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 enlarge | Author: Pimsleur
Publisher: Pimsleur
Category: Book
List Price: $295.00
Buy New: $224.99
You Save: $70.01 (24%)
New (5) Used (4) from $119.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  59 reviews
Sales Rank: 997574
Format: Audiobook
Media: Audio Cassette
Edition: 2 Revised
Number Of Items: 16
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.7
Dimensions (in): 13 x 10.5 x 2.2
ISBN: 0743523563
Dewey Decimal Number: 468
EAN: 9780743523561
ASIN: 0743523563
Publication Date: April 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new Book ,ALL days Low Price !
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| Customer Reviews:
 How Does Pimsleur Rate Against the Competition? June 29, 2005
40 out of 43 found this review helpful
I have completed all of the three main levels of Pimsleur Spanish as well as Pimsleur Spanish plus. I have been studying
Spanish on my own since early 2002. I would consider myself somewhat proficient but far from fluent. I am going to attempt to compare Pimsluer Spanish with some of the other courses that I have used and that are available here on Amazon.
Compared to Rosetta stone, I would consider Pimsleur a lot more fun. Rosetta Stone was a rather tedious course. And the more
fun a course is, the more that you will study with the course. The advantage that Rosetta Stone Spanish has over Pimsleur
is that you will learn more vocabulary. Also if you are a visual learner you will make progress quicker with Rosetta Stone because Pimsluer Spanish is all audio. Pimsluer Spanish is also a lot more "convenient" than Rosetta Stone because Pimsleur Spanish can be used in your car or even your ipod. However, Rosetta Stone Spanish requires you to sit in front of a computer. In any case, Rosetta Stone makes an excellent compliment to Pimsleur Spanish or Learning Spanish Like Crazy.
Compared to Learning Spanish Like Crazy, I would consider Pimsleur easier to master. I was able to complete the Pimsleur
materials by going through them just once or twice. On the other hand, I had to go through the Learning Spanish Like Crazy
materials as many as five times before I felt comfortable enough with the material to move on to the next lesson.
Arguably, that's because LSLC covers more vocabulary and grammar than Pimsluer Spanish. Clearly, one advantage that Learning Spanish Like crazy has over Pimsleur Spanish is that it offers much more vocabulary. The vocabulary in Pimsleur was also a bit archaic and just too formal. On the other hand, the LSLC spanish course puts a greater emphasis on everyday spoken Latin American Spanish. The major disadvantage with LSLC is that the company is new and has only completed one level while Pimsleur Spanish has at least 3 levels. According to the LSLC web site, they are still working on Level 2. The last time that I had checked the LSLC web site was only offering the CD version of the course with a package of several other FSI Spanish courses. But you can get the LSLC CD course here at Amazon.com with out the extra FSI courses for substantially less money.
In all fairness, I don't think that I should attempt to compare Michel Thomas Spanish to Pimsleur Spanish. Michel Thomas Spanish is a great Spanish course for someone looking to learn just enough Spanish to get by. But it is not a comprehensive
Spanish course and I am sure that Michel Thomas did not intend for it to be a comprehensive Spanish course. But if you are
on a budget or if you just want a crash course in Spanish (and have no desire to ever be completely fluent) then I would
strongly recommend Michel Thomas Spanish. He uses a very natural learning method that is similiar to the way we learned to speak English as a child.
So out of the comprehensive courses which one do I recommend that you buy? Actually all of them. Of course not all at once.
Unless you are naturally gifted at learning foreign languages, its just not realistic to think that you will achieve
proficiency in Spanish after going through just one Spanish course or series of Spanish courses. It takes years of effort and study (or relocation to a Spanish-speaking country). Unfortunately, I have not found a course that will give us a shortcut.
 Approximates Spanish 101 June 28, 2005
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
I can't improve on what others have said about the Pimsleur method except to say I concur! I've tried other do-it-yourself Spanish programs, and this is by far the easiest and most effective one.
What I can add is to say that I took a Spanish 101 class at our local community college. When it came time for the 102 class, it was cancelled due to not enough students signed up (we live in a small town). So I got Pimsleur's Spanish I. I was amazed to find out that much of what I had learned was in the Pimsleur tapes! It not only was a great review of my college class, but it actually took me a little further in some areas of grammar and concepts.
