SANS PEINE (ASSIMIL)
Series Note: This foreign language self-instruction series was the first published by the French publishing firm Assimil. It is built upon what the publisher calls La Méthode Assimil (= The Assimil Method) or La Méthode quotidienne Assimil (= The Daily Assimil Method), is meant to enable the independent learning of foreign languages on one's own (using just a book or a book and audio recordings). The method involves the daily repetition of simple sentences to learn the target language. This is an easy form of intuitive assimilation (thus giving the company name Assimil) which avoids onerous rote learning (i.e. the need for words, grammatical forms, etc. to be learnt by heart).
The Assimil language learning approach initiated by Alphonse Chérel first appeared in 1929 when he wrote and published L'anglais sans peine.
Thls ease of learning has led to the titles of each of the volumes written for French speaking learners including the phrase "sans peine" (= "without difficulty") (e.g. L'allemand sans peine). Similarly, the titles of volumes written for English speaking learners included the phrase "without toil" (e.g. French Without Toil) or "with ease" (e.g. Arabic With Ease); the titles of volumes written for German language speakers included the phrase "ohne Mühe" (= "without difficulty") (e.g. Italienisch ohne Mühe); and so on. See for example: Without Toil/With Ease (Assimil).
The Assimil methodology was an early example (similar to that of Linguaphone in London) based on using records alongside the textbook. Assimil's recognisable stylised logo which appeared on its textbook and on its record and later on its cassette sets depicted a long-playing record.
Other series (in French, "collections") published by Assimil for French speakers have included Perfectionnement, Bilingue, Affaires, Loisirs, Direct and Civilisations.
Books in this series in 1948
L'allemand sans peine (in print as early as 1948)
L'anglais sans peine (first published in 1929)
Books in this series in 1965
L'allemand sans peine
L'anglais sans peine
L'espagnol sans peine
L'italien sans peine
Le russe sans peine
New books in this series in 1970s/1980s
L'arabe sans peine
L'arabe sans peine: transcription phonétique
Le chinois sans peine (vols. 1, 2)
Le grec sans peine
Le latin sans peine
Le nouvel anglais sans peine
Le pratique de l'anglais (book with 3 audio cassettes)
Le portuguais sans peine
Le serbo-croate sans peine
Books in this series in 1999
Le nouveau allemand sans peine
Le nouvel anglais sans peine
L'arabe sans peine (Tome 1)
L'arabe sans peine (Tome 2)
Le bresilien sans peine
Le chinois sans peine (Tome 1)
Le chinois sans peine (Tome 2)
L'ecriture chinoise
Le creole sans peine
Le danois sans peine
Le nouvel espagnol sans peine
L'esperanto sans peine
Le grec sans peine (moderne)
L'hebreu sans peine (Tome 1)
L'hebreu sans peine (Tome 2)
Le hongrois sans peine
Le nouvel italien sans peine
Le japonais sans peine (Tome 1)
Le japonais sans peine (Tome 2)
Le latin sans peine
Le nouveau neerlandais sans peine
Le polonais sans peine
Le nouveau portugais sans peine
Le roumain sans peine
Le russe sans peine
Le serbo-croate sans peine
Le suedois san peine (Tome 1)
Le suedois san peine (Tome 2)
Introduction au thai
Le turc sans peine
L'allemand sans peine
by A. Chérel [Alphonse Chérel]
Editions Assimil, 1961 (Collection "Sans peine")
Hardback with dustjacket. Size: Small octavo (18 x 11.5 cm). 378 pages. Numerous humorous B&W illustrations throughout the text.
L'italien sans peine
by A. Chérel [Alphonse Chérel]
Editions Assimil, 1976 (Collection "Sans peine")
Pictorial hardback. No dustjacket as issued. Size: Small octavo (18 x 11.5 cm). 405 pages. Numerous humorous B&W illustrations throughout the text.
