The Pimsleur Language Learning System

How You Can Get the Most From These Language Program

Several decades ago, an applied linguistics researcher named Paul Pimsleur designed a unique and highly effective language program.  Called the "Pimsleur Language Learning System", the program took a user from a pure novice level, to a level of basic conversational fluency.  Each language generally features three levels, with an easily noticeable progression in difficulty as the course goes on.  The program is indeed quite effective, but it is also quite pricey.  This guide is going to give you some advice on how to get the absolute most out of the program, as well as explain and review  it's advantages and disadvantages.

Fluency?

The claim is that Pimsleur will bring you to fluency in the target language.  This is somewhat misleading, though it is true in a certain context.  What Pimsleur will essentially do is (1) develop your aural comprehension to a level where you can understand fluent speech fairly well and (2) develop your ability to have a fluent, albeit relatively simple, conversation. 

Aural comprehension is developed through repeated hearing exposure to the language; the fact that the program is entirely audio helps this.  As the courses progress, the speech you are listening to will come closer and closer to a realistic and fluent speed, and if you pace yourself well through the lessons you will rarely find it too difficult to keep up.  After finishing the course, you certainly will need more experience with listening, but your understanding of the accent, the seperation of words, and the sound of words will be particularly good.