Using Assimil together with Anki

All about language programs, courses, websites and other learning resources
Stefan
Green Belt
Posts: 379
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:59 pm
Location: Sweden
Languages: -
x 920
Contact:

Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby Stefan » Thu Jun 08, 2017 1:05 pm

I received Assimil Französisch ohne Mühe yesterday and I'm considering importing the data into Anki. There are a few posts online mentioning it, mostly people asking for a finished deck, but few seem to talk about how to make the most of it. Below is my draft on how to do it but I'd appreciate your input and experience with creating Anki decks for Assimil.



Creating cards from mp3

The mp3 disc has a lot of helpful information embedded in each mp3 file:

S01/T01 (sentence/translation number)
L001 (lesson number)
Title (includes the transcript)

By using MP3TAG (thanks sfuqua) you can rename the files and export the data to CSV looking like this:

Code: Select all

Transcript | assimil_fr_e_l001_s01.mp3 | assimil_fr_e_l001

assimil_fr_e_ stands for assimil_french_ease_ and is mainly a way to avoid conflict if I create other decks in the future. assimil_fr_e_l001 is a tag to be able to organise files in Anki based on lesson number but I'm not sure what the final name will be. So far I've only used deck hierarchy but it's not realistic with 130 subdecks.

Once you're in Excel you can adjust it for Anki and write the L1 translation:

Code: Select all

Transcript | Translation | [sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s01.mp3] | assimil_fr_e_l001

Or you could import it into Google Docs and use Google Translate to do it automatically:

Code: Select all

=GoogleTranslate(A1;"fr";"en")

Then simply export it as CSV and import into Anki.



Anki cards

Front: audio
Answer: transcript + L1 translation

Front: transcript + L1 translation
Answer: audio

Front: L1 translation
Answer: transcript + audio



Thoughts about this? I guess it's mainly the tags and card design I'm questioning. The idea is to practice all areas and that's why I'm considering three cards. One for listening comprehension, one for speaking and one for translating into French.
1 x

User avatar
Xenops
Brown Belt
Posts: 1444
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:33 pm
Location: Boston
Languages: English (N), Danish (A2), Japanese (rusty), Nansha (constructing)
On break: Japanese (approx. N4), Norwegian (A2)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16797
x 3559
Contact:

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby Xenops » Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:36 pm

I've been using the Cloze function with French in Action sentences, and I will start doing the Assimil sentences cards probably this weekend. what I've done so far in regards to Anki and Assimil is taking key vocabulary from the lessons and using Google and Forvo for pictures and sound, respectively.
1 x
Check out my comic at: https://atannan.com/

User avatar
zenmonkey
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2528
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 7:21 pm
Location: California, Germany and France
Languages: Spanish, English, French trilingual - German (B2/C1) on/off study: Persian, Hebrew, Tibetan, Setswana.
Some knowledge of Italian, Portuguese, Ladino, Yiddish ...
Want to tackle Tzotzil, Nahuatl
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=859
x 7030
Contact:

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby zenmonkey » Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:01 pm

If you like, you can use sub2srs to convert lessons into slices. Each card would then only have a sentence.
Basically you load the mp3 into a transcript managing tool. Export the sub timing file and run it through sub2srs. I do this for songs.

Here is my post on the subject:

https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 2920#p2920

Just follow step 3 & 4.

It is probably a bit time consuming....
2 x
I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar

Stefan
Green Belt
Posts: 379
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:59 pm
Location: Sweden
Languages: -
x 920
Contact:

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby Stefan » Thu Jun 08, 2017 5:16 pm

zenmonkey wrote:If you like, you can use sub2srs to convert lessons into slices. Each card would then only have a sentence.

Thanks, but it should be pointed out that Assimil's mp3 disc contains both individual sentences and full lessons. /L001-French ASSIMIL/S01.mp3 is sentence one, S02.mp3 is sentence two and so on.
1 x

scivola
White Belt
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 4:38 pm
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Languages: Esperanto (A2)
French (beginner)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1800
x 74

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby scivola » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:33 pm

Stefan wrote:I received Assimil Französisch ohne Mühe yesterday and I'm considering importing the data into Anki. There are a few posts online mentioning it, mostly people asking for a finished deck, but few seem to talk about how to make the most of it.


