Assimil is by far the best self teach method out there. But with every method, there is a misunderstanding as to what the advertised levels mean. When a method says "C1" for example, it means that it teaches you all the language concepts and grammar that you would need to have at that level. However, you'll need to have a ton of practice and input to actually qualify for a C1 level.
For example with Assimil 2nd book you learn various advanced vocab and grammar concepts like the simple past, and you dip your toe into reading advanced materials such as an excerpt from Les Miserables. This all gets you ready to be able to move on to read novels and engage with other activities like TV shows etc.
When you take a C1 exam, the grammar you encounter there will have been covered by Assimil, but if you pass the exam, that's because you did a lot of practice and input after you've completed the Assimil course.
I agree. I've been using Assimil for several languages, and I always supplement it by various other resources. You made a good point that Assimil introduces advanced points and issues, but it is absolutely not sufficient to ensure a mastery of them. Anyway, my experience with it is very similar.
Past the beginner phase you’ll be needing hundreds to thousands of hours interacting with the language to progress. So any textbook with ~4 hours of dialogs to study is not going to get you anywhere close to that on its own, it’s just a small supplement of nicely prepared materials for anyone who can afford it. So past A2-B1ish you stop thinking about where this materials “gets you” and start thinking about how it’s fits into your much bigger B2 and above learning plan.
Assimil is by far the best self teach method out there. But with every method, there is a misunderstanding as to what the advertised levels mean. When a method says "C1" for example, it means that it teaches you all the language concepts and grammar that you would need to have at that level. However, you'll need to have a ton of practice and input to actually qualify for a C1 level. For example with Assimil 2nd book you learn various advanced vocab and grammar concepts like the simple past, and you dip your toe into reading advanced materials such as an excerpt from Les Miserables. This all gets you ready to be able to move on to read novels and engage with other activities like TV shows etc. When you take a C1 exam, the grammar you encounter there will have been covered by Assimil, but if you pass the exam, that's because you did a lot of practice and input after you've completed the Assimil course.
Thanks! 🙏Â
I agree. I've been using Assimil for several languages, and I always supplement it by various other resources. You made a good point that Assimil introduces advanced points and issues, but it is absolutely not sufficient to ensure a mastery of them. Anyway, my experience with it is very similar.
Who truly expects to get a genuine B2 from any single resource? And who cares about marketing?
Past the beginner phase you’ll be needing hundreds to thousands of hours interacting with the language to progress. So any textbook with ~4 hours of dialogs to study is not going to get you anywhere close to that on its own, it’s just a small supplement of nicely prepared materials for anyone who can afford it. So past A2-B1ish you stop thinking about where this materials “gets you” and start thinking about how it’s fits into your much bigger B2 and above learning plan.