Is this FSI site legit ?
Printed From: FSI Language Courses
Category: Learning Languages
Forum Name: Spanish
Forum Discription: Discussion about studying Spanish using the FSI course.
URL: http://fsi-language-courses.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=538
Printed Date: 16 January 2009 at 2:48am
Topic: Is this FSI site legit ?
Posted By: lingua
Subject: Is this FSI site legit ?
Date Posted: 08 January 2008 at 7:46am
I need to purchase level 4 soon, and wanted to see if anyone had any experience with this site. With all the "copyright" talk going on , I'm getting nervous!
http://www.foreignserviceinstitute.com/languages/spanish/ - http://www.foreignserviceinstitute.com/languages/spanish/
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Replies:
Posted By: pdj1961
Date Posted: 20 May 2008 at 12:48pm
It is non-copywritten material, and anyone can freely copy and use it as he or she sees fit.
------------- Paul Jacobs
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Posted By: lingua
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 3:47am
Well, I knew it was legal to sell, but I didn't know if I could trust the merchant. I live in Dallas, so I went by the address to buy in person, and it was located on the "seedy" side of town. The address is just a mailbox.
So, I decided to go with Platiquemos, since it was his work originally, anyway. Thanks
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Posted By: DemiPuppet
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 6:35pm
So, I decided to go with Platiquemos, since it was his work originally, anyway.
I'm curious, who does this "his" refer to? What is the original work?
It should be noted that the Platiquemos web site states that the original FSI Spanish Basic (text and audio) is in the public domain. See the comment about resellers of the original version (i.e. Barrons):
"they are all basically selling the same thing: the original, public domain FSI program"
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Posted By: Chung
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 10:32pm
Maybe he's referring to Don Casteel et al. at FSI who worked on the original Basic Spanish course and came up with Platiquemos.
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Posted By: DemiPuppet
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 11:01pm
OK, I see. So "worked on" in this case means he studied the course at FSI.
I couldn't find anything on the Platiquemos web site that states he helped produce the original Basic course. His name doesn't appear anywhere in the original books (maybe I just missed it?).
Basic 1 Authors (1961)
Robert P Stockwell J. Donald Bowen Ismael Silva-Fuenzalida
Basic 2 Authors (1961)
Robert P Stockwell J. Donald Bowen Ismael Silva-Fuenzalida
Basic 3 Authors (1959) (I don't understand how Vol 3 is earlier than Vol 1 and 2)
Robert P Stockwell J. Donald Bowen Guillermo Segreda Hugo Montero U. Ismael Silva-Fuenzalida
Basic 4 Authors (1962)
B. David Trease Jack L Ulsh
As far as I can tell, the biography page on Don Casteel doesn't mention that he wrote or helped produce the original courses. It states he was an infantry officer in the Army doing tours in Vietnam and then Germany. After the Army he joined the FSI. Another section of the web site states that he studied Spanish at the FSI.
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Posted By: Chung
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 11:41pm
Oh, what I meant by "worked on" was that he did a partial rehaul on the original FSI Spanish and came up with Platiquemos. Sorry, poor choice of words.
He did study Finnish and Spanish at FSI, and I got the impression from some of his posts at How-to-learn... that he worked at FSI. The way he discussed Programmatic Spanish and its (incomplete) development led me to think that he was part of the creative process for courses. In any case, it doesn't matter that much for our purposes since he's made it clear that Platiquemos is his property but original FSI Basic Spanish is in the public domain. He has also expressed his disdain for Barron's and its passing off of copies of FSI originals as its own. If anything he seems to be mildly supportive of the work on this website (despite the potential competition from a free FSI Basic Spanish course to his Platiquemos course) and offered some commentary with what little he knew of the legalities of distributing FSI courses to onebir.
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Posted By: lingua
Date Posted: 31 May 2008 at 8:46pm
Ooops, sorry...my bad...
Like Chung said, I was under the impression from other posts I've read here that Mr. Don Casteel was heavily involved in the production of the original FSI course. It appears not. I'm guessing then that he just ''re-worked" the original, and gave it a new name. Thanks for clearing that up for me.
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Posted By: DemiPuppet
Date Posted: 07 June 2008 at 7:25pm
Going back to the original topic, it should be noted that in several states any sound recordings sold must have the name and address of the person who transferred the sounds to the recoding medium (tape, cd, etc). In many cases it doesn't matter if the sound recording is in the public domain or not. These "True name and address" laws are fairly recent and similar among several of the states. The text was supposedly drafted by the RIAA.
Example:
Illinois (effective 1/1/2008):
(720 ILCS 5/16‑8) (from Ch. 38, par. 16‑8)
Sec. 16‑8. Unlawful use of unidentified sound or audio visual recordings.
(a) A person commits unlawful use of unidentified sound or audio visual
recordings when he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or negligently for
profit manufactures, advertises or offers for sale, sells, distributes, transports, vends, circulates, performs,
leases, or possesses for such purposes, unidentified sound or audio visual
recordings or causes the manufacture, advertisement or offer for sale, sale, distribution, transportation, vending,
circulation, performance, lease, or possession for such purposes, unidentified
sound or audio visual recordings.
(b) Unlawful use of unidentified sound or audio visual recordings is a
Class 4 felony; however:
(1) If the offense involves more than 100 but not
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exceeding
1000 unidentified sound recordings or more than 7 but not exceeding 65
unidentified audio visual recordings during any 180 day period the
authorized fine is up to $100,000; and
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(2) If the offense involves more than 1,000
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unidentified
sound recordings or more than 65 unidentified audio visual recordings
during any 180 day period the authorized fine is up to $250,000.
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(c) Each and every individual manufacture, advertisement or offer for sale, sale, distribution, transportation,
vending,
circulation, performance, lease, or possession for such purposes, an
unidentified sound or audio visual recording constitutes a separate
violation of this Section.
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New York:
§ 275.35 Failure to disclose the origin of a recording in the second degree. A person is guilty of failure to disclose the origin of a recording in the second degree when, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, he knowingly advertises or offers for sale, resale, or rental, or sells, resells, or rents, or possesses for such purposes, a recording the cover, box, jacket or label does not clearly and conspicuously disclose the actual name and address of the manufacturer or the name of the performer or principal artist. The omission of the actual name and address of the manufacturer, or the omission of the name of the performer or principal artist, or the omission of both, shall constitute the failure to disclose the origin of a recording. Failure to disclose the origin of a recording in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.
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Posted By: sarguy
Date Posted: 27 July 2008 at 9:40am
Mr Casteel did rework the original FSI Spanish to improve the range of accents and speakers on the original tapes as well as reduce the dependence on having a book infront of you while listening to the tape. As I understand, he did work for the Foreign Service Bureau, stationed in South America for most of his career.
Unfortunately, Mr Casteel passed away last month. However, you can still buy the dvd with all of the Platiquemos stuff from http://www.ultimatelanguagestore.com - www.ultimatelanguagestore.com . I have no financial interest there, I just began to look around for a place to get it after his death, and this was the best one.
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Posted By: amo_gerel8987
Date Posted: 13 September 2008 at 11:16pm
Spanish Basic CourseVolume 2 - Auodio no 
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Posted By: ames
Date Posted: 11 November 2008 at 6:03am
There are two ways that Basic 3 can be earlier than Basic 1 and 2.
1. Basic 1 and 2 may be reworkings of earlier versions.
2. Someone thought it was desirable to provide a way up to the work of Basic 3.
David
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