How do you measure your progress in learning a language? It's not like weight or height, you can't physically see it when you have lost a pound or grown an inch. You study, you practise, you feel depressed when it seems like none it is going into your head. Some days I am happy as I understand enough of the recordings, other days, I am frantically guessing and replaying every sentence hoping for clues.
At the moment I am studying the sixth and final book of Bon Depart and waiting for my course materials for Overture to arrive. I'm eager to see what's in the box but I'm also feeling a little nervous, as I'm not sure I am ready for the next stage. For the last few months I have been studying about an hour every day but I don't know whether I am learning or just completing the exercises.
This is one of the reasons for making myself sign up to a formal course. If I teach myself, I reach a crisis of confidence like this and give up, or try out another language. Now, I am committed, at least until the end of this module. Being part of a group will be good and having a tutor to ask for advice if I am really floundering might silence some of my doubts. And the assignments over the year will give me an answer on my progress.
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Morning, Julie
I, too, am awaiting for Ouverture to start this October and anxious feelings are slightly overwhelming me. I completed Bon Depart the year before last and really enjoyed it.
Fortunately, I already have the books for 'Ouverture' (as I decided to withdraw from the course last year, in order to fit in with my personal life, and was informed I could keep the text). I've been scanning the books for a few months now, and whilst it seems quite daunting, I think we'll all be fine, providing we are organised and keep-up
Something I need to practise, myself. I'm not going to deny that I think it's a huge leap from Bon Depart, but fingers crossed and good luck!
How did you find Bon Depart?
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Hi Zara
I really enjoyed Bon Depart, I found it filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge. Often things I didn't know I didn't know. However, I haven't studied this as a formal course, I bought the books and managed to get cds 1, 5 and 6 and I have worked through it on my own. This means I didn't have to complete any assignments. I am alright on the straightforward exercises, but I struggle with the tasks to write a hundred words on something or talk about something. It's really hard to assess whether my version of the answer is a pass or fail.