Pimsleur Language Programs Audio Lessons Review
Seven years ago when I accepted a teaching job in Japan I knew I had to learn Japanese FAST. At that time the only language instruction I had ever received was for French in middle and high schools, and like most young students, I was disinterested so I did not learn much.
This time I was much more motivated. I decided that the best thing I could do in the little time I had was to learn to speak some basic phrases. I purchased my first audio lessons through Amazon from a company called Pimsleur.
I squeezed in a few 30-minute lessons before I hopped on a plane to a foreign country at the end of July. My knowledge of Japanese was close to zero. For over a season I kept myself busy with my teaching job and basically, with surviving in Japan. It was nearly November when I reached a point where I could take a breather, then I finally dived into language learning. Each day I listened to an audio recording, wrote the new phrases I learned in roman letters, and reviewed flashcards until I completed my first set of audio recordings.
My Japanese speaking ability improved remarkably compared to my peers who arrived at the same time as I did and who were studying Japanese as beginners. Diligent use of the audio lessons gave me the confidence to speak aloud, something which many learners of foreign languages take a long time to build.
The Pimsleur audio lessons are an excellent supplement for listening to and speaking a language. Later, I went on to use their Level 2 Japanese audio lessons, and just last year, I tried their Level 1 Mandarin lessons before I visited China. I found that their teaching strategy was pretty much the same for the Mandarin lessons. On their website's Our Method tab, they explain that they use graduated interval recall, the principle of anticipation, core vocabulary, and organic learning in their lessons. Below is an explanation of what these mean in my own plain English.
Gradual Interval Recall - introducing new words and language patterns gradually while building on the last.
Principle of Anticipation - using a consistent try-then-self-check system.
Core vocabulary - using words that appear frequently in Japanese conversation.
Organic learning - using language examples from realistic scenarios.
I think those terms are just a sort of fancy way to describe common language learning methods. Most textbooks do the same thing, but I think the principle of anticipation makes Pimsleur a bit unique. When practiced with diligent intent I have found the audio lessons improve listening, pronunciation, and automaticity.
I squeezed in a few 30-minute lessons before I hopped on a plane to a foreign country at the end of July. My knowledge of Japanese was close to zero. For over a season I kept myself busy with my teaching job and basically, with surviving in Japan. It was nearly November when I reached a point where I could take a breather, then I finally dived into language learning. Each day I listened to an audio recording, wrote the new phrases I learned in roman letters, and reviewed flashcards until I completed my first set of audio recordings.
My Japanese speaking ability improved remarkably compared to my peers who arrived at the same time as I did and who were studying Japanese as beginners. Diligent use of the audio lessons gave me the confidence to speak aloud, something which many learners of foreign languages take a long time to build.
The Pimsleur audio lessons are an excellent supplement for listening to and speaking a language. Later, I went on to use their Level 2 Japanese audio lessons, and just last year, I tried their Level 1 Mandarin lessons before I visited China. I found that their teaching strategy was pretty much the same for the Mandarin lessons. On their website's Our Method tab, they explain that they use graduated interval recall, the principle of anticipation, core vocabulary, and organic learning in their lessons. Below is an explanation of what these mean in my own plain English.
Gradual Interval Recall - introducing new words and language patterns gradually while building on the last.
Principle of Anticipation - using a consistent try-then-self-check system.
Core vocabulary - using words that appear frequently in Japanese conversation.
Organic learning - using language examples from realistic scenarios.
I think those terms are just a sort of fancy way to describe common language learning methods. Most textbooks do the same thing, but I think the principle of anticipation makes Pimsleur a bit unique. When practiced with diligent intent I have found the audio lessons improve listening, pronunciation, and automaticity.
Listening
Each lesson is 30 minutes long. It usually begins with listening to a conversation that has new vocabulary. You review old vocabulary or you are introduced to new vocabulary. The grammar patterns build on what was covered and gradually adds something new each time. The lesson ends with the replaying of the conversation to check if you can follow.Pronunciation
The recordings include pauses to allow you to repeat vocabulary or phrases, or to respond to conversational cues. The Japanese speakers enunciated very clearly, but I found the Mandarin speakers to vary.Automaticity
Past vocabulary and phrases are built in to new lessons. Half of each lesson requires you to practice speaking out loud old and new words. This repetition improves automatic recall and builds speaking fluency. The conversation at the end of each audio lesson gradually shifts to you responding in conversations at near normal speeds.
I have listened to another popular audio language company, Japanese Pod 101. Similar to Pimsleur, they have expanded into lessons in many different languages. I found Japanese Pod 101 to be very instructor-centered, almost like a fun lecture. Its beginner's audio lessons spend a great deal of time on listening to languages, explanations, and learning about Japanese culture. Pimsleur on the other hand, is practice-centered and purely exercise. Its beginner's lessons focus on listening and speaking Japanese.
Years later, I now see that the Pimsleur website provides some kind of bundle that comes with the audio lessons, reading lessons, games, apps, among other learning tools.
Unfortunately, their comprehensive lessons come with a big price tag! A quick Google search will show that there are so many free and inexpensive language learning tools out there that I can not imagine spending money on this bundle.
Pimsleur was a good start to language-learning for me, though. It was an effective way to speak basic Japanese fast without spending too much time on on grammar explanations. I recommend the affordable audio lessons on Amazon if you want to learn to speak basic Japanese in a relatively short amount of time, or if you need supplemental speaking lessons.
I have listened to another popular audio language company, Japanese Pod 101. Similar to Pimsleur, they have expanded into lessons in many different languages. I found Japanese Pod 101 to be very instructor-centered, almost like a fun lecture. Its beginner's audio lessons spend a great deal of time on listening to languages, explanations, and learning about Japanese culture. Pimsleur on the other hand, is practice-centered and purely exercise. Its beginner's lessons focus on listening and speaking Japanese.
Limitations
Pimsleur lessons can improve your speaking ability, but it is very limited in other aspects of language learning. Even though my Japanese sounded pretty decent after living in Japan a few months, I could hardly read much less write. The audio lessons lacked grammar explanations, so I was very confused at times, especially in the later lessons. In a way, that was helpful because I had to piece Japanese together using my own logic. I finished the first set of lessons in 2-3 months and quickly moved on to using textbooks to fill the gaps.Years later, I now see that the Pimsleur website provides some kind of bundle that comes with the audio lessons, reading lessons, games, apps, among other learning tools.
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| Pimsleur online program overview from pimsleur.com |
Unfortunately, their comprehensive lessons come with a big price tag! A quick Google search will show that there are so many free and inexpensive language learning tools out there that I can not imagine spending money on this bundle.
Pimsleur was a good start to language-learning for me, though. It was an effective way to speak basic Japanese fast without spending too much time on on grammar explanations. I recommend the affordable audio lessons on Amazon if you want to learn to speak basic Japanese in a relatively short amount of time, or if you need supplemental speaking lessons.
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