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Reviews (42)

A Solid Foundation
The Pimsleur philosophy is that one should start learning a foreign language similarly to a first language. Without writing anything, and without detailed grammatical discussion you hear and repeat until the language begins to feel natural. This made a lot of sense to me when I thought about how much English grammar I "know" through experience but can't easily articulate because I never studied much grammar in school. For instance, could you immediately explain when it's correct to use the word "some" vs "any"?
Overrated
Pimsleur is far overrated. True, it teaches (formal) conversation skills, but lacks a text, and costs too much. It's also quite boring. I reccomend the Rosetta Stone instead. It teaches you how to read, and in Level 2 it contains a decent amount of conversation vocab. Also, it can analyze your speech and *graphically* show you your pronunciation vs. the correct pronounciation.
Terrific program for beginners -- with reservations
I've gone through all 3 full sets of Pimsleur Mandarin Chinese.If you'd have asked me immediately after I'd finished them what I thought of the series, I'd have given it 5 stars without hesitation.However, after spending the past year trying to advance past what I've learned via the Pimsleur series, I've come across some reservations which prevent me from giving it a 5 star review anymore.While I do feel the Pimsleur method is incredibly useful and (despite its seeming simplicity) very innovative, I think their Mandarin Chinese series also suffers from simply being "plugged in" to the standard Pimsleur format, rather than receiving the customization that would help users truly understand the Chinese language, which has many quirks unique to it.
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Subjects:  1. Audio - Language    2. Audio Adult: Language    3. Chinese    4. Technical & Manufacturing Trades    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    6. Foreign Language Study / Chinese   

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Reviews (5)

Every bit as good as Pimsleur German I
Pimsleur Language Programs products are among the best-selling audio language courses available.`Organic learning' seeks to approximate the conditions in which ordinary language-learning takes place.The process is almost entirely aural, supplemented only minimally-or at the student's discretion, not at all-by reference to reading lessons after each half-hour lesson.
Sehr Gut
I took two years of German in high school, which was some decades ago, and after a ski trip to Austria I decided to brush up on my German. I've bought numerous books, dvds, tapes, etc. and for learning conversational German this has been far and away the best. It's pricey, no doubt, but it's very, very well done and very user friendly. I had a professor in college who said we learn the most in an area of "just manageable difficulty". In other words, stretched and challenged but not made to despair. This is the arena the Pimsleur cd/tapes work in.
The best of the Pimsleur German series.
If you thought Pimsleur German I helped you to learn German, you really must move onto Pimsleur German II.It is, without a doubt, one of the best tools you could possibly use to progress from barely being able to get your message across to being able to express not only what you want, but what you think about things.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. French    4. German    5. German language    6. Self-instruction    7. Sound recordings for English speakers    8. Spoken German    9. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    10. Foreign Language Study / German   

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Reviews (51)

Essential...if you know how to use it.
This is actually a review for more than one product (Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone)
It gets the job done...
I live in Japan and have used these CDs to study basic conversation.I listen to each lesson twice while driving to and from work.After a month or two I find that I am able to communicate much better than before.I highly reccomend these CDs, though I would suggest suplementing with other study methods.

An overall good intro to spoken Japanese
I have used more the one audio coarse of the last several years in my attempts to learn Japanese. Most are what I would call parrot tapes, they give you a phrase in English then have you repeat it a couple of time in Japanese and thats all they do. While that might work for simple phrases that a tourist might need in a pinch when they can't find a English speaker it doesn't really teach you the language.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Japanese    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Foreign Language Study / Japanese   

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Reviews (73)

