Living Language "Generations"

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Speakeasy
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby Speakeasy » Sat Nov 18, 2017 1:15 pm

Seneca wrote:It is a shame the Japanese: All the Way course was not republished with CD as it was for some (all?) of the other languages ...

Ultimate Japanese: Basic-Intermediate: Compact Disc Edition - Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Japanese-Basic-Intermediate-Compact-Basic-Intermed/dp/0609607367/ref=sr_1_20_twi_aud_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1511010566&sr=8-20&keywords=living+language+japanese

IMAGE
Living Language Ultimate Japanese Compact Disc Edition
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n_j_f
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby n_j_f » Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:51 pm

Hi all

Is anyone able to confirm whether Living Language Conversational French is identical to Complete French: The Basics. Both books seem to have the same author, although the latter has an additional co-author. Previously, I had always assumed that Complete . . . The Basics series was similar to the most recent Living Language editions — i.e. the Complete . . . series — but I recently came across an image of one of the pages of Complete French: The Basics and it seems to very similar to the books in the Conversational series.

Presently, I am in the process of putting together a collection of Living Language books and audios in the Conversational and Ultimate series. There is no difference in price to purchase Conversational French or Complete French: The Basics, but if I was to obtain the audio as well, it is significantly cheaper for me to purchase Complete French: The Basics.
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Speakeasy
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Apr 18, 2018 2:39 pm

Living Language / Learn A Language "Basic" Courses
Hello, n_j_f. As you indicated in your opening post under this discussion thread, identifying the different generations of the Living Language (basic) courses is not an easy matter. Crown Publishers and Random House were fairly consistent in the updating of the basic courses on which they built their reputation. However, over a period extending several decades, slight changes to the product names, numerous variants in packaging and recording technology, coupled with the simultaneous publication of two different generations, makes it difficult to distinguish some products from others. While I do not have a copy of the French courses, I do have a pretty complete set of the German courses on which I will rely to speculate about the basic courses. Please feel at liberty to correct me.

Crown Publishers began publishing the "Learn-a-Language / Living Language" courses in 1946. Although the publisher issued “revised” editions to this series, the new editions were, for all practical purposes, virtually identical in content to the originals. Some confusion arises in distinguishing this generation from subsequent ones because they continued to be published (a) during the transition in recording technology from LP vinyl records, to audio cassettes, to compact discs and (b) throughout the long period during which the second generation was introduced and during which it, too, was subject to changes in recording technology.

Here is my understanding of the “generations” of the Living Language Complete Basic courses (irrespective of the differences in product names, the recording technology, and the packaging):

First Generation “Basic” Course
The original 40-lesson course "Living Language" was introduced in 1946 and, save for one minor revision, was published through the early 2000’s. This causes some confusion as it was published simultaneously during the period when the second generation basic course was introduced.
Living Language French 1.JPG


"Learn A Language" variants of the "Living Language" basic courses
Crown Publishers marketed these materials either directly, or indirectly via newspapers and the like, as "Learn A Language" courses. A pamphlet, containing 10 lessons, accompanied each of the 10-inch x 33-1/3 rpm LP vinyl records that made up a complete set. A dictionary was, or was not, included depending on whether the cources were sold as complete 4 LP sets or as 1 LP x 4 installments. The contents of the "Learn A Language" courses were identical to those of the "Living Language" 1st generation basic courses.
Living Language (Learn a Language)2.JPG


Second Generation “Basic” Course
The completely re-written 40-lesson basic course, circa 1980’s. In this generation, each of the ten “units” were separated into four “lessons” which introduced, successively, the words, phrases, sentences, and grammar that were deployed in the final lesson which contained the dialogues / conversations.
Living Language French 2.jpg


Third Generation “Basic” Course
A cheap marketing ploy: the recycling of previously-published materials, circa 2012. The first unit of the second generation course was removed and replaced by the Living Language "Starting Out in French" course which, given the completely different approaches to teaching, yielded a rather jolting transition between the differnent styles. Minor revisions were made to the subsequent units. The previous single course book was split into three separate manuals: Essential, Intermediate, Advanced.
Living Language French 3.jpg


EDITED:
Tinkering.
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Last edited by Speakeasy on Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:16 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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neumanc
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby neumanc » Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:05 pm

Speakeasy wrote:Here is my understanding of the “generations” of the Living Language Complete Basic courses (irrespective of the differences in product names, the recording technology, and the packaging):

First Generation “Basic” Course
The original 40-lesson course was introduced in 1946 and, save for one minor revision, was published through the early 2000’s. This causes some confusion as it was published simultaneously during the period when the second generation basic course was introduced.

