Are you traveling to a foreign country? Do you wish to communicate better at restaurants where Spanish is spoken? Or maybe you have friends, acquaintances, or co-workers who speak Spanish. According to Forbes, 559 million people (as of May, 2021) around the world are speaking Spanish. Perhaps you are interested in learning a new language. Pimsleur Spanish can help you to learn conversational Spanish quickly and easily. In just 30 minutes a day (though I recommend an hour per day if you can), you can be quickly on your way to becoming fluent in Spanish.
NOTE: Pimsleur is actually offering a 7-Day FREE Trial, which you can gain access to, simply by clicking this link: I want to learn to speak Spanish!
Pimsleur is different than other language learning programs because it is based on the principle of natural language acquisition. This means that you will learn in the same way that you learned your first language, by listening and speaking. The Pimsleur program is also very flexible. You can use it at home, at work, or on the go. All you need is a phone, tablet, or computer with internet access. I personally like to use it while driving and while at the gym.
I have been using the Pimsleur program myself for a while now, to learn conversational Spanish, and I am very happy with my progress. The lessons are short (about 30 minutes each), and they are easy to follow. Because the lessons are about 30 minutes, I like to listen to them twice, back-to-back, and then I’m done for the day. Make sure you follow along out loud, as actually speaking through the sentence structure is what helps you to build your “muscle memory” and recall.
Memorization vs Natural Language Acquisition
When you go through the training, it’s okay to forget. In fact, you should forget. Forgetting will help you to remember. I know that probably sounds like nonsense, but it’s actually quite true. Here’s why…
Everything you learn will be repeated in future chapters, so once it’s drilled into your mind, they use the term less and less frequently, until it seemingly disappears from the vocabulary. Just when you think you’ve forgotten it, they bring it back up. The first couple times this happens, you’ll get that “it was just on the tip of my tongue” feeling. I’m sure you’ve experienced this sensation at least once, and if not, then count your blessings for having a perfect memory!
Eventually, it will no longer be on the tip of your tongue and you won’t have to struggle to remember, either. It will naturally sit comfortably inside your brain, ready to be used at any given moment, as a new addition to your vocabulary. It’s actually really cool how it works.
Dr. Paul Pimsleur
The mastermind behind the Pimsleur training program, Dr. Paul Pimsleur, was a language learner himself. While he was pursuing his doctorate at Columbia University, he realized that there were no effective language learning programs available. So, he set out to change that.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Pimsleur developed a language learning program that is now used by government organizations and schools all over the world. The U.S. State Department, for example, uses Pimsleur to train their diplomats.
Dr. Pimsleur’s research concluded that the most important factor in successfully learning a new language is speaking. It’s because of this, that Pimsleur is an audio-based program, which means that there are no books or other printed materials to follow along with. The only thing you need is a way to listen to the audio lessons. I personally like to use my Android smartphone, but you can also use an iPod, or any other type of MP3 player.
How Does Pimsleur Work?
As previously hinted at, Pimsleur is based on the principle of spaced repetition. This means that you will be exposed to new material, and then review old material, at increasing intervals. This is how your brain learns best, and it’s also how you learned your first language.
Another important factor in the Pimsleur program, is that it’s cumulative. This means that each lesson builds upon the last. So, if you miss a lesson (but please don’t miss any lessons), or don’t quite understand something, you can always go back and review. I like to think of it as being akin to learning the alphabet. Once you learn the alphabet, you can then start stringing letters together to form words.
Pimsleur is also a conversation-based program. This means that from the very beginning, you will be speaking and listening to real-world conversations. These conversations are designed to gradually increase in difficulty, as your skills improve.
What I Enjoy Most About Pimsleur
One of the things I really like about Pimsleur, is that it forces you to speak. There’s no room for shyness here! Don’t worry though, the conversations are basic in the beginning, and you won’t be put on the spot too much. Although I say “basic”, it’s still a full-on conversation that you will learn how to break apart and rephrase in lots of different ways.
They start you off with a conversation, basic as it may seem, and at the first listen, you’ll probably feel like there’s no way on Earth that you’ll ever understand it. They will seem to be speaking at a regular tone of communication, and it may seem a bit off-putting at first. However, about 25 minutes later, and you’ll know every word, and will be able to speak and respond to both sets of speaking parts of the dialogue.
I highly recommend Pimsleur for anyone who wants to learn a new language quickly, easily, and efficiently. Although this is a Pimsleur Spanish review, I will say that the first Pimsleur course I ever took, was the Pimsleur Thai series and I absolutely loved every moment of it! There are Pimsleur language courses for so many different languages, so if learning Spanish doesn’t excite you, then perhaps you can use Pimsleur to learn Mandarin before your trip to Beijing, or Swahili, prior to your Kenya trip, or even Portuguese before you set out on your Brazilian adventure.
The Bottom Line is This…
Pimsleur has a language learning course for you. It’s an effective program that is based on sound linguistic principles, and it’s also very affordable. So, if you’re looking for a Pimsleur review that gives the program a big thumbs up, then this is it!
I hope you enjoyed reading this Pimsleur Spanish review. Now, stop procrastinating and click the link below, to start learning your language of choice!
NOTE: Pimsleur is actually offering a 7-Day FREE Trial, which you can gain access to, simply by clicking this link: I want to learn to speak Spanish!