Very Good!Needs Sentence Building Though!
Here I sit, surrounded by language courses.
Good but Lacking in Conversational Practice
I have been using the course for two years now and I can say that I have learnt loads more Spanish than I did for several years in high school. One important tip - the best results are obtained from copying the disks to a portable player (IPod or something similar) and using them while you're walking, on an airplane flight or something similar. The abiliy to pause the recordings, where you need more time to respond, or to rewind or restart a section, where you need to revise individual parts of a lesson, is crucial to getting the most out of the course (or any similar audio course for that matter).
I'm On My Way!
For many years I harbored the belief that I have a facility for foreign languages.Unfortunately, I never tested my belief, until now.I resolved to learn Spanish as part of my preparation for a dream vacation in Spain.The Spanish Complete Learn in Your Car set has gotten me off to a great start.Within a few lessons, I began using Spanish words and phrases without thinking of the English language equivalent.In other words, I began thinking in Spanish!I reached lesson five in no time.As a result I'm confident that I could find my way around airports, train stations, and bus terminals.I begin each lesson by listening to an English word or phrase followed by the Spanish translation.In the early stages, I repeat the term twice, exactly as it is pronounced by one of the native Spanish speakers.Before long, I'm able to supply the word or phrase in Spanish before it is spoken in Spanish.My commutes to and from work have never been so productive, and the miles seem to fly by. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Spanish    4. Translating & Interpreting    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    6. Language learning: audio-visual & multimedia   

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Reviews (21)

The Best Language Course of Its Kind
The following comments come from a rank beginner.I have had no prior study of German at school or otherwise. Bookchip version is better and easier to use,
Bookchip version is better and easier to use, ( 3 bookchips compared to 52 cds) I bought bookchips and cds, send cds back. Buy Bookchip (Audiofy Bookchip) instead.

A better way for a beginner to learn a language
First off let me say that these programs are great.There are ways to buy them where you can spend well less than $200 -- and lets face it.You can turn around and sell them used and recoup much of your investment.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. German    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Foreign Language Study / German   

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Reviews (13)

Not worth the huge price tag.
If you are looking into learning a foreign language, any foreign language...the first recommendation from the Internet or friends is usually Pimsleur.
Bookchip version is better and easier to use,
Bookchip version is better and easier to use, ( 3 bookchips compared to 52 cds) I bought bookchips and cds, send cds back. Buy Bookchip (Audiofy Bookchip) instead.

Great language CD!
My husband and I both used this CD - he used it to learn the language from start and I to review.We both really liked it!As a French newbie, he learned by going through each CD two to three times, while I just went through each CD once.It's a great way to learn/improve your listening and speaking skills.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. French    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Foreign Language Study / French   

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Reviews (12)

no regrets, but far from completely satisfied
Although I have no regrets about using Pimsleur Spanish II, I am not 100% satisfied. After finishing the Pimsleur series I have learned some Spanish but I don't think that I have learned as much Spanish as I thought that I would have learned. As a couple of reviewers already pointed out, Pimsleur does not cover as much Spanish as the FSI Spanish method (but I paid several times more).
Bookchip version is better and easier to use,
Bookchip version is better and easier to use, ( 3 bookchips compared to 52 cds) I bought bookchips and cds, send cds back. Buy Bookchip (Audiofy Bookchip) instead.

a bit pricey you say?
Other reviewers have already adequately listed the reasons for using the Pimsleur method. I did all three levels of Italian and have a excellent proficiency in the language (especially pronunciation).
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Spanish    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Foreign Language Study / Spanish   

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Reviews (74)

great!
I am an avid student of languages.I teach myself, since I am no longer in school.Pimsleur used to be my preferred beginner's course, but then I found Michel Thomas.Michel Thomas is the best audio course for a new student of French.It takes you from ZERO to be somewhat proficient.The course it great.You learn the grammar and a lot of vocabulary in a fun way.It's very engaging, and it feels like you are in a little classroom with just two other students and Michel himself.I highly recommend it.Definitely worth the money.

It is indeed the fastest way to learn French!
The way the CD series is mapped out you can't help but pick up on the French langauge.He makes it so simple:)

Deceptively Revolutionary!
When I first heard the Michel Thomas recordings, I have to say, I wasn't really impressed, maybe because I was listening with a linguistic ear and from a perspective of a French teacher. I couldn't see anything new or amazing in the long awaited revelation of Michel's secret teaching method. That was a somewhat arrogant first assessment on my part, I do now admit.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. French    4. French language    5. Self-instruction    6. Sound recordings for English speakers    7. Spoken French    8. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    9. Foreign Language Study / French   

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Reviews (24)

I can't believe I'm speaking Italian
I am half way through the second set of CDs in this series, but wanted to recommend this first series of CDs for learning Italian. I have tried to learn a foreign language before with no luck, so I didn't have any expectations for this course. But, it's wonderful! I am speaking Italian and having a great time learning. Not only do you learn the words and phrases, but you also learn how to pronounce each word, where to place the emphasis, and how to pronounce a sentence so that it flows. I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in learning Italian (or any other language) to use the Pimsleur series. The sets are expensive, but well worth the money.

