What Is Pimsleur Method? A Natural Way to Learn a Foreign Language

By | December 4, 2016

One of my best friends learned French by using Pimsleur’s method. He said that he used it with headphones when he was moving around by bike. So he didn’t need to use any time studying in front of a textbook. Today in this Pimsleur Review I am going to show you what is the Pimsleur method and tell my opinion about it. I can give you a little spoiler. It is much better than the methods that we use at schools to learn languages.

What is Pimsleur Method

What Is Pimsleur Method All About?

Pimsleur method is a world famous language learning technique created by Dr.Paul Pimsleur (also called as “Einstein of learning languages”)
over 50 years ago (1928-1976). He saw that many people struggled to learn languages at school with old and boring methods. Students were trying to memorize grammar rules and force to learn somehow. Still, they didn’t learn to speak while little kids learned a new language in a few months or maximum in a few years. The Pimsleur method teaches you to speak a foreign language in a month!

We know in LanguagesAreEasy.com that adults are faster language learners than kids if they are using the right methods. The Pimsleur method is based on a few science proven principles.

1.Learn little by little through repetition. Your vocabulary will expand gradually starting from basic phrases like “Hello, how are you?” Before you forget the old phrases, you review them and then move to new ones

2.Learn from native speakers. Think how children learn a new language. They listen native speakers speaking and then they just copy what they have heard. Little by little their vocabulary expands. If you want to talk like a native, you need to listen a lot how natives speak.

3.Learn essential vocabulary. When I was studying Swedish at school, I needed to learn vocabulary about Saimaa ringed seals. That is where many language courses fail. We learn a vocabulary that is not relevant for us and not important at all. Pimsleur’s goal is to teach you phrases that you will need in real-life situations. When you have learned the most important phrases, it becomes much easier to understand more “special” words too.

4.A word is on the tip of your tongue. When you speak a language fluently, it means that you don’t need to put any efforts for talking. Words just come naturally out of your mouth when you want to express yourself. That’s the target of Pimsleur.

This Youtube video “Pimsleur Approach: The Secret to Start Speaking a Language Fast!” explains you thoroughly in 14:40 minutes what is Pimsleur method all about.

=> Start Learning with Pimsleur Language Program (Get a discount today!)

How Pimsleur Method Works?

Pimsleur is an audio-based program, so there’s a big difference to many other programs where you mainly read texts. There are some documents to help your learning also in Pimsleur, but the primary focus is on listening. It is a natural way how people have learned languages for thousands of years. How do you think that people learned languages back then when we didn’t have books?

Pimsleur tells you “mini-stories” so you can study phrases in their natural context. You imagine for example being on the street and asking for directions to a supermarket or being in a restaurant and talking to a waiter.

The process goes more or less in the following way:

1.You hear the phrases in a language that you are studying, for example, French.
2.You listen to the explanation of that phrase in English.
3.You repeat the phrase.
4.Then will come a “test.” You are in that situation, and you need to recall what to say in different circumstances. When you have had a little time to think, the narrator will tell the right answer.

The Pimsleur method promises that you will learn to speak a foreign language in one month. It consists of 30 half an hour lessons. So you will take one 30-minute lesson each day in a month. There are a different amount of courses in different target languages. For example, in Pimsleur French, there are five courses, in Pimsleur Chinese 4 courses and Pimsleur Finnish there is one course of 30 lessons.

What is Pimsleur Method

All you need is headphones to study a language with Pimsleur

What Are the Main Benefits Of Using Pimsleur Method?

You can learn Pimsleur’s methods wherever you are whenever you want. Despite the fact that you wouldn’t have any time for studying a language you can use it. You can learn Spanish when you are cooking. Or you can learn German when you are jogging. Just put on the headphones and start learning. I love audio methods for language learning because they are very effortless and don’t take any time.

I like the way of learning languages in a natural context. Pimsleur gives you the situation, and then you need to speak how you would say in a natural situation. Most language courses are based on listening and reading, but Pimsleur teaches you also pronunciation and speaking because you need to open your mouth. If you are in a situation where you don’t want to speak (for example in a plane), you can also think the response in your mind. But the method is most useful when you talk out loud.

I am not the big fan of memorizing hundreds of grammar rules and conjugations from a textbook. Pimsleur’s approach is different because you will not try to learn grammar by memorizing them. You will learn grammar “automatically” in various situations. If you are not a person who loves to sit in front of a grammar book, then this method is not for you. But in my experience, most people don’t like memorizing grammar rules.

