibriVox
NHK World FRENCH
Le Monde
Jeune Afrique
France 24
TV5 Monde
Paris Match
AFP
Easy French
Le Gorafi
1. I have a question concerning the CLE courses. Since I am very fastidious (aka OCD), should I do the CLE débutant courses before/with the intermédiaire courses?
2. Please do not hesitate to correct/support/give advice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GERMAN
I have realised that whilst learning a language is highly addictive, the marginal utility of learning just one language is declining. To keep my interests piqued, I am going to embark on German at a relatively glacial pace ( glacial compared to that French mad-dash to B1 over 6 weeks!) By the time that I sit the DELF B2 Pro, I would have finished both GWOT and GWE.
I find German to be an enchanting language: the German Gothic script (and its derivatives , Textualis, Schwabacher, Fraktur & Cursiva) and old German typefaces (Kanzlei-, Kurrentschrift and Sütterlin) are going to provide me with decades' worth of reading material. I am also delighted to see that I no longer have to worry about language reforms too much: Feareth not the German language reform of 1996 and Whilst I will never touch FSI again, it's encouraging to know that it's not too outdated for those who would.
My list of courses is infinitesimal compared to what I am accustomed to...then again, German is a great unknown (and I now have a job, school and French maintenance to add to the fray!) I plan on achieving a B2 equivalent on GI Zertificate/TestDAF (still to decide on which to eventually take) by the 31st of Dec 2019.
1st Wave:
Assimil: German Without Toil (1965)
Assimil: German With Ease (2001)
2nd wave:
Linguaphone (1960)
Linguaphone (1990)
Living Language Ultimate: Beginner - Intermediate (2000)
Cortina (1954)
3rd wave:
FOKUS
Langenscheidt Aspekte (A1 - B2)
Begegnungen und Erkundungen (A1 - B2)
Practice & Improve: German
Practice & Improve: German Plus
Living Language Ultimate: Advanced (2000)
Assimil - Perfectionnement Allemand (1969), (1991) & (2004)
1. Please do not hesitate to correct/support/give advice?
NB: If there are German equivalents to RFI: Le Journal en Francais Facile, please inform me!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
EDITS:
1. Log title changed to SKYNET's Central Core Destroyed, becomes Cro-Magnon Man. World devolution log!
2. Log title changed to Dr. Frenchlove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the DELF B2.
3. Log title changed to Skynet gets a plugboard and becomes ENIGMA.
4. Log title changed to Skynet gets a Steckerbrett and becomes ENIGMA.
5. Log title changed to 2021: A Spanish Odyssey.
I completed a gruelling 6 week French resurrection plan here: My should-have-been-9-week-but-actually-became-6-week ultra-intensive French resurrection summer project.
To help those who may want to do something similar, here are the courses/content that I used:
Assimil FWOT
Assimil NFWE
Linguaphone (1950)
Linguaphone (1971)
Living Language Ultimate: Beginner - Intermediate (2000)
Cortina Conversational French in 20 Lessons (1954)
Cortina Conversational French in 20 Lessons (1918) (33rd ed.)
DLI French Basic
Hugo French In 3 Months (1987)
FSI French Phonology
Teach Yourself French (2003)
Teach Yourself French (1918)
Teach Yourself French Grammar (1961)
FSI Metro Fast French
FSI Belgium Headstart
FSI Sub-Saharan French
Colloquial French 1 & 2
Practice & Improve: French
Immersion French Deluxe
Immersion Plus French
G. Mauger's Cours de Langue et de Civilisation Francaises I (1953).
MÉTHODE Berlitz: Partie Francaise - 1er livre (1888)
MÉTHODE Berlitz: Partie Francaise - 2eme livre (1889)
Oxford: Take Off In French (2000) abandoned because of the staggering amount of English!