Start right here...
Pimsleur is truly the best method out there. It's price is justified by the quality of the instruction. I initially found it frustrating not having "the rules" explained to me (there is a little explanation, but not the extent that I thought was "proper" for a language course). In the end I gave up trying to puzzle out "the rules" and just enjoyed the lessons. And they are enjoyable - you are having real conversations, not the high-school "where is the red dress of the baker's daughter" stuff. I would recommend doing all 3 levels before attempting to study the written and grammatical areas of Italian. Why? Well, I've just started learning this side of the language in a formal class, and I'm breezing through it - I seem to have acquired much of the grammar subconsciously! I have much less trouble than my fellow students with the different pronunciation of things like "ce", "gli" and "sce" because I learnt the pronunciation of the words thoroughly before I was presented with the, to English-speakers, contradictory spelling. In addition, my teacher constantly praises my accent, and when I visited Italy, I was often complimented on my pronunciation. Yes, it's expensive, but worth every cent.

Best Way to Learn Italian
I have purchased many different Italain learning systems, CDs, computer programs, etc, and this Pimsleur is fantastic. It is fun to use, progresses at a nice pace, introducing new material bit my bit, but not boring. It is focused on speaking and listening, and there is not written reinforcement for what you are hearing, but I find it easier to learn this way, then look up something when I need clarification. I bought this set after getting the first 6 Pimsleur CDs in a very inexpensive COSTCO set, then was hooked and ordered this complete Italian I course, and have not been disappointed. Order this set and you will find yourself speaking Italian quickly! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Italian    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Foreign Language Study / Italian   

Reviews (8)

This is an impressive program.
I have reviewed many learn Spanish C/D's, tapes, books, etc.
learn spanish
compact and easy to take with me and do where ever i go.it came in perfect condition.

Fairly Solid Book and CD but Need Behind the Wheel Spanish
I would only conditionally recommend 'Teach Yourself Spanish' as a supplement to what I consider to be the very best Spanish course on the market; Behind the Wheel Spanish.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Spanish    4. Spanish Language    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    6. Foreign Language Study / Spanish   

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Reviews (10)

Awesome- A Real Keeper
After getting ripped off by Living Language, Berlitz and Learn in Your Car Portuguese, this is an awesome breath of fresh air.
Great Course/Great Price/Great Results
As I have stated in earlier reviews for other Language Dynamics products, these courses are the best on the market for getting you to speak a language fast and without the hassle.
OVER PRICED and POORLY PRODUCED
I have happily used many different forms of audio language products, including the very professional "Learn in Your Car" series.Sadly, "Behind the Wheel Protuguese" was an extreme disappointment.The set is very poorly designed and manufactured.Indeed, it feels like a home-made recording:the CDs skip and stick (other CDs in the same equipment do not, so it is not my equipment!), the sound quality rises and falls, and the times for student response or participation fluctuate widely -- in relation to neither the difficulty of the lesson nor the number of words to be spoken. The set lacks a track guide, making it very difficult to find and go to the section one might wish to review.Another time-wasting feature: the lessons do not begin until over 4 minutes into the first track.The result is that learners must repeatedly listen to the (self-aggrandizing) introductory comments.(Ordinarily such info is limited to the 1st track of the CD so that it can be skipped on subsequent listenings.)The speech is not neutral but heavily accented -- which would be fine provided purchasers were made aware of this fact.In addition, the discs contain speech errors wherein the native speaker actually speaks incorrect words in response to promps!These errors NOT edited out but left entact; the listener can hear both the error, the speaker's upset apology, and the resulting whispered reassurance that "it's ok, don't worry."Of course, it's only possible to discover these flaws by opening the set and listening to it -- which means, of course, that it's no longer returnable.Hoping for a way around this I contacted the manufacturer and politely detailed my concerns.Their solution:I could pay to ship the set back to them and they would refund my money LESS a hefty service fee. The effect -- having already paid shipping to get the product from Amazon -- was that I could pay a sizeable chunk of cash for having had the 'opportunity' to listen to defective material! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study / Portuguese    3. Portuguese    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Audiobooks    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Portuguese language   