What Are the Cons of Pimsleur?

Somebody criticized Pimsleur’s approach because it teaches you a formal language. Most of the time you don’t address your friends or workmates formally. Still, it is also important to know these more friendly ways to use a language because it’s polite. For example, in German, it’s much better to ask for something in a supermarket starting with “Haben Sie…” rather than “Hast du…?” (Both mean do you have…?)

Or if you are talking to an older person in France and you didn’t understand what he said, it’s more polite to use “Voulez-vous répéter, S’il vous plait?” instead of “Veux-tu répéter?” Of course, both of them are right, but it’s important to know how you can use the language politely.

Who Is the Pimsleur for?

The Pimsleur method works for total beginners and more advanced students as well because they have many levels. If you a complete beginner, you can buy the first course. But if you have studied a language before, you can buy a more advanced course, for example, course 4.

Pimsleur course is especially for people like me who like learning a language by listening. In my opinion, it’s relaxing and doesn’t take almost any effort. When people complain me that they don’t have any time and energy to learn a language I ask why they don’t just use a method where they just need to listen. Even though if you wouldn’t concentrate 100% on listening you will always grab some new vocabulary and grammar rules will sink into your mind.

What Is the Price Pimsleur?

Pimsleur’s language course is a premium product. You get access to a method created by the “Einstein of language learning” over 50 years ago. That’s why the program is not very cheap.

One course of 30 lessons costs $150. I admit it is a lot, but sometimes you can get a 20% discount. And think what are the benefits when you learn to speak a foreign language. It can add enormous value to your life that can’t be measured in money. The ability to speak a language fluently is worth tens of thousands of euros.

Sometimes people spend 1000€ for one week to go abroad (I know this because I know some examples personally). With the same money, they could have bought 8-10 Pimsleur’s language courses and get access for a lifetime. I would prefer using 1000€ for language courses instead of traveling for one week.Pimsleur All Languages Blue 125x125

If you buy many courses in a bundle, you can get also discount. For example, a single French course costs $150, but a package of 5 courses costs $575. Then with 20% discount, the price is about $460 = 430€. If you would buy a course at a local language school here in Austria, it costs 340€/course which means 19 lessons. In Pimsleur, you would get 150 lessons for 430€, and you can guy through the lessons as many times as you want. The value for the price is much better than in a local language school.

My Final Opinion of Pimsleur

In my opinion, Pimsleur’s method is one of the best out there. When it gives you “mini-stories” and gives you an opportunity to speak a language, it forces you to think. You can’t always find time to find and practice with a language partner, but you can learn with Pimsleur anytime, anywhere.

It can give a huge boost to your language skills. They promise that you will speak a foreign language in one month. Probably you will not speak it fluently yet, but you are on your way to fluency. Start Pimsleur Language Program today!

Have you used Pimsleur or other similar methods of learning a foreign language? Leave a comment below!

 

97 thoughts on “What Is Pimsleur Method? A Natural Way to Learn a Foreign Language

  1. Iain

    As someone who has taught languages for almost 20 years I am always interested in different ‘methods’. Pimsleur’s methods are certainly not new and there is a lot of sense in what he says. But how do you define ‘you will learn a language’? I have lived in Japan almost 12 years and I don’t consider myself fluent, though many do,…..

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Iain,

      I have discussed about fluency on this article: How Long Does It Take to Learn a New Language? 3 Months, 1 Year or 5 Years? It really depends how you define fluency. I think that you are a fluent in a language when you can speak it without almost any effort. Words just flow from your mouth and you can express yourself in a way that you want.

      It’s true that you can live in a country for tens of years without learning a language. I know a guy in Finland who has lived there like 30 and still doesn’t speak Finnish (of course he has caught some words over the years but never speaks for example whole sentences). Living in a country doesn’t make anyone fluent but the amount of practice with good methods makes. Probably the most efficient way to learn a language is to speak with a native speaker. Then you are practicing vocabulary, grammar, pronouncing and listening at the same time and you are catching correct forms from your friend who is a native.

      I don’t know very much about Japanese language but probably I will make a little research so I can provide some information for my readers about it.