The vocabulary, however, was not as comprehensive as my college course with its long lists for each chapter. Rather, it is focused on common phrases useful when travelling to a Spanish-speaking country. ("Where is the restaurant? I would like to buy..." etc.) But... I feel much more confident in SPEAKING after doing the Pimsleur tapes. As with most college courses, speaking was not emphasized. And speaking is really where "the rubber meets the road" as far as language goes.
I'm hoping our college will have SPA 102 this fall, but if they don't, I know I can get Pimsleur's Spanish II and keep right on learning.
great for building beginning conversational skills June 28, 2005
22 out of 24 found this review helpful
I have gone thru all but the last 3 cd's now in the set. Overall I am quite happy with the purchase. Generally, the way the lessons work is, first the narrator will introduce you to a new expression or word. You will repeat it a couple of times, use it in conjunction with some words and expressions that you have already been taught. Then, the lesson will move on to new words and expressions. The new words and expressions will be taught in context, using many examples that include all the knowledge you have been taught to that point. So the lessons will repeatedly go backwards and forward thru spanish you have learned, getting you to constantly reuse your knowledge and apply it.
When I was learning french, on my own, I would make flash cards and subject myself to constant repetition until I knew the words and expressions (and conjugations...) by heart. The technique used on these lessons is the same, except that you also have the benefit of listening to the Spanish speakers. I cannot say anything about the quality of the spanish speakers choosen, except that the speakers switch back and forth between a male and female speaker. They are supposed to have "neutral" accents - somewhere between european spanish and latin american.
I find the lessons are perfect for listening to in the car while commuting.
With a little attention each day, I am slowly learning spanish. Sometimes I get a little bored. But I am happy with the results. I am also reading a book in spanish and watching TV in spanish, plus speaking it every chance I get (at least 2 times a week here in dallas TX). I find that I am slowly advancing. This product helps a little with learning the sound of spanish speakers, and at conversational ability.
You will not learn a lot of vocabulary from this product, but you will learn the basic grammar and pronounciation very well.
The lessons are light on vocabulary, and more focused on learning grammar, proper conjutation of just a few words, and some idiomatic expressions. This product is not about bredth, but reinforcing a couple of key topics.
Another proof that it works : often while listening to this CD, my daughter (who is 3) was in the car with me. Often later in the day she would start spouting spanish, especially if she heard in English one of the phrases used in the book. The first half of the CD's are basically translation exercises, and kids seem to pick up on this pretty quick.
My only complaint, and it's a pretty odd one, is that for some reason many many of the example conversations involve asking someone to go to a restaurant with you to have a beer. After practicing the lessons a couple of times, I found myself having a huge craving for a XX, and I don't drink!
Excellent for the Car - but be careful! June 7, 2005
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
After a trip to Cuba I thought I would give Spanish a go. I got this set and LOVE it. I really was putting sentences together and speaking with a couple of friends in the office who have varying degrees of Spanish. The course so far is great and for someone like me who thought language learning was for the gifted, I have been surprised. I will go onto Spanish 2 and 3 and see how much I can speak. We have the Spanish embassy 5 minutes form my office, so I will give it a try at their parties. Loving Pimsleur - already thinking, after doing all the Pimsleur course it says you are at High Intermediate level...I wonder how to get to advanced? For anyone who is curious if this system works - it truly does. Just be careful while driving, that's when I do it- it is hard to truly concentrate.
Very good commute time saver April 20, 2005
18 out of 23 found this review helpful
I learned so much with this. I have the CD version because I like to be able to just hit back and quickly jump around if I miss something or just want to review part of a lesson. I'd be careful buying online though unless you buy directly from Amazon or buy from a brick-and-mortar reseller. There are a LOT of fly by night Pimsleur resellers with flashy websites and they don't even have a real store! If you look around, I found one place that even buys the Pimsleur back when you're done with it for $120!!! Just go to search engine and search for "Pimsleur". The place I bought from sent me the newest edition new, and I'm gonna sell it back to them. When all's said and done it will only have costed me $39 for the COMPREHENSIVE 30 lesson CD set! I'm so psyched. And it seems a lot of the dealers are copying that $120 place because you can also get vouchers back from some other sellers worth $100 (not cash, just a coupon but good if you want to go on to next level of Pimsleur).
Viva Pimsleur!
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