Free and Legal Challenge FLC 2019/2020
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:00 pm
Now that the "new" has worn off the new year, it's time to restart the Free and Legal Challenge (FLC) for 2019. The old challenge thread is here.
So what is the FLC? This is a challenge for anyone who wants to learn a language using only free and legal resources. The idea came to me when I started learning Haitian Creole. Simon and Schuster were giving away the Pimsleur course for Haitian Creole for free immediately after the earthquake in 2010 and I, of course, downloaded it. I also downloaded the DLI HC Basic Course and the resources from Kansas University and various others. I bought a course and never used it because my free resources were so good, and in this case... better than the course I bought. I also had a Haitian friend on-island here with whom I could converse. This was my inspiration for the challenge. I figured if I could do this for a small, less commonly learned language like HC, that larger. more commonly studied languages would be relatively easy to learn for free and legally without downloading any copyrighted material at all illegally or purchasing anything other than internet access and a computer, tablet and/or smartphone.
So, last year, I started the FLC. Like most challenges there was an initial wave of enthusiasm followed by the inevitable waning of enthusiasm. Nobody actually completed the A1/A2 challenge (perhaps Systematiker did for A1/A2 though he is still working on his goal of B1). It was my first challenge and I bent a little too much to accommodate people. I won't be making that mistake again.
The challenge is to learn a language to A1, A2 level within 9 months from the start date. If you start today then that will be November 1, 2019. I'll keep registration open til March 15, 2019. If someone wants to try to reach B1- add six months.
Why should you consider the FLC? Because it will teach you how to make the most of what you have and that you can indeed learn using less than optimal resources. It can lead you to thinking outside the box in language-learning and make you a better learner when you are using optimal resources outside of the challenge.
There are plenty of ways to learn without courses. There are plenty of free and legal courses available for download. Plenty of free raw material for parallel texts and the LR method exist. Seek and ye shall find. Please ask in this thread if you don't know how to use free and legal materials or how to find them. I can help and so can others.
This time, there will be no crazy variants. There will be only two variants in the new challenge:
1) Pure FLC- only free and legal resources which are available online *can be supplemented by native-speaker help and non-library resources, see FAQ below.
2) Library assisted- resources available through your public library or via an inter-library loan and can include any free and legal online resources.
FAQ:
Streaming services where you already pay to eliminate ads? Yeah, ok. Tired of arguing about this one and I've changed my mind on it. Few people are going to use streaming video to learn a language to A1/A2 anyway.
Netflix? If you already have it, sure.
Cable TV? Yep.
Youtube? If you're watching or listening to copyright material there... and you pretty much know it is, then don't do that. Youtube sometimes lets a lot of stuff slide in other languages that they wouldn't let slide in English- like audiobooks, films and series.
Scribd? Again, it's free, but I know there's copyright stuff on there.
Books you've already bought- courses? No.
Stuff someone gives you or lends you? No.
A helpful native-speaker? Yes!!! Absolutely, as long as you don't pay them. It can be in person or online.
Italkie credit? Sure, you earned it! If people wanted to become community tutors in their L1 they can do that too and earn credit.
DVD's you already own that have language tracks? Yes.
TL books you already own? Sure, as long as they're not specific language-learning books like graded readers, courses, ready-made parallel texts.
Q: "Does this count?"
A: If you think it won't count, you're probably right. If you want to learn a language without any limitations, fantastic! Please, go right ahead!!! You'll just be doing it outside of the challenge. Yes that's unfair. Sorry about that.
Lastly, be honest. If you already speak Norwegian and want to learn Swedish, tell us. If you are a false beginner (studied the language before), tell us. Basically, if you have some sort of built-in advantage that other learners don't or won't have, please tell us.
There are going to be times where you may want more optimal resources for learning. That's alright. Just drop out of the challenge. If you do decide to drop out, please come here to tell us why and what benefits you may have gained from participating in the FLC.
So what is the FLC? This is a challenge for anyone who wants to learn a language using only free and legal resources. The idea came to me when I started learning Haitian Creole. Simon and Schuster were giving away the Pimsleur course for Haitian Creole for free immediately after the earthquake in 2010 and I, of course, downloaded it. I also downloaded the DLI HC Basic Course and the resources from Kansas University and various others. I bought a course and never used it because my free resources were so good, and in this case... better than the course I bought. I also had a Haitian friend on-island here with whom I could converse. This was my inspiration for the challenge. I figured if I could do this for a small, less commonly learned language like HC, that larger. more commonly studied languages would be relatively easy to learn for free and legally without downloading any copyrighted material at all illegally or purchasing anything other than internet access and a computer, tablet and/or smartphone.
So, last year, I started the FLC. Like most challenges there was an initial wave of enthusiasm followed by the inevitable waning of enthusiasm. Nobody actually completed the A1/A2 challenge (perhaps Systematiker did for A1/A2 though he is still working on his goal of B1). It was my first challenge and I bent a little too much to accommodate people. I won't be making that mistake again.
The challenge is to learn a language to A1, A2 level within 9 months from the start date. If you start today then that will be November 1, 2019. I'll keep registration open til March 15, 2019. If someone wants to try to reach B1- add six months.
Why should you consider the FLC? Because it will teach you how to make the most of what you have and that you can indeed learn using less than optimal resources. It can lead you to thinking outside the box in language-learning and make you a better learner when you are using optimal resources outside of the challenge.
There are plenty of ways to learn without courses. There are plenty of free and legal courses available for download. Plenty of free raw material for parallel texts and the LR method exist. Seek and ye shall find. Please ask in this thread if you don't know how to use free and legal materials or how to find them. I can help and so can others.
This time, there will be no crazy variants. There will be only two variants in the new challenge:
1) Pure FLC- only free and legal resources which are available online *can be supplemented by native-speaker help and non-library resources, see FAQ below.
2) Library assisted- resources available through your public library or via an inter-library loan and can include any free and legal online resources.
FAQ:
Streaming services where you already pay to eliminate ads? Yeah, ok. Tired of arguing about this one and I've changed my mind on it. Few people are going to use streaming video to learn a language to A1/A2 anyway.
Netflix? If you already have it, sure.
Cable TV? Yep.
Youtube? If you're watching or listening to copyright material there... and you pretty much know it is, then don't do that. Youtube sometimes lets a lot of stuff slide in other languages that they wouldn't let slide in English- like audiobooks, films and series.
Scribd? Again, it's free, but I know there's copyright stuff on there.
Books you've already bought- courses? No.
Stuff someone gives you or lends you? No.
A helpful native-speaker? Yes!!! Absolutely, as long as you don't pay them. It can be in person or online.
Italkie credit? Sure, you earned it! If people wanted to become community tutors in their L1 they can do that too and earn credit.
DVD's you already own that have language tracks? Yes.
TL books you already own? Sure, as long as they're not specific language-learning books like graded readers, courses, ready-made parallel texts.
Q: "Does this count?"
A: If you think it won't count, you're probably right. If you want to learn a language without any limitations, fantastic! Please, go right ahead!!! You'll just be doing it outside of the challenge. Yes that's unfair. Sorry about that.
Lastly, be honest. If you already speak Norwegian and want to learn Swedish, tell us. If you are a false beginner (studied the language before), tell us. Basically, if you have some sort of built-in advantage that other learners don't or won't have, please tell us.
There are going to be times where you may want more optimal resources for learning. That's alright. Just drop out of the challenge. If you do decide to drop out, please come here to tell us why and what benefits you may have gained from participating in the FLC.