Second Generation “Basic” Course
The completely re-written 40-lesson basic course, circa 1980’s. In this generation, each of the ten “units” were separated into four “lessons” which introduced, successively, the words, phrases, sentences, and grammar that were deployed in the final lesson which contained the dialogues / conversations.

Third Generation “Basic” Course
A cheap marketing ploy: the recycling of previously-published materials, circa 2012. The first unit of the second generation course was removed and replaced by the Living Language "Starting Out in French" course which, given the completely different approaches to teaching, yielded a rather jolting transition between the differnent styles. Minor revisions were made to the subsequent units. The previous single course book was split into three separate manuals: Essential, Intermediate, Advanced.

Thank you for making us aware of the differences between these three generations of Living Language courses, Speakeasy. As I see it, the main difference is between the first and the second generation courses, i.e. whether there is a 4-step-approach (words, phrases, sentences, dialogues) or not. I would be very much interested in knowing your opinion about whether this approach is an improvement upon the first generation courses or a manifestation of the general tendence of dumbing-down course materials or, which could also be the case, just "different". I own a few of the first generation courses, and I ask myself if it was a good idea to invest in the respective second or third generation courses.
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Speakeasy
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:57 pm

Hello, neumanc, thank you for your comments. I agree with you that the main difference between the first and the second generation courses is the introduction of the target language through this publisher’s 4-step-approach (words, phrases, sentences, dialogues). Nevertheless, the introduction of the basic elements of vocabulary and the accompanying situational dialogues do represent an advance, of sorts, in the approach to teaching. The overall scope of the two generations is similar. However, in the first generation, the independent learner must display more initiative and determination in his attempts at absorbing the materials. In the second generation, the leaner is aided through the separation of the dialogues into their constituent words, phrases, and sentences; this is more “hand-holding” in the learning process than “dumbing-down” of the materials themselves. Still, I find this support feature to be (a) excessive, in that the authors could have restricted this additional support to a presentation of the phrases only, and (b) in the wrong sequence, in that the supporting materials and grammar should have followed the dialogues rather than preceded them ... uh, meiner Meinung nach! So then, was the second generation an “improvement” over the first generation or was it “just different” as you suggested? Six of one, half-a-dozen of the other, I guess. If you already have a 1st generation course, should you buy a 2nd generation version? Only if you’re an OCD collector of vintage language-learning materials like myself. Finally, the 3rd generation was, by extension, a "shot-gun marriage" of the rearranged 1st generation materials plus an entirely different approach. Lipstick on a sow!
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neumanc
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby neumanc » Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:05 pm

Thank you, Speakeasy, for your well-reasoned opinion. The 2nd generation courses seem to be a rare case of somewhat of an improvement, which makes me kind of curious. I therefore decided to see for myself and bought one of the 2nd generation courses. Does this already qualify for OCD? :D
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Speakeasy
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:23 pm

neumanc wrote: ... I therefore decided to see for myself and bought one of the 2nd generation courses. Does this already qualify for OCD?
Poser la question, c'est y répondre!