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Reviews (12)

As Good as Volume I and II
Now that I have reached the end of the Pimsleur Chinese courses, I am very aware of its strength and its relative weakness. Fortunately, Pimsleur is very complementary with Rosetta Stone. So now, I will redo the Rosetta Stone program, while keeping Pimsleur alive by going over one or two lessons a week.
Pimsleur Chinese Mandarin Quick and Simple
This method would be perfect if it had a text book attached to it.Babies can learn without reading, but as soon as they master the sounds of communication they need to learn how to read and write to improve their skills.I find incredible that Pimsleur refuses to give access to a text book as soon as the learner has mastered basic sounds.I am a University Professor and can testify that a language method without a text book is a fake

Bookchip version is better and easier to use
Bookchip version is better and easier to use, ( 3 bookchips compared to 52 cds) I bought bookchips and cds, send cds back. Buy Bookchip (Audiofy Bookchip) instead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Chinese    3. Foreign Language Study    4. General    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    6. Foreign Language Study / Chinese   

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Reviews (78)

Michel Thomas Spanish CD
I prefer to approach a language as conversation, so for me, this language course is ideal. Michel Thomas builds vocabulary and grammatical usage in a way which makes remembering and using the language easy. If you loved your first year of a language course and fell apart during the second year when the teaching switched from conversation to grammar, this course is for you.

Great for Mastering Basic Spanish Grammar and Quickly Building a Vocabulary
If you are not familiar with the author of this course, Michel Thomas is perhaps the most famous language instructor of our time, known as the language instructor to the stars and celebrities, having taught Mel Gibson, Raquel Welch, Johnny Carson, Julie Andrews, Laurence Fishburne, Lucille Ball, Natalie Woodamong many other movie and television stars. In addition to being a famous language instructor, Michel Thomas was a World War II hero, Holocaust survivor, and a published author. Unfortunately, he left us in January, 2005, at the age of 90.
Easy to learn...
This is a wonderful way to learn a language. I am only on disc four so far, and I am already learning a great deal. Michel Thomas uses phrases and words over and over again, building on your vocabulary and reinforcing what you have already learned. I would definitely get more than the two disc set as it only gives you a "taste" of the language. You do need a quiet place to learn and concentrate, and someone to practice on to build confidence and fluidity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Spanish    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Foreign Language Study / Spanish   

Reviews (11)

Japanese for Busy People I
This is a two cd set and the text book is not included. The workbook is not the textbook even though it is supposed to be in the same set. I think it is cheaper to buy the text book + cd set, through a regular book store. If it all came as one package it would be quite a motivating little set.

Language CD
This is an excellent product that complements the Japanese For Busy People textbook. It helps with pronunciation and the speed at which words and sentences are spoken. A 'must buy' for anyone interested in learning Japanese fluently or even just for basic stuff.

Requested by sensei
I bought the CD set to accompany the book so I could practice in my car outside of class. Overall, it's not a stand alone product, I've used better CDs to learn from, but as practice outside of class for proficiency it's not bad. It uses native voices with real accents and speech patterns so you'll use the seek button often. It doesn't have the speak and repeat pattern which is useful for self-study but it helps to reinforce what the sensei covered in class. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. General    3. Software - Language - CDROM / Universal    4. Japanese    5. Language learning: audio-visual & multimedia   

Reviews (11)

Excellent
This book is very good and for the price it can't be beat.It teaches you everything you need to know about the language and the exercises help the knowledge sink in.