Native Media:
Fluent French Audio Podcast
RFI: Le Journal en Francais Facile
French In Action (video only)
If someone is starting French as a true beginner, I would recommend:
Assimil NFWE
Assimil FWOT
Linguaphone (1971)
Linguaphone (1950)
Living Language Ultimate: Beginner - Intermediate (2000)
If someone is simply trying to resuscitate moribund French (that hasn't been used in years), I would recommend something more stimulating:
Linguaphone (1950)
DLI French Basic
Assimil FWOT
Cortina Conversational French in 20 Lessons (1954)
G. Mauger's Cours de Langue et de Civilisation Francaises I (1953)
MÉTHODE Berlitz: Partie Francaise - 2eme livre (1889)
Both language camps would still need to use native media in addition to the above-mentioned courses. I have to stress again that Berlitz and Cortina are NOT for the faint-hearted! The learning curve in those courses is PARABOLIC! Eg: the futur simple (indicatif) "je choisirai" used in the 9th sentence of the SECOND (!!!) lesson of the Cortina 1918 (33rd) ed.
*********************************************************************************
FRENCH PHASE TWO (20 weeks to DELF B2 Pro)
I am aiming for the DELF B2 Pro in February 2019. Here are my courses:
Assimil Using French
Assimil Business French
CLE Vocabulaire PdF (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
CLE Grammaire PdF (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
CLE Communication PdF (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
CLE Comprehension Orale (Deb. + Int. + Ava. + Perf.)
G. Mauger's Cours de Langue et de Civilisation Francaises II, III & IV
Didier Reussir le DELF B2
Living Language Ultimate: Advanced French
NATIVE CONTENT:
Fluent French Audio Podcast
RFI: Le Journal en Francais Facile
French In Action (audio & video)
Podclub.ch
LibriVox
NHK World FRENCH
Le Monde
Jeune Afrique
France 24
TV5 Monde
Paris Match
AFP
Easy French
Le Gorafi
1. I have a question concerning the CLE courses. Since I am very fastidious (aka OCD), should I do the CLE débutant courses before/with the intermédiaire courses?
2. Please do not hesitate to correct/support/give advice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GERMAN
I have realised that whilst learning a language is highly addictive, the marginal utility of learning just one language is declining. To keep my interests piqued, I am going to embark on German at a relatively glacial pace ( glacial compared to that French mad-dash to B1 over 6 weeks!) By the time that I sit the DELF B2 Pro, I would have finished both GWOT and GWE.
I find German to be an enchanting language: the German Gothic script (and its derivatives , Textualis, Schwabacher, Fraktur & Cursiva) and old German typefaces (Kanzlei-, Kurrentschrift and Sütterlin) are going to provide me with decades' worth of reading material. I am also delighted to see that I no longer have to worry about language reforms too much: Feareth not the German language reform of 1996 and Whilst I will never touch FSI again, it's encouraging to know that it's not too outdated for those who would.
My list of courses is infinitesimal compared to what I am accustomed to...then again, German is a great unknown (and I now have a job, school and French maintenance to add to the fray!) I plan on achieving a B2 equivalent on GI Zertificate/TestDAF (still to decide on which to eventually take) by the 31st of Dec 2019.
1st Wave:
Assimil: German Without Toil (1965)
Assimil: German With Ease (2001)
2nd wave:
Linguaphone (1960)
Linguaphone (1990)
Living Language Ultimate: Beginner - Intermediate (2000)
Cortina (1954)
3rd wave:
FOKUS
Langenscheidt Aspekte (A1 - B2)
Begegnungen und Erkundungen (A1 - B2)
Practice & Improve: German
Practice & Improve: German Plus
Living Language Ultimate: Advanced (2000)
Assimil - Perfectionnement Allemand (1969), (1991) & (2004)
1. Please do not hesitate to correct/support/give advice?
NB: If there are German equivalents to RFI: Le Journal en Francais Facile, please inform me!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
EDITS:
1. Log title changed to SKYNET's Central Core Destroyed, becomes Cro-Magnon Man. World devolution log!
2. Log title changed to Dr. Frenchlove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the DELF B2.
3. Log title changed to Skynet gets a plugboard and becomes ENIGMA.
4. Log title changed to Skynet gets a Steckerbrett and becomes ENIGMA.
5. Log title changed to 2021: A Spanish Odyssey.