I kept a log awhile back when I did exactly this with New French With Ease, if you want to take a look. I used highly-customized card templates that you may be interested in.

I basically studied one new lesson per day, plus whatever reviews were due. I worked through the entire course, reviewing each card until it was "mature" (meaning that the card was prompting me with audio only and wasn't due for another review for at least a month). It was very effective, but did become a bit of a slog.

https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 0&start=10
1 x

User avatar
zenmonkey
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2528
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 7:21 pm
Location: California, Germany and France
Languages: Spanish, English, French trilingual - German (B2/C1) on/off study: Persian, Hebrew, Tibetan, Setswana.
Some knowledge of Italian, Portuguese, Ladino, Yiddish ...
Want to tackle Tzotzil, Nahuatl
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=859
x 7030
Contact:

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby zenmonkey » Thu Jun 08, 2017 7:19 pm

Stefan wrote:
zenmonkey wrote:If you like, you can use sub2srs to convert lessons into slices. Each card would then only have a sentence.

Thanks, but it should be pointed out that Assimil's mp3 disc contains both individual sentences and full lessons. /L001-French ASSIMIL/S01.mp3 is sentence one, S02.mp3 is sentence two and so on.


Ah, that's great. The ASSIMIL mp3 I have are not structured like that - so I guess the new ones lend themselves really well to ANKI.
0 x
I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar

Stefan
Green Belt
Posts: 379
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:59 pm
Location: Sweden
Languages: -
x 920
Contact:

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby Stefan » Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:54 pm

scivola wrote:I kept a log awhile back when I did exactly this with New French With Ease, if you want to take a look. I used highly-customized card templates that you may be interested in.

Very interesting and detailed post about your process. I liked the idea of using the same cards but updating them and hiding information as you progress. I found a plugin for auto-filling fields and reckon it would be possible to rewrite it and automate your work.

I also liked the use of ActiveWave but I didn't catch how you solved it. You wrote about creating a second card type but wouldn't it just double the amount of cards and lose the history or did you replace the card design?
0 x

scivola
White Belt
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 4:38 pm
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Languages: Esperanto (A2)
French (beginner)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1800
x 74

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby scivola » Fri Jun 09, 2017 6:09 pm

Stefan wrote:
scivola wrote:I also liked the use of ActiveWave but I didn't catch how you solved it. You wrote about creating a second card type but wouldn't it just double the amount of cards and lose the history or did you replace the card design?


It does create more cards, but of a different type.

The first set of cards that have "disappearing" fields on the front are all about recognition. Initially, you have the French audio, French text, and English text all appear on the front of the card, to make it as easy as possible to comprehend the card. After you review it a few times, the English text disappears, so now you have to comprehend it with only prompts in French. Later, the French text disappears so that you have to comprehend the card with the French audio as the only prompt. The ultimate goal is to be able to understand spoken French, and this system guides you toward that goal in little steps of gradually increasing difficulty.

The active wave cards kick in as a passive wave card reaches a "mature" status. At that point you should find it pretty easy to understand the French sentence. Now it is time to see if you can produce it. The active wave cards present the English text and ask you to type in the French. I tended to find that I would leave out little bits and pieces like a d' at the start of a word. That didn't prevent me from understanding the sentence, but trying to produce it really put focus on such details.

And the active wave cards didn't really double the workload as you might think. An active wave card first appears when the next review for the corresponding passive wave card is more than 30 days away, so it is more like you're substituting one for the other.
3 x

Stefan
Green Belt
Posts: 379
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:59 pm
Location: Sweden
Languages: -
x 920
Contact:

Postby Stefan » Sat Jun 10, 2017 7:41 pm

Importing Assimil's mp3 into Anki

Today I tried different methods for importing the data to Anki but found it annoying to export as csv, open in Excel, divide into columns, write translation, export as utf-16 txt, open in a text editor and re-save as utf-8. Then I realised that since I'm writing the translation manually, there's really no reason to go through another software. I can add all the info directly in MP3TAG and export as a ready-to-import txt. Again, thanks sfuqua.