Heads up in the US
Great product but a funny thing i noticed looking at the book:it's published in the UK so that makes the pronunciation examples a little off for those of us in the US.For example, on page 6 under Pronunciation it says that the "a" in Italian is pronounced like "bat."In the UK, bat isn't pronounced with the "flat a" sound, as in apple, but instead is more of an "ah" sound (which is the correct sound for the Italian a).The same is true for the pronunciation of the "o."In the US, it's a flatter o sound than in the UK, so pretend you're from the UK for that one as well.After listening to the CD, which uses voices with a UK accent, it'll be easy to understand the difference and make the adjustment so that it's the correct Italian sound.I joke that i'm learning Italian with a UK accent....There are other fun things about the book because of its UK publishing.I'll let you discover the others!

Review by an Italian language teacher
It's hard to find that "perfect" Italian book or audio CD to recommend to students, because I often run into these two situations: 1) the book is too in-depth and too focused on grammar; 2) the book is too superficial and more of a phrase-book for travelers, therefore not sufficient. SO, what I usually do is use a combination of books, including audio CDs, this being one of them. It has some useful information on the culture, as well as practical expressions for the brave traveler. However, my recommendation is to take a basic course before traveling to Italy, because even knowing a few simple sentences can get you a long way. Also, in a group setting you'll be able to ask specific questions and to practice with others.I'm sure that if you check with your local community college, there are some short continuing education courses for foreign languages. Non dimenticare! Don't forget: the trick in learning a language is repetition, so any audio CD that gets you to repeat the words over and over again, is great practice. The more you repeat, the more you'll remember!It's like learning a song: you can't sing a song you've heard only 1 time, but if you hear it over and over, you'll be able to sing all the lyrics!! So, keep up the good work! If you need information on traveling to Italy and books to learn Italian, you can also contact me: nada@nadasitaly.com ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Language    2. Audio Adult: Language    3. Foreign Language Study    4. Italian    5. Italian Language    6. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    7. Foreign Language Study / Italian   

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Reviews (33)

Great way to learn a 6th language
I already speak English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and have studied Latin.I bought a Berlitz book some years back and tried to use it to study Russian but soon gave up.It was a good thing, too.The Pimsleur course taught me that the Berlitz book was teaching the WRONG PRONUNCIATION for at least half the words.
Please Read a Negative Review!
I sure hope you've finished reading the positive reviews, and will now come to this review, and see the other side.
Learn to Speak!!
Fabulous program for actually learning how to SPEAK the language. To get full benefit from the course you should repeat the lessons several times to have them ingrained in you memory. The lessons are very well done. They are systematically progressive. They slowly add additional material whileconstantly reusing material from prior lessons that forces you recall what you have learned. This ingrains the material into your memory for practical use, not just memorization. The best part about this course is it is a truly a speaking course. You learn to pronounce correctly. I have had many native Russian speakers compliment me over and over about my pronunciation having little or no accent, which I credit to this course. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Language    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Russian    4. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    5. Foreign Language Study / Russian   

Reviews (18)

(Unfortunately) The best Korean language learning book on the market!
This is the best Korean language learning book on the market, and that isn't saying much. As a language instructor, I can identify a multitude of problems with Teach Yourself Korean (Complete Course). This book's biggest failing is that the instruction does not adequately prepare you for the exercises because there is NO instructional reinforcement of concepts. Many concepts that should be grouped together for comparative analysis (such as proper particle usage), are scattered throughout the book. The use of the Korean writing script is inconsistent, so when completing the exercises at the end of each unit, you won't be able to check your spelling against the answers in the back. Also, the exercises sometimes contain overly open-ended questions that can be answered in a variety of ways. A beginner comparing his answers to those in the back may not actually be able to determine if his/her answer is correct.
(Unfortunately) The best Korean language learning book on the market!
This is the best Korean language learning book on the market, and that isn't saying much. As a language instructor, I can identify a multitude of problems with Teach Yourself Korean (Complete Course). This book's biggest failing is that the instruction does not adequately prepare you for the exercises because there is NO instructional reinforcement of concepts. Many concepts that should be grouped together for comparative analysis (such as proper particle usage), are scattered throughout the book. The use of the Korean writing script is inconsistent, so when completing the exercises at the end of each unit, you