      Reply
      1. Francis Flores

        Hello sir, inn my opinion you can learn a foreign language in many different ways even if you don’t pay a tutor for it. You could just call a foreign friend and talk to him for hours with his language. That way is the easiest and cheapest way to learn a foreign language. Thank you sir.

        Reply
        1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

          Hi Francis,

          that’s also true. If you want to find people to practice with, I recommend taking a look at Italki, Preply or LingQ. You can find tons of language partners in those communities from the comfort of your own home.

          Reply
        2. mark

          In other ways you can just learn a language by adopting their culture live like them and embrace what they have.

          Reply
          1. Rumu

            Alright. That a good point like Roope said. But Ihave to say that it takes a little more than just completely embracing the way of life to learn a foreign language. This pimsleur methodis one of the best idea or channel i’ve come by for learning a new language.

        3. jemuelterrado

          Exactly you do not need to have tutor instead talk to a foreigner to learn. Before i learn basic french, at first it was very entangled process of learning and i know everything comes in that way but still i continue even sometimes it pushes me to quit because of having hard times. But if you do not have friends fluent in the specific language you want to learn, there are best alternative ways like this method.

          Reply
  2. Amanda

    Hey Roope, what a fabulous site thank you! Hubby and I travel to Japan snowboarding every second year. Before we went the first year we learnt Japanese at a local tafe (which we both paid more than that each for our course!) it was fabulous because we got to interact, but the really hard part is because it was so long ago we can’t remember it all.

    By having the course I think it’d be better as you could always go back and refer to it and also incidental listening (like on the car etc). Plus you also get to hear the rough pronounsiation (when we practised ourselves if we had bad habits we didn’t know).

    Will definitely look into, thank you!

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Amanda,

      I checked and Pimsleur has 4 courses for Japanese. If I would start studying Japanese, Chinese or any new language I would definitely consider using Pimsleur Method. It only takes 30 minutes a day and it teaches you probably the most important vocabulary that you will need. T

      he price $150 is not very cheap but by buying in a bundle it becomes cheaper and they have many times even 20% discounts. Then I could buy the course with somebody else which would make the price half and we could motivate each other to learn the language. If you really want to learn a language and think that it will be beneficial for you I think it’s worth investing some money because the reward will be even bigger when you can eventually speak it.

      Reply
  3. Eija

    Very interesting 🙂 Earphones can be used almost everywhere, so it is useful tip. Thanks for the inspirational text!

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      You are right. That is definitely one of the main benefits of audio methods. In addition, they are many times even very relaxing. You don’t even feel that you would be studying hard but at the same time you are learning rapidly new vocabulary and other things about a new language.

      Reply
    2. Francis Flores

      Hi Eija. You’re definitely right. Earphones is so important to humanity nowadays. It is so important that people wont even go out the house without it.

      Reply
  4. Eija

    That’s right! And it won’t take any extra time to study, if you study by listening on your way to somewhere 😉

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Yes. For example, last summer I studied French almost every work day for 1,5 hours because it was the time that I spent for going to work and coming back home. Then I just put headphones and started listening some teaching.

      Reply
  5. Gettingmile

    Hi Roope, great content you have here on how to learn new languages. This is the first time I’m hearing about Pimsleur and this post gives me a clear understanding. The language I love to learn first is French and German.I want to learn more though

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Gettingmile,

      Pimsleur gives you a great chance to improve your French and German skills. There are also several other resources on my website that will definitely help you.

      Have a look at these French resources. I was studying German as well recently because I am now living in Austria. Here the native language is German. There are numerous reasons why German is easy for English speakers to learn. So I bet you’ll learn rapidly if you want.

      -Roope

      Reply
  6. William

    very interesting information, I always wanted to learn a new language but could never grasp the methods i was being taught. Thanks to your information i found other ways to learn that might work for me.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi William,

      I believe that resources on my website will help you to learn any language you want.

      Just let me know if you need any help.

      -Roope

      Reply
    2. Francis Flores

      Hi William,

      As I said earlier in my other comments. Call a foreign friend and talk to him/her for hours. It is the best way to learn foreign language for free, and also fun too because you are learning with your friend. You’re learning and having fun at the same time. Isn’t it fantastic?

      Reply
  7. Decypher

    This might be the best method out there, repetition is quite necessary in language learning and hearing from native speakers also sharpens one’s fluency cause i think accent matters in every language

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Decypher,

      yeah, Pimsleur Method is one of the most popular language learning techniques in the world. Thousands of students all around the world have used with success. I myself prefer audio methods like Pimsleur rather than reading old text books.

      Reply
    2. Francis Flores

      Hi Decypher.

      You’re absolutely right. There is no way you could find a better way to learn other language than this method. Except for calling a foreign friend and talking to them for hours.

      Reply
  8. raks

    yeah, Pimsleur Method is one of the most popular language learning techniques in the world. Thousands of students all around the world have used with success. I myself prefer audio methods like Pimsleur rather than reading old text books.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Raks,

      yes. Pimsleur has enjoyed a huge success all around the world. I also like audio methods more than reading books so I think Pimsleur is a great service.

      Reply
  9. dhervas

    I tried pimsleur myself not too long ago, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by it. The questions were coming so fast, I was completely exhausted by the end of the lesson, and I didn’t have the sensation of having learned that much. But pimsleur evidently works fantastically for every one else, so maybe it’s time to give it another shot!

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Dhervas,

      thanks for sharing your experience. Maybe it would have helped if you would’ve listened to the same recording over and over again for repetition and better learning. Sometimes I listen to same teachings 20-30 times because I believe in the power of repetition.

      As the old wisdom says, “Repetition is a mother of learning.”

      Maybe Yabla method would work better for you because there you can choose your own phase?

      Reply
    2. Francis Flores

      Hi dhervas,

      Maybe pimsleur is not your thing, don’t worry there are a lot of ways to learn other language easier. Don’t lose hope brother, just keep trying even if you fail a thousands of times. In order to be fluent you need to learn from your mistakes.

      Reply
      1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

        That’s a great attitude Francis. One great teaching said like this, “Winners don’t enjoy failure but they will never let failure stop them. They say, this is my goal and I will do whatever it takes to achieve. I will learn lessons from any failure. I will learn faster. I will learn smarter. And I will not quit until my dream is a reality.”

        Reply
  10. LeJayJ

    I live in Canada, and because we are a bilingual country, quite frequently jobs for which I am qualified come up, but they require that the person be fluent in French as well as English. Not only does this give a wider selection of employment, jobs that seek bilingual employees pay more than those for which only one language is required.

    For those reasons, I would like to learn French but I would need to be certain of my ability to speak the language fluently after finishing the course before I would be willing to pay, what for me, is close to a month’s rent.

    That, and the time it takes to learn the language well. It seems I am getting mixed messages on Pimsleur’s ability to guarantee fluency to the degree I would require. What are other people’s thoughts on this? Do you think the courses are thorough enough to be able to work as a bilingual customer service agent?

    Reply
  11. vinaya

    I always have had this desire to learn a new language. However, I don’t have time to attend traditional language classes. You have to spend a lot of time in class room reading and home learning in order to learn a new language by following traditional method.

    However, if we can have few good techniques to learn a language faster, that will come as a great benefit. I have never heard about Pimsleur, I will have to check this to know more about this language learning technique.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Vinaya,

      yes, I definitely believe and know from my own experience that online courses can save tons of your time. Attending classes is often very tedious and slow. You can learn a language much faster by using more natural methods online.

      Reply
      1. vinaya

        After reading this review about Pimsleur language learning method, I went to check Pimsleur method. This program teaches you a new language through audio learning. You listen to the phrase in the language you are learning, you hear the explanation in your chosen language.

        Now you have to follow the phrase. This technique is effective only when you already know something about the language you are learning. For instance without knowing how monsieur is written in French, how would you pronounce monsieur.

        Reply
        1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

          You don’t need to know how words are written in order to pronounce them correctly. When I was working in a refugee center, I got to know several people who were able to speak a language but couldn’t write it. Those are two different skills.

          Of course, writing skills can help pronunciation and vice versa but it’s not necessary. One of my friends is able to write German but he hardly can speak it.

          If you want to learn to speak French, Pimsleur is great for you but if your goal is to write French, then I recommend another resource.

          Reply
  12. johnrajiv123

    I think this method is very effective considering that you won’t always have a partner to practice with. People travel, go to work and do a lot of stuffs in a daily basis that some can’t even spare an hour of their time to read thru different books.

