Pimsleur Language Program: German II

Pimsleur Comprehensive German #2

by Pimsleur

With Pimsleur Language Programs you don't just study a language, you learn it -- the same way you mastered English! And because the technique relies on interactive spoken language training, the Pimsleur Language Programs are totally audio -- no book is needed! The Pimsleur programs provide a method of self-practice with an expert teacher and native speakers in lessons specially designed to work with the way the mind naturally acquires language information. The various components of language -- vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar -- are all learned together without rote memorization and drills. Using a unique method of memory recall developed by renowned linguist, Dr. Paul Pimsleur, the programs teach listeners to combine words and phrases to express themselves the way native speakers do. By listening and responding to thirty minute recorded lessons, students easily and effectively achieve spoken proficiency. No other language program or school is as quick, convenient, and effective as the Pimsleur Language Programs. The Comprehensive Program is the ultimate in spoken language learning. For those who want to become proficient in the language of their choice, the Comprehensive programs go beyond the Basic Programs to offer spoken-language fluency. Using the same simple method of interactive self-practice with native speakers, these comprehensive programs provide a complete language learning course. The Comprehensive Program is available in a wide variety of languages and runs through three levels (thirty lessons each) in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. At the end of a full Comprehensive Program listeners will be conducting complete conversationsand be well on their way to mastering the language. The Comprehensive Programs are all available on cassettes and are also on CD in the six languages in which we offer the Basic Program on CD.

Genres: Audiobook

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Irena Pasvinter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An update, August 2023: relistened to this course yet again, on and off, before a trip to Vienna -- was sincerely surprised to find out that I had listened to it just a year ago.:) If I had been listening to it and the next Pimsleur German courses regularly, a lesson or two a day or so, my German speaking ability would have been much better than the current "Leider spreche ich kein Deutsch" and "Das zimmer hundert-vierzien." Pimsleur works very well, but only if you do your part of the bargain.

In 2022:
I've already listened to this course in 2016, during my first serious bout of learning German. So now is the second time.

As audio courses go, Pimsleur is one of the best. It is based on spaced repetition and on building upon what you've already learned, and aims to teach the listener how to communicate in everyday situations. And Pimsleur's methodology does work -- Pimsleur courses are guaranted to improve your ability to communicate in a foreign lanuage, in my experience.

In my opinion, it's much more effective and less annoying to use Pimsleur after you've already aquainted yourself with basics of the language's grammar, but it is not absolutely neccessary.


Image credit: Wikimedia commons, Pimsleur Language Programs logo

Three things I like most about Pimsleur:

1.It can be used on the go, while driving or taking care of household chores etc. You don't need to consult anything else -- just listen and speak.
2.It doesn't expect you to emulate a parrot by mechanically memorising a miscellanious disconnected bunch of words and phrases.
3.Pimsleur courses are available for lots of languages and often for different levels of language ability -- from beginner to intermidiate and sometimes further. For German there are 5 levels out there, and this is 5x30 half-hour lessons -- that's a lot to listen to.;)

[Korgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's one guy in this who's awful and he gets more lines to read as the lessons progress making it worse as it goes on. Really had to force myself to finish these.

He slurs words together, talks faster than the others, and has a different pronunciation of words than the others. I had to rewind everything he said 3-5 times.

Other than that, it was good.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

My German really improved with this series.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great refresher so far and format forces better pronunciation- still looking to increase vocabulary with more anchor words. Und Ich muss uben!!

[michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diese 30 Lektionen helfen mir, das Wort für den Dativ von ‘Sie’ endlich zu lernen.