Born in Rennes, France in 1882, Alphonse Chérel created the Assimil concept in 1929.
A young graduate, he left to work in Czarist Russia as a tutor, and taught himself the language of Tolstoy. He moved on to England and acquired English. He headed to Germany, and learned German... and so on.
At the age of 46, he decided to make use of his vast experience in self-taught language learning and invented an original calendar on which each page a short lesson in English appeared with a humorous cartoon. The principle of the daily lesson, short and amusing was born!
In 1929, the first Assimil method - Anglais sans peine - (English With Ease) sprang to life. Alphonse discovered that the word root Assimil existed in almost every language, and thus was born the brand name!
Today, millions of people in France and around the world know the opening sentence of that first Assimil book: "My tailor is rich," often without even knowing where the phrase originated. In fact, this curious line was drafted in complete spontaneity by Alphonse and has taken its place in contemporary French jargon.
Of course, today, long after the departure of Alphonse, the Assimil language methods are constantly being updated and revised to keep in stride with the language use of the day. But the original concept, unique in the world, has remained solidly in place. And the proof is in the pudding: the methods are original and, above all, effective.
Today, Assimil is a French company specializing in language learning, with over 75 years of experience.
With French as the source language, Assimil offers 70 language courses ranging from German and Vietnamese, to Breton and Hindi.
We export our products to more than 70 countries in the form of self-study courses for English, German, Dutch and Russian speakers.
Our courses are available in 11 source languages, for a total of 120 adaptations.
More than 20 million people throughout the world have learned a new language thanks to the Assimil method.
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A unique learning method: “Intuitive assimilation” |
How did you learn to speak ?
You probably don't even know. You listened to your parents, gradually understanding the meanings of sounds, words, then whole sentences, before you started making sounds, words and then whole sentences. Assimil applies this same natural process, adapting it to the aptitudes of teenagers and adults.
Two steps to learning : The "Passive" phase
The first step is to familiarise yourself with the language by means of daily sessions lasting 20 to 30 minutes. You listen and read – and you understand what is being said, because a translation is provided.
You repeat sentences aloud to work on your pronunciation, with the help of phonetic pronunciation or, better still, recordings. This is a passive phase, during which you shouldn't try to construct sentences. Just immerse yourself in the language. Every seventh lesson reviews points covered in the six previous lessons and summarises the main grammar points learned during the week. Regular study is key to success.
The first two weeks are crucial; the rest will come naturally.
A ""With Ease"" course will make you fluent in everyday conversation, with a firm grasp of grammar and a sizeable vocabulary of around 2,000 words.
The "Active" phase
Once you've gained adequate passive knowledge – generally around the 50th lesson – the active phase begins. It takes place in parallel with your daily ""passive"" lessons. You start again at the beginning, studying one active and one passive lesson per day. The active phase consists quite simply in hiding the text of the target language and reproducing it, orally or in writing, on the basis of the French text. You'll be amazed at your results! During this second phase, you will be building sentences with ease. And this encourages you to go on and complete your course.
Method contents
A "With Ease" course is based on a source-book containing between 70 and 150 lessons, depending on the language studied. All courses include recordings, which are optional but highly recommended. Learning a language without hearing it is like learning the words of a song without the music. Made by professional actors, the recordings – available on cassette and CD – generally contain the full dialogue and exercises of each lesson."
Le Forum and Assimil offer series for beginning to advanced learners, language buffs, and seasoned travellers :
"With Ease" series
Beginner to Intermediate $129
The "With Ease" series is Assimil's flagship collection. Available for more than 50 languages, these courses enable beginners to acquire an average vocabulary of between 2,000 and 3,000 words, to learn the basic grammar rules, and to gain a command of everyday conversation.
The "Perfectionnement" series
Intermediate to Advanced $129
This series is intended for learners with a good grasp of grammar and vocabulary in their target language. It focuses on the idiosyncrasies of the most commonly spoken European languages. The Perfectionnement series introduces you to the idioms of business, politics and the media; to regional accents; and to highlights of the country's literature.
Business series $129
The Business series is designed for people who need to learn a language for professional reasons – employees of multinationals, frequent business travellers, people attending meetings in a foreign language and so on. An original concept built around appealing storylines, this "business" series will quickly teach you all you need to know about the world of international trade and commerce.
It is currently available in French for English speakers.
"On the Road" Series
Travel Companions $16.50
More than a phrase book, an "On the Road" guide is a must for obtaining a better grasp of local culture and coping with everyday situations.
Features :
. Insight into local customs
. Everyday phrases
. Key vocabulary in current use
. Basic grammar rules
. A glossary
. A handy flap-cover displaying key words and phrases at a glance.
