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Pimsleur Spanish Highlights
- 3 Levels, 30 Lessons Each
- 4th Level 10 Lessons
- Lessons 30 Minutes Each
- Sight Reading Booklet
- Study Guide
- $225 Level I
- $225 Level II
- $225 Level III
- $97 Level IV
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Pimsleur Spanish
www.pimsleur-language.com
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Overall Rating
For years the Sybervision Pimsleur Spanish language series was my favorite method for learning Spanish, with the exception of total immersion in a Spanish speaking country. However, while I found the series to be excellent at learning or refreshing spoken Spanish, it was always weak in presenting you with an understanding of the grammar and was in my opinion totally lacking in teaching you to read. The little sight reading booklet they give you is almost worthless, It doesn't teach you how to read, i.e., give meaning to the words, but rather it helps you recognize how to pronounce certain words, but does not supply their meaning. Nevertheless, Pimsleur Spanish gets you immediately into conversational Spanish and you will quickly become comfortable speaking basic Spanish without having to memorize boring vocabulary lists and phrases.
The Pimsleur language series is now produced by Simon & Schuster and has been re-recorded to bring it up to date with the Euro when referring to European currency. The rest of the program remains pretty much the same.
Pimsleur Spanish vs. Rocket Spanish
So, If it used to be my favorite self study method for learning Spanish, what is my favorite method now? My top rating now goes to Rocket Spanish under the following conditions. 1. You are just starting out learning Spanish, 2. You don't know anything about Spanish grammar, 3. You have not learned to read Spanish. If these conditions apply to you, then Rocket Spanish will give you a quick solid foundation in basic Spanish, but it does not contain the overall depth of spoken Spanish that Pimsleur does if you work through all four levels of Pimsleur Spanish (Level IV is called Spanish Plus). So Rocket Spanish doesn't completely replace Pimsleur Spanish, except for the lower levels. Consider that Rocket Spanish has 12 hours of Spanish training, while Pimsleur Spanish totals out at around 50 hours counting all four levels.
Pimsleur Spanish vs. Rosetta Stone Spanish
Pimsleur is also excellent when combined with other programs such as the Rosetta Stone Spanish program. While the excellent Rosetta Stone Spanish program ties you down to your computer (with both the CD and online subscription versions) since it is in a multimedia format, the Pimsleur Spanish comes in audio CDs or tapes and you can listen to them with a portable tape or CD player, thus giving you much more flexibility as to when and where you can study your Spanish. For instance, you can listen to your Pimsleur Spanish CDs while riding in your car - very handy with today's long commutes. The Pimsleur Spanish program also gets you immediately into conversational Spanish, while the Rosetta Stone software takes longer for you to reach a conversational level. Additionally, they initially cover different vocabulary, so joining the two programs together can increase your learning Spanish much more rapidly (use the Rosetta Stone software or online subscription while at home wit your computer and the Pimsleur Spanish series while commuting in your car.
How does the Pimsleur Method Work?
Dr. Pimsleur's Method of Learning is based on two key principles: the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory that he called Graduated Interval Recall. This program incorporates both of these principles to provide you with a simple and effective learning method. His method also incorporates two other unique components that are also important: Core Vocabulary Acquisition, and the Organic Learning Method.
The Principle of Anticipation requires you to "anticipate" a correct answer. Practically, what this means is that you must retrieve the answer from your own memory before it is confirmed in the lesson. The instructor on the recording will present a statement or question and then leave a pause where you are to respond prior to the instructor providing the confirming answer. The Principle of Anticipation is based on the fact that learning accelerates when there is an "input/output" system of interaction, in which students receive information and then are asked to retrieve and use it.
Graduated Interval Recall is designed to remind you of new information at the exact intervals where maximum retention takes place. Each time your memory begins to fade, you will be asked to recall the word. Through this powerful method, you progress from short-term to long-term memory without being aware of it, while avoiding the monotonous rote repetition used in traditional language courses.