Image

The image above shows all the tags I'm using to store data in each mp3 file. The title-tag contains the French transcript given by Assimil, the comment-tag includes the pronunciation, the composer-tag includes the German translation and so on. Once I begin using it for real, I'll hide the Lesson and Filename columns to give me more space but I wanted to show all the data I'm using.

Once I've translated a lesson, I use my custom made export function:

Code: Select all

$filename(txt,utf-8)$loop(%_path%)%album%#'['sound:%_filename_ext%']'#%comment%#%title%#%composer%#yes#yes#yes##%albumartist%
$loopend()

The end result is a txt looking like this with # as separator:

Code: Select all

assimil_fr_e_l001_s00#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s00.mp3]#a pa-ri#À Paris#In Paris#yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s01#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s01.mp3]#par-doñ, ma-dam. u e lÖ me-tro ßäñ mi-schäl?#Pardon, madame. Où est le métro Saint-Michel?#Entschuldigung, [gnädige] Frau (meine Dame). Wo ist die Metro[station] St. Michel?#yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s02#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s02.mp3]##Le métro Saint-Michel? Attendez une minute...##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s03#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s03.mp3]##Nous sommes au boulevard Saint-Michel. La fontaine est là-bas.##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s04#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s04.mp3]##Oui, d'accord. Mais où est le métro, s'il vous plaît?##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s05#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s05.mp3]##Mais bien sûr! Voilà la Seine, et voici le pont.##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s06#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s06.mp3]##C'est joli; mais s'il vous plaît...##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s07#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s07.mp3]##Ce n'est pas à gauche, alors c'est à droite.##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s08#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s08.mp3]##Voilà. Le métro est à droite!##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s09#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s09.mp3]##Mais vous êtes sûre?##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_s10#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_s10.mp3]##Non. Je suis touriste aussi!##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_t01#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_t01.mp3]##Je suis à Paris; nous sommes à Paris.##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_t02#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_t02.mp3]##Vous êtes sûr?##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_t03#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_t03.mp3]##Attendez une minute, s'il vous plaît.##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_t04#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_t04.mp3]##Voilà la fontaine et voici le métro.##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001
assimil_fr_e_l001_t05#[sound:assimil_fr_e_l001_t05.mp3]##Mais bien sûr!##yes#yes#yes##assimil_fr_e_l001

I tell Anki to look for # and it automatically divides it into my deck categories:

Image

The end result currently looks like this:

Image

The card design is built on /u/TrainOfPotatoes amazing template but French sentences sort of broke it. I'm not sure about the color combination (white text) but it will have to do for now so I can focus on studying. My main goal was to get away from the standard black text on white background. I'm also using the method by scivola with tags built to hide translations and transcripts as I progress.

It's a bit heartbreaking that I'm not allowed to share the deck and all the work afterwards.
4 x

scivola
White Belt
Posts: 29
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 4:38 pm
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Languages: Esperanto (A2)
French (beginner)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1800
x 74

Re: Using Assimil together with Anki

Postby scivola » Sun Jun 11, 2017 1:38 am

I'm very excited to see how this experiment works out for you. It was very effective for me, and I hope that is replicated for you.

Although, I just had a bit of a holy sh*t moment. I originally got the idea for the disappearing cards from a site called darkjapanese.wordpress.com. Whoever wrote that site was focused an learning Japanese and s/he wrote a whole bunch of dense, interesting, somewhat inscrutable posts, mostly focused on ways to massage anki into implementing whatever learning stratagies research seemed to indicate were most effective. He linked lots of research papers in his posts.
Decks have been removed from ankiWeb, sites taken down, etc. That's very disappointing to me, because I think I had only grokked a small part of what that person was on about, to my detriment.

This is the second time I've been at least a hanger-on in a community where somebody did this. I had been part of the ruby language programming community a bunch of years ago when a prolific programmer named WhyTheLuckyStiff did the same thing. He had a prominent blog, had developed a number a influential code libraries, etc, and suddenly he deleted it all and basically never communicated with anyone again. Just disappeared. That sucks.

emk, sprachprofi, rdearman, serpent, cainntear, and loads of others here, thanks for you contributions. I greatly appreciate them. If you ever get tired of learning languages, could you just please leave your contributions where they are? I still have a long way to go to reach my goals, and I could use all the help I can get.
7 x


Return to “Language Programs and Resources”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests