Pimsleur Spanish is one of the first programs I tried. The program is one of the oldest out there and has stood the test of time. Pop in the CD (or rip to MP3), go through a lesson and you’ve learned something new. Very easy to go through in the morning while you’re getting ready for work or class, while you’re driving around town or on the bus or out for a run. There’s no textbooks or worksheets, no software to master. It’s pretty easy and hassle free.
Components
- Spanish 1
- Language basics: saying hello, asking for or giving information, scheduling a meal or a meeting, asking for or giving basic directions, and much more.
- Minimum courtesy requirements
- Ability to schedule activities
- Currency dealing and exchanging money
- Shopping, visiting friends, restaurant situations, making plans, road trips, family discussion
Pricing
- Spanish 1 Unlimited – $150
- Spanish 1-3 Unlimited – $350
- Spanish 1-4 Unlimited – $450
System Requirements
- Anything that will play an Audio CD. Or rip to MP3 and play on a computer or MP3 player.
Verdict
Pimsleur Spanish may seem old-fashioned since it’s ‘just’ audio CD’s but it does the trick at a nice, reasonable pace. Each lesson lasts only 30 minutes and they each build on each other. You’ll have the right usages with the proper pronunciations drilled into you consistently and that gives Pimsleur a distinct advantage over just opening up a book and reading or going through written exercises.
Because Pimsleur was one of the first programs I tried, I only went through Spanish 1. At the time, I didn’t have enough money to buy all three. By the time I had some more money saved, I wanted to try other programs. Truth be told, I should have saved the money I wasted on Rosetta Stone and gotten Pimsleur Spanish 2 & 3. I’ve summarized Pimsleur Spanish 2 and 3 levels below and let me tell you, the topics covered really will help build towards a great working knowledge of Spanish.
Personally I find it useful to know at least some grammar but that’s just me. If you want to dive right in and not worry about the nitty-gritty, Pimsleur definitely does the trick.
- Spanish 2
- More complex usages of past tense
- Fuller uses in business and social situations
- Expanded vocabulary
- Combining tenses and structure for more complex sentences
- Bartering situations, medical info, talking about the weather
- Sports and leisure situations
- Elementary job-related discussions
- Spanish 3
- Informal and formal discussions regarding social and semi-professional topics
- Cultural norms and situations
- Ever-increasing fluidity in complex situations using longer sentence patterns
- Increasing mastery of past, present and future tenses