Core Vocabulary is derived from extensive research that has shown that we actually need a comparatively limited number of words to be able to communicate effectively in any language. The essential core of a language involves function words, which tend to relate to human activities. Focusing on the function words in Spanish enables you to comprehend and employ the structure of your new language.
With the Organic Learning Method, you will be working on your vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation all at once, while also learning phrases that have practical use in daily life. It has been said that language is primarily speech. With this in mind, the Pimsleur Spanish course is designed to teach you to understand and to speak the essential elements of Spanish in a relatively short time. During each half-hour lesson, you will actually converse with two people, using the type of language spoken by educated citizens in their everyday business and social life.
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What Is Presented At Each Level?
| Level 1 (Start here to begin your Pimsleur Comprehensive Program Training) |
Upon completion of Level 1, you will have functional spoken proficiency with the most-frequently-used vocabulary and grammatical structures. You will be able to
- initiate and maintain face-to-face conversations,
- deal with every day situations -- ask for information, directions, and give basic information about yourself and family,
- communicate basic information on informal topics and participate in casual conversations,
- avoid basic cultural errors and handle minimum courtesy and travel requirements,
- satisfy personal needs and limited social demands,
- establish rapport with strangers in foreign countries,
- begin reading and sounding out items with native-like pronunciation.
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| Level 2 (Start here after completion of level 1) |
Level 2 will double your vocabulary and grammatical structures while increasing your spoken proficiency exponentially. Upon completion of level 2, you will be able to
- engage in fuller conversations involving yourself, your family, daily activities, interests and personal preferences,
- combine known elements into increasingly longer sentences and strings of sentences,
- create with language and function in informal situations,
- deal with concrete topics in the past, present, and future,
- meet social demands and limited job requirements,
- begin reading for meaning.
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| Level 3 (Start here after completion of level 1 and 2) |
Level 3 will increase your vocabulary and grammatical structures and triple your spoken proficiency. Upon completion of level 3, you will be able to
- participate in most informal and some formal discussions on practical, social, and some semi-professional topics,
- form longer sentences while maintaining the target language syntax,
- be understood even by native speakers unused to dealing with foreigners,
- handle increasingly difficult grammatical structures,
- enjoy fluent conversations with a variety of strangers,
- have a near-native accent, and the subtleties of the language will be apparent in your speech,
- read at the same level at which you speak.
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| Spanish Plus Program (Level IV) (Start here after completion of levels 1,2, and 3) |
The Spanish Plus Program will
- build upon the language corpus acquired in Levels I, II, and III,
- include real-life situations (working in a publishing company and attending a trade fair),
- include a more interpersonal exchange of language at a higher level, using diverse language strategies.
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Recommendation
Pimsleur Spanish is recommended for refresher training, getting comfortable with conversational Spanish, and for using in conjunction with Rosetta Stone to increase vocabulary and speed of being able to converse in Spanish (the two programs are complementary). Pimsleur Spanish Levels II, III, and IV are also recommended as follow-on vocabulary and language building programs after completion of Rocket Spanish.
....find out more about Pimsleur Spanish
What's Next after Pimsleur Spanish Plus (Level IV)?
Once you have the basic foundations of the language well grounded, it is simply a matter of ever increasing your vocabulary, continualing seeking opportunities to actually putting the language to use, and increasing your ability to understand different speakers on different topics. Two programs that can assist you in increasing fluency in Spanish include the Puerta del Sol Spanish Audio Magazine and joining a Spanish Language Meetup in your local area.
....find out more about Pimsleur Spanish
...and on how to Start Learning a New Language in the Next 30 minutes.
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Pros:
- Audio Course
- Interactive
- Excellent Language Learning Methology for Speaking Spanish
- Native Spanish Speakers so you learn correct pronounciation
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Cons:
- Audio Only Program
- Weak in Reading Spanish
- Expensive if you get all 4 levels
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