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Summary: Great program
Review: Great method for learning. Cost of program is high though. My local library had all programs available for checkout. I even found out that recordedbooks dot com rents all lessons on tape and CD.
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Summary: Solid Foundation
Review: This is an excellent part of a lnguage learning program. Actual exposure and outside vocabulary building outside the program will be necessary, however time committed to actually using this program as provided in the program materials will be very helpful.
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Summary: Hablo un poco de espanol ahora.
Review: It has been over thirty years since I took Spanish in high school. I have always wanted to learn it and as an executive, more and more opportunities come up that require Spanish speaking.This is the way to go! My girlfriend took four terms of Spanish in college. She is doing the course with me and is getting a great deal out of it. We speak it together and its fun learning! Sometimes it helps me to see a word and its spelling so I can retain it better... I will continue with this through the entire four CD sets. I can't emphasize enough that it is fun, leisurely, and a great way to learn Spanish. Besides, my commutes, which used to be a pain, are something I look forward to!
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Summary: waste of time
Review: the title says it all, i learned nothing new
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Summary: The absolute best way to learn Spanish
Review: The Pimsleur family of language courses is probably the best available in the English-speaking world. Unlike most other audio programs, the emphasis is not on mindlessly repeating phrases... but rather on natural conversation. Spanish words and phrases are slowly introduced by the English narrator throughout the conversation, and you then incorporate them into conversation with the Spanish speakers (followed by the "right" response to compare yourself to). This more natural approach makes a huge difference in absorbing and retaining the knowledge. However, ... I have a few suggestions to offer that I found helped me get more out of the product. I would highly recommend buying at least an inexpensive pocket dictionary to keep by your side while doing the lessons. There is no "vocabulary list" that accompanies the program, so you never get to see what the words you're learning actually look like in written form. A Pimsleur principal is that learning by listening in more natural than learning by reading... and while that may be valid, it certainly doesn't hurt to know how to write words after you've learned them. I liked to pause the CD after each new word was introduced, and quickly look it up to see what it looked like. Sometimes when the speaker is talking too fast, you can get confused about a letter or two in the pronunciation... seeing it in writing would always clear up that kind of confusion. I would also recommend finding some basic grammar book to look over. Another Pimsleur principal is that it's more "natural" to pick up grammar rules by osmosis as you listen to conversation. ... While learning grammar from books alone is counter-productive, I can't count the never of times that something confusing me on the Pimsleur CD's was cleared up INSTANTLY by reading a rule in the grammar book. If you're investing this much time and money into gaining Spanish proficiency, you might as well go the extra few inches and read up on your grammar basics. The final extra I would recommend is some basic Spanish reader. I don't mean a phrase book... I mean some sort of "Dick and Jane"-style reader where you can learn new words in the context of reading natural text rather than exercises or travel phrases. ... I suppose that the idea here is to teach you how to pronounce written Spanish even when seeing unfamiliar words. However, I enjoy learning Spanish by reading natural text as much by hearing natural dialogue... and there are countless readers out there for beginners. All in all, you can't go wrong with Pimsleur's courses. Once you've finished the first one, you'll be itching to move on to "Spanish II" and "Spanish III". These aren't designed for people just wanting to learn some travel phrases to impress their friends with... but as a comprehensive program, may be a more effective (and affordable) option for those more serious learners considering night classes.
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Summary: Excellent way to learn Spanish
Review: The Pimsleur program is an excellent way to learn Spanish. I have progressed through Spanish I,II,III, and Spanish Plus, and have found the tapes to be exceptional in helping me attain fluency. As an English-speaking native, I cannot think of a better way to learn (besides immersion) than to listen, understand, and repeat the Spanish words and phrases. Hopefully Pimsleur will continue to produce more challenging Spanish programs for the advanced speakers.
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Summary: Best Spanish language course
Review: This Spanish course is the best money can buy. I had previously wasted so much money buying books and enrolling in Spanish language courses only to find that in a fraction of the time I knew more and learned faster just by listening the pimsleur Spanish course on my way to and from work each day while driving my car. It was also fun to listen to at home while cleaning the house and doing the dishes. One night a few of us had a good laugh drinking beer and playing pool while listening to it and all of us conversing with the speaker in Spanish. It was so easy to learn. I would listen to each lesson about 14 times (same lesson twice a day for a week) until I really knew it before playing the next lesson. My son and my wife also listen to the CD's and are learning very quickly too as are my friends, we can all converse easily with each other in Spanish now. We all think that this course is the best way to learn Spanish quickly and with correct pronuciation. Spanish is so easy to learn with this course. It does cost a bit more than other courses but it works. I so impressed with this method that I have now purchased Pimsleur German.
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Summary: Que Padre!
Review: I wanted to get an audio course in Spanish that I could learn from while driving to and from work. (Note: watch your driving; it can be just as distracting as talking on a cell phone! I've already run a red light and stopped at a green light.) I am extremely happy with my purchase. The great thing about these is that you are _constantly_ speaking out loud and listening to clear models of good pronunciations of spanish. The way the material is presented really does facilitate retention. I almost never forget new words by the next day's lesson. I often find the hard thing about learning languages is that it takes so much damn energy to try to express something that is very easy to say in your native language; therefore you are always tempted to give up. Here, the pace and required effort is just about right. The lessons take relatively little energy (but enough so that they are worthwhile) and therefore you are less likely to get discouraged or want to put them off. I even find the lessons enjoyable, in large part because I feel good about the progress I am making and don't have to struggle so hard. (A benefit for commuters is that doing these while driving to and from work can focus and calm the mind--like a little meditation session.) Of course, you do have to contribute some effort. Nothing is free. To be effective, you have to stick with the daily routine and really commit yourself to going through the lessons each day. Also, you can't expect to learn everything there is to know about a language in 90 days, no matter how great the method is. Be realistic about your expectations. I only wish they had a continuation beyond the 3rd level.
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Summary: Don't begin learning Spanish using anything else!
Review: For wannabe Spanish speakers who are just starting, don't make the mistake of learning by reading! It'll only throw you off track. Instead, learn the language through the way you've learned English, through hearing and speaking.
The Pimsleur Program is linguistically scientific, probably more so than your average college level foreign language course. It concentrates on a basic/core vocabulary and make you participate by asking and repeating until those vocabs are almost native to you. It's like having your own linguist instructor to teach you a foreign language. In my opinion, it's the best thing for language instruction available, yet sadly, it's not well-known. It's worth the money, and don't let this unique opportunity to become fluent in a foreign language pass you by.
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Summary: Pimsleur spanish language courses
Review: I have purchaced both Pimsleur spanish programs, one and two. They are excelent. I have studied spanish off and on for years, and these are the best courses I have seen. They are audio only, and no books. You don't need books with them. Be sure to get the newer editions, circa (1997) or newer. The older editions (1993) are a different version, and not the same script. Each lesson is 30 minutes long, and there are thirty lessons in each course. I will purchace Program Course number 3, as soon as I finish, mastering Course number 2. They cost in the 200 dollar range, but they are well worth it. You definetly get your moneys worth.
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