Is there Life after Pimsleur? (Language Programs, Books & Tapes) Language Learning Forum

Is there Life after Pimsleur?
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11 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

psy88
Senior Member
United States
Joined 5431 days ago
469 posts - 882 votes

Studies: Spanish*, Japanese, Latin, French

Message 9 of 11

30 September 2010 at 2:30am | IP Logged

I did all 100 lessons for Spanish (along with using other resources) and have now started with French. I am about up to lesson 20 in French.
No, it does not make you "fluent", but ,perhaps, "conversational" for basic social interactions. One strong point in its favor is that it gives a strong foundation from which to grow.I personally liked the "Listen and Reply" format. I found Pimsleur helped me to answer without having to translate in my head, that is, I felt the overkill method they use helped me to be spontaneous with the language.
Yes, Assimil, which I am also using currently for French, requires a LOT more concentration. I can and do listen to Pimsleur while driving, as well as at home.
At the risk of stating the obvious,I think the program that is best for you has to be based on what works for you, not what someone else liked or found useful. And, the greatest program in the world is useless if you do not use it and put in the effort.If you don't like the program, you will not put in the required effort.
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Hardheim
Diglot
Newbie
United States
Joined 5039 days ago
34 posts - 78 votes

Speaks: English*, German
Studies: Spanish, French

Message 10 of 11

01 October 2010 at 2:57am | IP Logged

kmart wrote:

I did all 100 lessons of Pimsleur Italian while driving to work. As said above, it's an excellent use of what would be wasted time. I don't think I could have used Assimil this way in the beginner stage, as the concentration required would have been inconsistent with driving safely, but because of the amount of English and the in-built pauses (and I do have an easy and quiet road to travel) I found it to be no distraction from the road.
I actually never found it boring, I enjoyed the repetition, with the feeling that I was building a solid base of understanding, and I really wanted to achieve excellent pronunciation. And I believe this is what keeps Pimsleur in the list of top audio programs, despite it's many detractors - it builds excellent pronunciation. It just keeps on hammering that pronunciation into you.
I certainly wouldn't suggest you keep at it if it's driving you crazy - this is supposed to be fun, isn't it? But if you look at it from the perspective of what you want to achieve out of it, and if that goal is excellent pronunciation, then I think you will get more value and sense of achievement out of it as you see your progress in that area.
Of course you may not care that much about really good pronunciation, but just want to accumulate vocab and grammar, and get out there and communicate. A friend of mine who also studies Italian has appalling pronunciation and grammar, but all the confidence in the world, and boy can she communicate (her long blonde hair and big boobs might help there too, LOL)
;-)

Ahh, pronunciation, the often overlooked aspect of language learning. I really, really believe that people should consider pronunciation as important as grammar practice and vocabulary acquisition. When someone likes a language, it is usually for the sound that appeals to the person's ears. The beauty of a language is in its pronunciation, not in its complex grammar or infinite idioms. Yet few people actually work very hard on that aspect of language which carries its spirit.

I just got back from a biz trip to Kuwait and I was talking with a half dozen native arab speakers. The experience was painful. Although, they all had spoken English most of their lives and needed it for business, I only understood about 2/3 of what they were saying at any given point in time. Not only was the pronunciation bad, but the tempo and rythm with which they spoke English was arabic in nature; adding to the lack of comprehension. Believe me, no on is going to be anxious to talk to you if they have to have laser sharp focus to understand you. When we went out for beers after work, I noticed myself glassing over whenever it wasn't work related. This is why a course like Pimsleur is helpful. Not because you are taught loads of grammar or vocab, but its one of the few resources to help with rythm and pronunciation

Edited by Hardheim on 01 October 2010 at 2:59am
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Desacrator48
Groupie
United States
Joined 5148 days ago
93 posts - 127 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, French

Message 11 of 11

01 October 2010 at 11:45pm | IP Logged

I finished Pimsleur French 1-90. I enjoyed it overall, and I used it very thoroughly. I originally chose it because I above all wanted to focus on my pronunciation and accent from the very beginning more than anything else.

Like a previous poster said, you are originally drawn to the language by the way it sounds, and as this was the case for me, I made sure that would learn French and speak it the way it is intended to be spoken.

I at first was off on how I was speaking my U and R sounds, but I made sure to change it even after I had already been through 40 lessons. I had spoken on Skype with natives, and they said I was getting better.

Anyhoo, back to the original question...yes there is life after Pimsleur, and for me it was the Assimil series. I was planning to use Pimsleur as the foundation and lead-in to Assimil, and I must say the transition is excellent.

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