Pimsleur program

[mtb999]

Hi - I was wondering if anyone has used the Pimsleur language program (any language)?  I had a look at Rosetta Stone from my local library and it doesn't suit my learning style as I can't guess what the pictures are doing in some instances!!  Little Pim looks really good ... but I'm hoping to learn so that I can teach my child.
Cheers

[momtomany]

I've read lots and lots of language learning forums/blogs/books, some by people who can speak many many foreign languages (I highly recommend this book: "How to Learn any Language" by Barry Farber... and this website: how-to-learn-any-language.com... great website).  They all highly recommend Pimsleur.  I bought it for my husband to learn Dutch (he is German/English speaking, but if he learns some Dutch then it could be possible for him to do a test of Dutch language and get a Dutch (=EU) citizenship because I'm Dutch).  Well, our plans to move to Europe never materialized and he never used it... I tried it for a while but, because it's really geared to a very beginning student to work towards fluency, I found it just wasn't suitable for me either because I can already understand a good amount of Dutch and speak some also.  But I do think it's a good bang-for-your-buck and I've only read good things about it.  Our library carries it, or maybe you could get it to try if your library has an interlibrary loan service.  I think I saw a website once that had some of the more popular Pimsleur languages available for free download (in an MP3 file or something?) but I'm not sure of the legality of it or what the website was called... maybe you can find it if you google it.

[Joha]

We got the first CD's for Mandarin to see how it worked. My husband has listened to them and he has learnt somethings (he has great ear for languages). I think it depends if you can pick up a language just by listening. In my case, it hasn't quite worked because I'm a graphic person, I need to see it in order for my brain to remember it  You are supposed to listen to the CD and repeat. I use it for my daugher inthe background when she is playing or something.

I'm not sure if this helps you at all, but it my experience so far. 

[momtomany]

I get this CD from the library sometimes... it's called Baby Steps French (other languages too), and in the little booklet it explains that just exposing the babies to the sounds of the target language when they are in those first few months will help them even if noone can speak to them in that language yet.  I know a lady who teaches Spanish (to English speaking adults) and she remembers one fellow that lived in a Spanish speaking country as an infant, but then he moved and never heard Spanish again... but in this class where he is now learning Spanish, he is making the most authentic Spanish pronunciation that she has heard from any of her students.  This story confirms what the little booklet says... early exposure to the unique sounds of a foreign language will help prevent a baby from losing the ability to make those sounds... at birth every baby has the potential to learn any language with perfect native pronunciation.  So keep playing those language tapes and anything else you can find at the library, even if you aren't prepared to start formally teaching your babe the target language.

[genochye]

I don't mean to sound like an infomercial, but we love the Pimsleur dvds.  We purchased Mandarin, French & Spanish sets, our 3.5 yo & 15 month old enjoy watching all of them.  Neither hubby or myself speak Mandarin or Spanish, but our 3.5 yo is quickly picking up the vocabulary teaching us !  Thankfully I have a strong background in French, so practicing w/ DS has been fun ever since he began watching the French dvd set.  We're hoping that the Pimsleur dvd's will expand beyond "Volume 3".

[luckylucy]

I love the Pimpleur cds in French.  You just listen 30 minutes a day in car or before bed or whenever and you really learn the language and your pronunciation will be superb (unlike when you learned it in high school).   

I also have Little Pim in French for my baby girl and she loves it.  Also, I learned a lot just listen and watching her cds with her. 

When learning a foreign language it's crucial to hear the words/phrases pronounced by a native speaker without seeing how the words are written.  Because if you see how it is written then no matter how hard you try you will pronounce it as you would in your own language.  However, if you hear it without seeing it and without any preconceived notion of how it's supposed to sound then you can only pronounce it they way you heard it, in the correct foreign accent.   Just listen to the cds, repeat, and you will learn and you will love they way you speak.

[VictoriaC]

I bought Pimsleur Korean 6 months ago in hope to learn the language for work purpose. I listened to the CD in the car on my way to work and on my way home. Maybe it's age, or maybe I'm just too distracted , I cant seem to pick it up as easy as I hope to. So as not to waste my money, I started to play the CDs whenever I put my twins to sleep. After just a few sessions, I noticed my twins beginning to pick up short 1-2 words of each sentence the speaker says. It's fun to see them imitating and repeating after the speaker in a language I'm foreign to. I really like the Pimsleur program, now I'm considering to get little Pims for my twins.

I have a concern. As we are a multilingual household ( I speak English with my twins, my husband speaks Cantonese, my mother speaks Mandarin and my helper communicates with them in Indonesian) and I expose them to other foreign languages like French, Italian, Korean and Japanese through CDs, I'm worried that they may get confused.

Input anyone?

[momtomany]

Have you been to this website?

www.multilingualchildren.org

It has a great open forum plus many articles that you would really enjoy reading.

[mtb999]

Thanks for all the posts so far and special thanks to momtomany for the websites - especially the how to learn any language website - perhaps you should post it as a separate thread so that it's easier for forum members to discover

What vocabulary / topics is / are taught in the various levels on Pimsleur for adults?  The concept of learning by listening and reproducing the 'noises' / words seems good - especially if we form an impresson on how a word should be pronounced based on reading in our mother-tongue.

Has anyone got both Pimsleur for kids and Baby-Learns-Chinese.  There is overlap in the topics covered and I was wondering if one is better than the other ...

Thank-you again for all your help!

[purplefungi]

I really enjoy the Pimsleur program and have used it with Mandarin and Greek (only the first CDs of each).

[Mary_Cal]

Same here, I LOVE the Pimsleur courses and I'm usually a visual learner but their method just works!  It's very natural and similar to how an infant learns his mother tongue.  Plus it's awesome to be able to throw it on my ipod and do the course while cleaning the house.   

[Mary_Cal]

Another thing, I forgot Pimsleur also has a special series to teach Spanish to younger kids and it's using Dora.  The series is called Speak Spanish with Dora and Diego.

[purplefungi]

Same here, I LOVE the Pimsleur courses and I'm usually a visual learner but their method just works!  It's very natural and similar to how an infant learns his mother tongue.  Plus it's awesome to be able to throw it on my ipod and do the course while cleaning the house.   

I agree! I've done this too. I tried doing it when I did laudry in the basement, but it got me all creeped out!

[tattooedmommy]

I was looking into the Little Pim French and Spanish, and was wondering if they plan to expand? They seem so basic.
Is it useful to use just CDs while baby plays or in the car, or is it better for them to see a video? I don't speak any spanish and just a tiny little french, and I was just wondering how to start. (I want to at least learn the French with her!)
Is it also useful to get someone like for 2 hours a week or something to speak and play with them in the fluent language, or are the CDs and DVDs sufficient? HELP!!!

[luckylucy]

I play the Little Pim French dvd's on TV for my baby girl a few times a week and we also listen to the Pimsleur cds (for adults) in the car.  I notice she repeats the sounds when we are in the car.  Also, I just got a Dora dvd that has a French speaking option and my baby girl absolutely loved it.  She dances around and repeats the sounds (she's only 18 months).  It's been very effective.  I highly recommend going on Amazon.com and finding the Dora dvds that are also in French.

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