    I think this issue was properly addressed by Pimsleur since they provided an option to use headsets and earphones which one can use on and off his way to work.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi John,

      that’s true. Yesterday I just met another person who praised Pimsleur method. He was practicing Spanish and he really enjoyed comprehensive courses of Pimsleur.

      Reply
    2. jemuelterrado

      I agree to you friend people nowadays are busy in some stuffs so no time to attend any tutorials personally and this would be the perfect solution for them, a handy and useful method of learning.

      Reply
  13. pandooh

    Well this is a good thing to do in summer. When you aren’t doing any significant past time to do. As much like anybody else, I would love to try this app but here in our country the conversion of dollar is in huge amount.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Pandooh,

      yeah, Pimsleur is not the cheapest method out there but it’s definitely useful. I bet you would also enjoy Yabla. It’s a cheaper alternative and effective as well. They have resources for several languages.

      Reply
  14. pandooh

    In my college days, we had to learn French. My professor was really fluent about it. I even bought a dictionary for it to study and yet I wasn’t able to make use of it. There are just people who wanted to learn but needs an intensive study to learn.

    I am that kind since for me learning new knowledge is throwing away what you’ve known from my own native language. I hope with this Pimsleur method it would be an effective one especially to this kind of people

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Pandooh,

      Pimsleur will definitely help you. It builds up your knowledge little by little, step by step. If you want, you can definitely become even more fluent in French than your ex-professor 😉

      Reply
  15. Mhaou33

    Hello Sir, This method is very helpful. I am currently teaching a foreign language and I do recommend to my students to learn a new Language in an easy, fun and exciting way to learn it.

    I might as well recommend this website. But in most cases when a student asks me on what is the easiest and effective way to learn a new language? Talking to people using that language is always one of my answers. Still, though, it depends on how a person can adopt the said language they want to learn.

    Like in my case, watching movies, listening to music, reading articles and magazines and books in a foreign language really helped me a lot in improving, enhancing and developing that foreign language that I am teaching now. And also using it every day even in our daily conversation is also a great help that I became fluent in that foreign language.

    Reply
  16. disy

    Very interesting method. I’m always listening to podcasts when I’m out of home. Sometimes I noticed that when I’m travelling or in places with many people, my attention drops down.

    Does this method require listening in a quiet place? Or it’s still efficient in some noisy environments.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Disy,

      you don’t need a quiet place for learning with Pimsleur. My friend used it always when he was going around by his bike and he found it very effective.

      Reply
  17. Rumu

    Wow! I like the sound of this, it’s definitely going to be a somewhat easy way of learning.

    I read somewhere sometime ago in an article which statistically state that the majority of people tend to remember and recall things listened to more than read. Take music for instance, I can recall a song from the 80’s word for word. But I don’t think I can recall the exact words from something I read just two months.

    Pimesleur in my opinion is an ingenious idea for learning a new language. I think I might give it try and see if I can finally get my head around French.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Rumu,

      that’s a good example of how well we can remember something we’ve heard. I think reading and listening both have their own benefits but I personally really enjoy learning languages by listening. I can do it while walking somewhere or when I’m waiting for example at the airport.

      Reply
  18. jemuelterrado

    I know there are lots of methods learning a different language but the most effective is talking to a fluent friend. It is quite different in feeling and experience learning in your own than experiencing talking to native residence of a particular country.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Jemuel,

      you are right that talking to a native is an effective way to improve your language skills. Italki is a great place to connect with native speakers and in Baselang you can connect with Spanish native speakers easily.

      Reply
      1. jemuelterrado

        Really? Well i can say that this is a good website recommendation and would be the best method to use. The very good capabilities and function of this is also learning with an audio. Really fantastic and improvised way of teaching and sharing thoughts.

        Reply
        1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

          Yes. I have used Italki a lot. I hope that there would be a similar service like Baselang for other languages as well but I haven’t found for other than Spanish.

          Reply
          1. jemuelterrado

            I hope so there would be someday and maybe there is already we just not reach them by now and need a further web browsing to find them. That would be great and will make you feel proud if one day you will be credited by people who learned some languages in your website Mr. Roope.

  19. Gracee Tuazon

    This is a great approach in learning a new language. Sometimes it is more practical to learn the basics just like what our parents did when they teach us our native language. And what better way than hearing it in an audio. Very revolutionary!

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      That’s true Gracee. Adults often wonder why children learn languages so fast. One of the biggest reasons is that they use more effective techniques than adults.

