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The different Pimsleur programs | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| Komma Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 3848 days ago 107 posts - 134 votes  Speaks: German*, English Studies: French, Spanish | Message 1 of 14 24 April 2014 at 7:44am | IP Logged | ||
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I really didn't find a suitable existing topic to discuss this general question about
Pimsleur. I'd like to try this method and I'm wondering where the difference between the mp3- courses (from itunes etc), the comprehensive courses and the conversational courses are. The pimsleur website names as introductory course conversational, which contains lessons 1-16. SO is this the beginning of the comprehensive course or are these completly different courses? thanks in advance 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| James29 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5164 days ago 1265 posts - 2113 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 2 of 14 24 April 2014 at 1:29pm | IP Logged | ||
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I am fairly confident that all Pimsleur courses are now the same. The conversation course would be the first 16 lessons of the comprehsnsive course, etc. There are also two, six and ten lesson packages that I have seen (that would contain the first two, six and ten lessons of the comprehensive course).
I note that there are actually different editions of some of the Pimsleur courses. When SyberVision was making the Spanish course it was different than the current version. That being said, I did the current edition of Pimsleur I and III and the SyberVision version of Pimsleur II and did not have any problems at all. Edited by James29 on 24 April 2014 at 1:30pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| iguanamon Pentaglot Senior Member Virgin Islands Speaks: Ladino Joined 5051 days ago 2237 posts - 6731 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Creole (French) | Message 3 of 14 24 April 2014 at 1:36pm | IP Logged | ||
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In my experience, all the courses have the same audio. The difference is in the packaging. The company can make more money packaging the course in different ways. A Pimsleur audio only level has 30, half an hour or so, lessons. The other packages have lesser numbers of lessons but there is no difference in the audio or length of each lesson, just the number of lessons- 8, 10 or 16, if i remember correctly.
Pimsleur is best used as a supplement. All three (90 lessons) levels (some languages have four) will not teach you a language on its own. The best way to acquire it is either used or through a library. Most European libraries have the equivalent of, an "inter-library loan". That's what I did for the Brazilian Portuguese course. There are several knocks against the course. No course is perfect and all have issues. I outlined the flaws of the product on page 4 of my Haitian Creole log. What Pimsleur does that only a few other courses do is it gives a learner freedom from having to sit in front of a computer. It helps to develop automatic response (using the gaps provided to recite and not using the pause button). It gets a learner interacting with the language. It also helps to give good pronunciation habits. Edited by iguanamon on 24 April 2014 at 1:40pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Komma Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 3848 days ago 107 posts - 134 votes Speaks: German*, English Studies: French, Spanish | Message 4 of 14 26 April 2014 at 10:38pm | IP Logged | ||
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Hey, thank you guys for your answers.
I may try pimsleur from audible, because I have acess to two free audio books :D And this would be lessons 1-10 If I like it, I may continue otherwise I didn't spend 100 bucks on a programme I dont like (even used its quite expensive to just TRY it..) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4698 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 5 of 14 29 April 2014 at 12:04pm | IP Logged | ||
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There are also different generations of the Pimsleur courses. For example, older courses
use national currency such as Francs and Marks, while the more recent courses use Euros. There are UK based courses which ask how much something is in Pounds, and US based courses which ask how much something is in Dollars. Since I borrow Pimsleur from county libraries, I have noticed differences in grammar use as well. One set used "Je voudrais..." for "I would like...", and the next set used "J'aimerais...." for the same sentences (which was never taught on the previous set I used). Since I didn't have them both at the same time, I couldn't compare the dates on the CDs, but the only explanation I can think of is that they were different generations. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| jsteph Newbie United Kingdom Joined 3825 days ago 7 posts - 15 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 6 of 14 04 May 2014 at 11:43am | IP Logged | ||
I've looked for an answer to this elsewhere but can never really find it. Perhaps you can give me a rough idea. How many words (approximately) do you think Pimsleur teaches per level? I've heard 150. Does that sound accurate / probable? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| iguanamon Pentaglot Senior Member Virgin Islands Speaks: Ladino Joined 5051 days ago 2237 posts - 6731 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Creole (French) | Message 7 of 14 04 May 2014 at 1:36pm | IP Logged | ||
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I never count words in my learning. Some people hate Pimsleur with a passion. One of the biggest knocks against it I've read here is- "it only teaches 900 words". "Well, 900 words- don't use that!!!". The thing is, there's more to it than that. As I said, no one should expect the course to be a "one-stop" language solution, even though it may be advertized (falsely) that way. It will NOT, on it's own, take you to a high level. What it will do is give a learner good pronunciation and help to generate automaticity in speaking and understanding.
The course is best used at the beginning alongside another, more thorough course at the same time, one in the morning, the other in the evening for example, or during a commute, walk,lunch hour, etc. If used alongside another course, there can be good synergy between the two as many concepts will parallel each other in the courses. Pimsleur may only teach "900" or so "words", but those words and, more importantly- phrases, will be learned well and will be a part of active vocabulary. Don't underestimate the value of having good pronunciation skills. That being said, don't buy the course unless the price is reasonable. With an isbn number and title, your local public library can get a copy for you via an inter-library loan, or look for used, or an mp3 reseller. There are many knocks against the course besides "word-count". I've outlined some of the ones I found here- scroll to fifth post. Why would I recommend a course with so many knocks against it? Because it can be a good part of a language-learning system. Because even though Pimsleur is far from perfect, what it does teach, it teaches very well and being audio only, it frees a learner form the computer and sitting. All courses have knocks against them. Assimil is highly praised here on HTLAL. It is cost effective. The lessons are short. It's light on grammar and exercises. The book has facing TL-base dialogs with "humor", and there are knocks against it too. I find the audio to be too painfully slow and unnatural even in the latter lessons. The lessons can be so light on grammar that many feel it's just not enough explanation. The course will take a learner to a higher level than Pimsleur and most beginner courses. Consensus is A2/B1 with B2 being unlikely. Combine Assimil with FSI for drills, Pimsleur for pronunciation and automaticity and a good grammar and you'll have yourself a good language-learning system. Add in comprehensible native materials and speaking with natives as soon as possible and you're on to a winner. It's not an either/or decision. The two courses will go well together. Despite the hype, NO course, no matter how good, will take you to a high level of proficiency in a language on it's own. Expecting that is fool's gold. Edited by iguanamon on 04 May 2014 at 1:41pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| jsteph Newbie United Kingdom Joined 3825 days ago 7 posts - 15 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Mandarin | Message 8 of 14 04 May 2014 at 1:44pm | IP Logged | ||
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Wow, thanks for that reply. That was all really useful.
I must say, I would actually be really pleased with 900 words for three levels. Do you think that's likely to be about the number that three levels would teach you? If so would the languages that have 4 levels teach 1200 words do you think? 1 person has voted this message useful |
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