Assimil Spanish (2022 Edition) Review
If you’ve come across Assimil Spanish while researching self-study language courses, you might be wondering if it lives up to the praise. In this review, I’ll break down the course structure, teaching style, and whether it’s worth your time and effort as a Spanish learner.
What is Assimil?
Assimil is a respected French language course publisher that was founded in 1929 by Alphonse Chérel. The company specialises in developing language-learning resources tailored for self-directed learners. Its debut publication, Anglais sans peine (English Without Toil), marked the start of its popular Sans Peine (With Ease) series, aimed at helping beginners achieve a B2 proficiency level in various languages. While Assimil offers courses in a wide range of languages, the selection depends on the learner’s base language, with French obviously boasting the largest selection.
Versions
- Spanish without Toil (1948)
- Original French Edition: L’espagnol sans peine by A. Chéral.
- First Lesson: Alberto va a París.
- English Adaptation: Titled Spanish without Toil, this edition was published up until the 1970s.
- Le Nouveau Espagnol Sans Peine (1981)
- French Edition: Authored by Francisco Javier Antón Martínez.
- First Lesson: Un encuentro.
- English Adaptation: Spanish with Ease by J. Antón 1987, translated and adapted by John Smellie.
- L’Espagnol (2004)
- French Edition: Written by F. J. Antón Martínez.
- First Lesson: Un aperitivo.
- English Adaptation: Published in 2014 as Spanish with Ease, translated and adapted by Gerard Pickering.
- L’Espagnol (2017)
- French Edition: Written by Juan Córdoba.
- First Lesson: ¡Qué sorpresa!.
- English Adaptation: Published in 2022 as Spanish with Ease, translated and adapted by Paul Sutton. This is the most recent version, offering up-to-date content with an emphasis on practical, modern Spanish.
Assimil Spanish with Ease 1987
Assimil Spanish (translated version of Le Nouveau Espagnol Sans Peine 1981) by J. Anton adapted by John Smellie. It also has another variation of the cover.
Assimil Spanish with Ease 2014
Spanish with Ease (translated version of L'Espagnol 2004) by Anton Martinez adapted by Gerard Pickering
Assimil Spanish with Ease 2022
The newest edition (translation of L'Espagnol 2017)
The Method
Assimil employs a two-phase approach. The method consists of working your way through the first half of the course known as the passive phase (known as the ‘”receptive” phase on the newer courses) during which you immerse yourself in the language simply by reading, listening to and repeating each lesson. At lesson fifty you enter the second phase of the course which is called the active phase (or “productive”) where you go back over the previous lessons while continuing to learn the new lessons. Admittedly it can be a little confusing with some books providing different sets of instructions, check out my how to use Assimil post for tips on how to use Assimil.
Table of Contents
The Assimil Spanish 2020 edition contains 100 lessons with 680 pages in total.
- Introduction
- Practicalities (expectations, how does Assimil work)
- Pronunciation
- Lessons 1 to 100 (pages 1-510)
- Grammar Notes (pages 512)
- Spanish – English glossary (page 562)
- English – Spanish glossary (page 612)
Layout
The book follows the classic Assimil layout which is similar to that of a parallel text, you have the target language on the left and the teaching language on the right. The lessons follow a uniform approach comprising of :
- Dialogue – Parallel dialogues English/Spanish
- Notes – Usually explaining small grammar points relating to the dialogue
- Translation exercises – translate Spanish sentences into your L1 (native language/teaching language)
- Fill in the blank exercise.
- Every seventh lesson has a revision lesson that goes over various grammar points and expressions introduced in the previous lessons.
Dialogues
Assimil tends to remain loyal to their course authors, with new editions often being updates by the same writers. The previous two editions were authored by Francisco Javier Antón Martínez, but this latest edition by Juan Córdoba introduces a fresh perspective, revitalising the course with updated content and a modern approach.
