karena
New member
Karena, can you describe how the Michel Thomas course is structured, based on your experience of using it to study French? Is it entirely audio, or does it require paper and pen? What types of things did it teach you to say in French? Did it focus on grammar rules (ie, here is an indirect object, and now here is how to use it in a sentence, and here is the rule for conjugating a regular verb in the x famliy) or did it just focus on telling you how to say stuff and let you figure out the grammatical rule on your own?
After I finish the 30 lessons of the Pimsleur set, I'll probably want to continue my Arabic studies, so I'm interested in learning about other resources out there and what people think of them. I especially like using audio CD's, and I want to continue focusing on the Egyptian dialect of Arabic.
Right I'm listening now. It's hard to explain.
Easy questions first. It is all audio, you are not allowed paper and pen. You are also told not to try to remember. You should naturally remember rather than sitting there repeating things. The idea is you learn like when you learnt your native language.
I struggle with what it taught me as I had a tutor at the same time, so it's difficult to know which is which. It is aimed at beginners, so it assumes no knowledge, so you don't end up knowing loads. But one thing I like is that it teaches you to realise what you do know and have a go at working out what you need to say. It is all about building up words, and putting those words together in different ways, rather than learning phrases by rote.
Basically you're in a class with 2 other students and Michel Thomas. He will say a word, or possibly a little phrase (like toute le monde for everyone, not a whole sentence). Often there will be a little way of remembering - like qui being who, he might say 'who has the key' (qui being pronounced like key in English just in case you don't know any French), I remember there being something to do with a word sounding like a snake. You then build up with more and more words, which then you can put into sentences without realising it. So he might then ask you to say something which seems long and complicated, but you realise you know all the components and all you need to do is bung them together.
I randomly picked out the 4th CD of 8 to listen to, and they are doing "I will be going" and "I am going", then with it, he, nobody, nothing, everyone, who etc. I wouldn't say he explains the grammar rules in terms of this is how you conjugate the verb, but he does explain it a little in terms of how they are different things to say.
This website looks to have free samples. It might only work in UK though, but I just googled. Audible.co.uk - Downloadable audio books. I've just downloaded the Arabic one :dance:
Does that answer your questions/help? If not, I can try and explain better...
Addition: Am listening now and it's the Egyptian dialect that is taught (my Jordanian friend will not be happy - I won't tell him!) and there is an advanced course too.
Last edited: