Assimil Khmer is the best tool for the intermediate beginner. It fails as a true "zero to hero" course because of the script difficulty. However, once you learn how to read (even slowly), this book is a goldmine.
Assimil promises you will reach a B2 level (conversational). You won’t. With Khmer specifically, the gap between understanding a sentence and producing it is huge. The active phase is necessary, but it feels like hitting a brick wall because Khmer grammar is so alien to English speakers. assimil khmer
Khmer has the largest alphabet in the world (74 letters). Assimil throws you into the deep end. By lesson 5, you are reading full sentences. If you haven’t already spent 2 weeks drilling the alphabet, you will drown. Pro tip: Learn the consonants and vowels before starting Assimil. Assimil Khmer is the best tool for the intermediate beginner
Most language apps sound like robots reading a script. Assimil uses real Cambodian speakers. They speak at natural speed (sometimes too fast, actually). This is crucial because Khmer is a tonal language and has a massive disconnect between the written word and the spoken slang. Assimil promises you will reach a B2 level (conversational)
I spent a month with Assimil Khmer. Here’s my honest take.
If you’ve decided to learn Khmer (Cambodian), you’ve probably noticed a problem: the pickings are slim. Unlike Spanish or French, Khmer doesn’t have a bottomless pit of apps and flashy software.