Je parle l'Allemand (Editions Atlas, 1988)

[jeffers]

In a thread about FSI, reineke mentioned a course called Je parle l'Allemand, with the merest hint of information about the course:

I got the expression for free from TV shows. If anyone is looking for something more modern but still substantial, try Je parle l’Allemand [I (can) Speak German] by Editions Atlas, 1988. The audio is 32 hours long.

That's the whole post, and as far as I could see nobody else said anything about it. The source is: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=3901&start=30

This of course got me searching down the rabbithole of the web, and I found a little bit more about the course.

I found that it was recommended by speakeasy in the German group, but again with no further information. Source: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=5074&start=150 It's always interesting when this forum is one of the top few search results.

According to what I think is a Chinese piracy website, it had 96 booklets and 32 cassettes. However, the page was full of dodgy links my work laptop wouldn't trust.

I found an advertisement for the course here:
https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/publicite/pub3774419045/editions-atlas-je-parle-l-allemand-methode-de-langue-cassette
The advert also mentions that they also have courses in English, Spanish and Italian (so big surprise).

And that's about the only useful information I could find. Does anyone know anything more about it?


Edit: here are photos of the front and back of the first volume:

986705515.jpg

986705516.jpg

[guyome]

You can find quite a few pictures by searching on leboncoin.fr:
https://www.leboncoin.fr/livres/2454318401.htm
https://www.leboncoin.fr/livres/2497554530.htm
https://www.leboncoin.fr/livres/2483232712.htm
https://www.leboncoin.fr/livres/2595521532.htm

96 lessons, 32 tapes + 4 dictation tapes. The course seems to make a generous use of drawings and pictures.

You can also find the English, Italian and Spanish courses there. It looks like they follow the same format.
https://www.leboncoin.fr/livres/2499959290.htm
https://www.leboncoin.fr/livres/2284027552.htm

I remember growing up in the 90s, it seemed like these "buy one piece each week" things were all the rage. Boat/plane/train models, book series, language courses, "build your own human skeleton", they were everywhere.

[Slowpoke]

I'm so curious! I'd love to hear what those recordings are.

[Le Baron]

I'm so curious! I'd love to hear what those recordings are.

Here's something more annoying. A photo of all the cassettes for sale (€80):

[finknottles]

Based on those pictures of the course, it looks almost exactly the same as the Italian "De Agostini" courses (which were also reprinted by Globo as "Curso de Idiomas" with Portuguese as the base language). Perhaps this is the French reprint? If so, I imagine that the recordings would be exactly the same if those editions are any easier to track down.

[guyome]

That would make sense. It seems Editions Atlas became part of the De Agostini group in 1987.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ditions_Atlas