Exercises / Grammar Explanations
Each lesson in the Assimil Spanish course comes with two types of exercises: translating sentences from Spanish to English and filling in the blanks. The exercises are fairly simple, so if you’re after something more challenging, this might not be the best fit for you. Grammar explanations are included as notes after the dialogue, linking back to specific parts to make things clearer. Every seventh lesson is a review, designed to go over the grammar and vocabulary from the previous six lessons, sometimes with a translation dialogue thrown in. This is the standard setup for all Assimil courses.
Cultural Notes
While this course may not have as many cultural notes as some other courses, it does include interesting cultural information throughout the book in bright red text. Topics covered include diminutive forms of first names, tortilla española, meat, football, RENFE (Spain’s national state-owned railway company), information on cities and regions i.e. Basque country, Madrid, Barcelona and more.
Audio
The latest Assimil Spanish course has 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 9 seconds of audio recordings, so 3 hours, that’s a 30-minute increase on the previous 2004 edition. As usual for Assimil, the recordings are all high-quality. The speakers begin speaking at a slower pace, gradually increasing to a more natural speed throughout the course. The course offers several audio options, including the Super Pack which includes the book, four audio CDs, and a USB stick with mp3 files. The mp3 files on the USB stick are particularly useful as they allow for further breakdown of the audio and listening to dialogue line by line. Sample the audio below with lessons 1, 50, and 100
Pricing
The Assimil courses are not exactly budget-friendly, but I believe the value they provide justifies the cost. It’s worth noting that Assimil is a French company, so finding the books outside of Europe can be challenging, especially in physical bookstores. Another option is to purchase the book without the audio, which is the cheapest option. However, the most cost-effective solution is to purchase the download pack which includes the book and audio which you download from the Assimil site with the code provided in the box.The course also offers an e-method on iOs and Android, but I do not recommend it as the user experience is not optimal. I will provide a review of the e-method in future.
I’ve listed the prices in USD, prices will differ depending on where you find them, used or new.
Book: $29.90
Superpack = Book + Audio CDs + Audio download: $64.64
Older edition book 1987: around $18 used
E-course: €49.90
Note – Be careful when buying the book online or second-hand, Assimil has the habit of updating the cover art without updating the book’s contents. (Case and point would be 2014 and 2022 editions which look similar), so make sure you buy the correct one!
| Assimil French |
Price: see links |
|---|---|
THE GOOD
|
THE BAD
|
SUMMARY
Overall, the newest Assimil Spanish delivers a comprehensive language learning approach with engaging dialogues, high-quality audio, and contextual learning, making it an excellent self-study resource. While the course provides a solid foundation in Spanish, its B2 proficiency marketing claims appear overly optimistic. A more realistic expectation would be reaching high A2 to B1 level, requiring additional language practice and immersion to progress further.
Conclusion
This latest edition of Assimil Spanish is an excellent resource for self-study if you’re learning Spanish. Whilst I understand that some self-study products like Assimil are not everyone’s cup of tea, it nevertheless can provide a flexible learning approach combined with manageable grammar explanations. In my opinion, it’s a fantastic choice for anyone seeking an immersive and self-paced way to learn Spanish. This edition is also an improvement on the L’Espagnol by F. J. Antón Martinez (2004) which was translated and adapted later into English in 2014, with 30 minutes more audio and almost 100 more pages.
Assimil’s bold B2 proficiency claims on their book covers are misleading and potentially deceptive. Achieving B2 level solely through this course is highly improbable (in my opinion). Whilst Assimil provides a solid Spanish learning foundation, reaching B2 requires a multifaceted approach including additional resources like podcasts, extensive reading, conversation practice, and language immersion. Potential learners should view Assimil as a valuable component of their language learning journey, not a magical solution to rapid fluency.
If you want to learn more about how to use Assimil then check out how to use Assimil
| Assimil French |
|---|
THE GOOD
|
|
THE BAD
|
SUMMARY
Overall, the newest Assimil Spanish delivers a comprehensive language learning approach with engaging dialogues, high-quality audio, and contextual learning, making it an excellent self-study resource. While the course provides a solid foundation in Spanish, its B2 proficiency marketing claims appear overly optimistic. A more realistic expectation would be reaching high A2 to B1 level, requiring additional language practice and immersion to progress further.