C'est-à-dire, la réponse est comprise dans la question, elle ne fait pas de doute. :D
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Speakeasy
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby Speakeasy » Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:04 pm

Living Language Plus
Between 1988 and 1992, Crown Publishers Inc. introduced a new series of short “courses” under the series title “Living Language Plus (Language)” for the independent-study of the popular-for-the-period foreign languages: French, German, Italian, and Spanish. I recently purchased and played around with the German course. As far as I can tell, this new series was designed as a sequel to this publisher's very popular “Living Language Complete / Learn-A-Language” courses which they had begun marketing in the mid-1940’s. The course materials included: (a) one 90-minute audio cassette, and (b) a 4-inch x 5-3/4-inch audio-script of approximately 30 pages in length. Packaging was limited to light cardboard, plastic-wrapped pouch.
Living Language Plus 01.PNG
As to the course objectives and contents, the front cover of the package included the following encouraging statement: “Learn more than 750 of the most useful words and idiomatic expressions.” As is common amongst many phrase-book-style study aids, the course was divided into ten scenes (situational dialogues) introducing the vocabulary and phrases useful upon arrival, at the hotel, for ordering meals, for sightseeing, for shopping and the like. There does not seem to be any progression amongst the dialogues in terms of difficulty. Rather, they seem to be at a consistent A1 level throughout. The pamphlet contained only the “audio-script” of the course in parallel text; that is, there were no accompanying notes, nor was there a glossary.
Living Language Plus 2.PNG
The audio recordings were prepared with the assistance of voice-trained professionals whose speech was clear, articulate, and at a speed approaching that of an unrushed conversation between native speakers. Each individual sentence in the dialogues was delivered as follows: (1) first in English, then (2) in the target language, followed by (3) a pause for repetition of the target language utterance. Although the total recording time was approximately 90 minutes, the time devoted to the target language was only about 30 minutes.

For independent learners who had recently completed the corresponding “Living Language Complete / Learn-A-Language” courses of the period, these supplementary materials would have represented a well-conceived, budget-priced option for continuing their studies at a level approaching that of CEFR A1. While some students may have appreciated that every line of script was recorded first in English and then in the target language, I found this feature to be a distraction from efforts at concentrating on the target language … you can’t please everybody. At this juncture, given the vast array of materials available for the study of the FIGS, these vintage materials would appeal to collectors only.

EDITED:
Typos and tinkering.
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Speakeasy
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Apr 03, 2019 6:43 pm

Living Language Ultimate < Living Language All The Way
Many members may recall that the Living Language “Ultimate” series was a renamed and superficially revised edition of the publisher’s “All The Way” series.
Ultimate and All The Way.JPG

While the “Ultimate” series includes a two-level course in Russian, curiously, I have never come across a physical copy of an “All The Way” edition. There is a listing on Amazon; however, there is no accompanying photograph, which is unusual, and it is classified as out-of-print. I suspect that this listing was in anticipation of the publication of such an edition and not evidence of an actual listing. I believe that I have solved the puzzle …

Living Language Ultimate < > Living Language Comprehensive
Recently, I came across an offer for “Living Language Comprehensive Russian” and, despite my suspicion that this course was the forerunner of the renamed “Living Language Ultimate Course”, I ordered. I was right, the contents of the two course manuals are identical. Still, a small mystery remains: the former was copyrighted in 2000 and printed in Moscow whereas the latter copyrighted in 1998 and printed in the United States.
Ultimate and Comprehensive.JPG
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Speakeasy
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Re: Living Language "Generations"

Postby Speakeasy » Fri Nov 15, 2019 11:21 pm

In the Beginning …
I have often wondered about the materials that Crown Publishers Inc. would have used in their original (1946) editions of their “Living Language” courses. An offer on eBay provides the answer. The original courses were comprised of: (a) 20 x 10-inch x 78 rpm shellac records, (b) two 8-inch x 10-inch, hardbound manuals; that is, a course book and a dictionary, and (c) a sturdy cardboard storage box. Collectors, start your engines!
Living Language French 1946 (20 records) 2.jpg

Living Language French 1946 (20 records) 6.jpg

Living Language French 1946 (20 records) 5.jpg

Living Language French 1946 (20 records) 3.jpg


Living French Vintage Language Course 1946 20 Records – eBay.COM
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Living-French-Vintage-Language-Course-1946-20-Records-Good-Condition/283677059876?hash=item420c786b24:g:HLgAAOSwy9Zdzx2e
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