      Reply
    2. jemuelterrado

      Yes i agree to that very revolutionary gracee and this is how it amazes us. A new way of learning new languages very interesting.

      Reply
  20. Louise

    Wonderful approach here, I think it will work really fine. One does not need to travel and talk to other people just to learn their language.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      That’s true. Nowadays you can learn any language anywhere in the world thanks to wonderful resources. My personal experience was, for example, that I learned German much faster in Finland than I learned here in Austria 😉

      Reply
  21. Larryl332

    I suppose that the more natural the method that you choose the better off you would be. I like the approach here, and just wish I had a little more time.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Hi Larryl,

      have you considered that all of us have lots of “dead time”. You can use that time for language learning like I did. I was able to study French 1,5 hours every day even though I didn’t use even a minute of my time.

      Learn more on this article: How to Learn a Language Effectively? – Without Using a Minute of Your Time!

      All of us have a busy life. The question is how you prioritze your time and use 24 hours that you’ve been given 😉

      Reply
  22. GANDALF

    This is another awesome and a must to read review sir. Roope. The approach is not that complicated, using today’s modern devices learning different language is possible. thanks for the great minds who made those easy way to learn different languages.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Yeah, we can be thankful for those persons who have created this (and other) wonderful language learning resources for us. 🙂

      Reply
  23. SirenOnFire

    I have always believed that I am more of an auditory learner than visual, and I have proven this so many times in the years that I have spent in school. This focusing on that really makes me want to try this program out. The cons of this seem insignificant for me since the main goal of the program is for beginners to learn fast. It may seem a bit costly but I feel like it is worth it considering the offers they have.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Yeah, it’s always good to invest in your own learning. The world’s most successful investor of all time, Warren Buffett, said often that the best investment you can make is to invest in yourself.

      Reply
  24. jay

    This is quite a good idea for me learning another new language. Especially now these days that every person must at least know a secondary language aside from there native language. It adds another learning experience to connect with another person. Thanks to these platforms because it gives me a sudden boost to my confidence to learn another language and it makes me realize that it is never too late.

    Reply
  25. jemuelterrado

    This method of learning other languages is like an Earworm method that i just read in one of your discussion also. You will hear it through an audio and to be able to easily remember those word just keep on listening to it cause it will help you also to be fluent in pronounciations.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      You are right that Pimsleur is a little bit similar to Earworm. Both of them are audio based methods where you learn by listening to teaching and repeating phrases. Personally, I prefer this kind audio methods more than reading. I can use them wherever, even in the gym! 😉

      Reply
  26. rfismad

    Pimsleur is great for developing speaking ability and automaticity, but the problem is that it presents a relatively small amount of vocabulary and grammar, and the grammar introduction is often not explicit, which bothers some people. Pimsleur shines when used with another course which introduces more material.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      If you take only 1 Pimsleur course, yes the material is limited. However, they have for example 5 courses for learning many languages so it’s already quite a lot.

      Reply
  27. melvs

    I have my CD of Pimsleur learn Spanish, and it really is the best ways to learn a language and you can do it anywhere. What I did now is that I made it as an mp3 file and then upload it to my android phone so even though I sometimes forget what i just learned, I can repeat it and because of repetition you will be able to properly master it in the future.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      That’s wise. Repetition is a mother of skill. I have listened to some teachings over 50 times because I truly believe in the power of repetition. If I have read or listened something only once, it would be natural to forget most of it.

      Reply
  28. Heatman

    I think that Pimsleur being an audio-based program gives it an edge over all the other languages learning program as a result of the increased impact on the audio factor.

    It’s even prevalent in some communication principles, audio messages tend to have a more lasting effects than a written one. Audio messages are assimilated much more easily without stress compared to reading a text to grab information.

    Reply
  29. Steve5

    The Pimsleur method sounds interesting. It’s better than reading boring language books. That’s for sure.

    I haven’t learned how to speak a new language perfectly. I’ve tried a few times in the past. Most of what I did involve buying common phrasebooks. They were hard to use since you needed to have a solid grasp of pronunciation.

    What made it more difficult were those symbols used to indicate the proper intonation and such. I couldn’t understand most, if not all, of them. Very difficult.

    I then tried other methods. I downloaded a few language apps and I actually learned a few words. Though, it was still minimal progress but definitely better than nothing.

