How many languages can you speak? Even though we both come from bilingual families, neither of us speak a second language well.
Our parents moved to the US in their teens and twenties and were constantly practicing their English that we didn’t get as much of a chance to practice our Korean and Chinese.
As travelers, anytime we visit a new country, we try our best to learn some of the basic phrases of the local language. We try not to be the stereotypical American that expects everyone to cater to our needs and our language, but that’s what usually ends up happening anyways. 😩
We’re always so amazed when we meet people from other countries who speak multiple languages. On our travels, we are constantly meeting Europeans who speak 5-6 languages.
I’ve always been a fan of languages. I took French for two years in high school, Japanese and Korean in college, and self-taught myself Italian at home. It’s too bad none of them stuck because I never practiced them with anyone after. We’ve tried plenty of language learning programs, but when Assimil asked us to try theirs, we were excited to try a new method. We’re always open to trying new things to see what works best for us.
What is Assimil?
Assimil has been in the language learning game since 1929 and has produced programs for over 100 languages. They break their programs into separate categories that include “With Ease” as their basic one, a business series that focuses on vocabulary related to international business, and even a slang series to learn contemporary slang usage. Each one is built to be a flexible learning program, after all, we all learn differently.
How Does it Work and What Makes it Different?
The “With Ease” package includes vocabulary, helpful expressions, grammar lessons, and introductions to the language’s culture. Some people like learning through the dialogues, while others focus on grammar. A combination of all these approaches are built into the 100 lessons.
How Long Does it Take?
On average, it takes most people 3-6 months to complete all 100 lessons, which is equivalent to a year of study in high school or college. You can complete them quicker, but it depends on how much time you want to commit to it.
For the next month, we’ll be checking out the Assimil Spanish “With Ease” program. At least with Spanish, I know I will have more people to practice with.
You can buy Assimil from OptiLingo here. They currently have all their programs on sale (normally $125, but you can get them all for less than $75). It’s the perfect time to get a head start on your 2017 New Years resolutions (or a great Christmas gift for someone else who’s planning a trip abroad).
We’re headed to the Dominican Republic next week and possibly Chile in the summer, so we’re excited to get some practice in also.
Thank you OptiLingo for sponsoring this post. We’ll let you know next month what we think about the program! Anyone else wanting to learn a new language next year or hoping to brush up on one?
ESTHER + JACOB
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 50 travel blogs in the world. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They move to a new city every year and currently live in Portland, Oregon.