    I look forward to using Pimsleur in the future. It’s promising and much more effective than what mobile apps have to offer. Thank you for your in-depth review!

    Reply
      1. Steve5

        Thank you for your suggestions!

        I just read those posts and they look promising. Honestly, everything you share here has potential to change people’s lives for the better.

        Language is the foundation for living a meaningful life. I’ve always believed in heartfelt communication being the true path to building lasting friendships; healthy relationships with fellow human beings.

        Reply
  30. potentialwriter

    The Pimsleur method of learning languages must be a superb and revolutionary language learning technique among others. I guessed Paul Pimsleur studied Linguistics in school for him to have come out with something so special and fantastic as far as learning languages is concerned. Though I understood this is not a free language learning tool, I still consider that it’s worth it judging by the methods and approaches to language learning put across.

    Reply
      1. Steve5

        True. These investments enrich our lives by giving us the ability to interact with cultures and languages unfamiliar to us.

        Experiences like these are invaluable. It builds memories that we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives. This why education in language learning is a hidden gem to be treasured.

        Reply
  31. kat

    This is very interesting! I’m planning to new learn a new language myself. It’s a good way to exercise your brain & may offer proven benefits for intelligence, memory, and concentration. I’ve read an article saying it may lower risks of Dementia and Alzheimer’s. And I think hearing it from native speakers & understanding what a word/phrase means over & over is the best way to learn it. Kudos!

    Reply
  32. potentialwriter

    This is another awesome way to learn a foreign language with pimsleur’s approach and it’s really amazing. It’s a natural way of learning foreign languages indeed and it does not cost a dime. Thanks for sharing this because so many people like me would have preferred easier ways like these to learn interested languages without spending a dime. Using headphones to master every bit of it, even while going on a bike is really awesome and fantastic.

    Reply
  33. potentialwriter

    What I am impressed most about the Pimsleur’s method is the natural way of learning foreign languages. For the fact that I don’t have to stand in front of a textbook, I must say I am captivated. That is the problem with most people when it comes to learning a foreign language. It used to be very boring to stand in front of a written or published manual learning a completely foreign language.

    A lot of language learners like me would appreciate the Pimsleur’s natural way of learning languages. I also read that I can just place a headphone and continue learning even while riding, cycling or driving.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Yes, there are many benefits the Pimsleur method. I like audio-based methods in general because you can use them wherever you are and they are also very effective.

      Reply
  34. Mandi Gal

    I just realized that true adopting their culture is one of the best for you can easily learn other languages.

    Reply
  35. Jasmine

    I agree in the fact that many don’t learn in a classroom with lectures and notes. In these cases they are being taught to memorize lectures but not interact with the language itself. The pimsleur method in fact does have many benefits for those looking for a new way to engage with a language. Interacting with not only the culture but foreigners as well is an advantage to learn faster for many.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      You are certainly right! I was always good at school but I had sometimes challenges with learning new languages. But when I started studying them in a “real world” I realized that they are much easier.

      Reply
  36. OlaSidiq

    I actually like this method of learning a new language. When I was in school, I study using the repetition method because repetition enhances reAnother take that I got fromtention.

    Another take that I got from this is learning on the go. The fact that I can learn a new language with such ease is wonderful.

    When learning a new language in school, the school curriculum tends to venture more topics that are not what the student really needs at that time to speak that language. Listening to more complex grammars does not help a new language learner.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      You’re right. Schools use mostly “one-size-fits-all” methods. However, the problem with that is that all people don’t need to learn the same subjects. If I would learn Chinese for business, for example, I would study different things than a person who studies Chinese for traveling only.

      Reply
  37. vivalavanda

    I have been learning Korean for a few months and I am very disappointed with myself because I don’t see any improvement. However, when I saw this article, it gives me hope. As a person who doesn’t want to read books about grammars, this is the right method for me.

    Reading books about how to construct sentences correctly just makes me lazy to learn the language. But in this method, I can take this anywhere I go and will use it every day. I will definitely try this one.

    Reply
    1. Roope Kiuttu Post author

      Learning a new language depends on two things: 1.Effort you put in and 2.Techniques that you are using. The more time and the better techniques you use, the faster results you get. Of course, the mindset plays a huge role. If you put, for example, 1 hour per day for Pimsleur (or similar) methods I think you’ll be fluent in a year.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *