Will you chose Pimsleur Spanish Courseware?

The evidence seems to be that Pimsleur Spanish is the most rapid and effective software if you want to learn Spanish FAST. Dr. Pimsleur, Russian born linguist and teacher, built his method on a few sound, clear principles.

This much praised language course is based on a FEW key principles


  • ANTICIPATION

    Anticipation:YOU must ANTICIPATE the right Spanish answer; you dredge down in your memory; retrieve the Spanish phrase, word or form required. You draw on what you have already learned. As you will when you speak Spanish in Spain or elsewhere. This was a big move forward from the established principle of simple repetition. Experts now agree with Pimsleur Spanish that mindless, unchallenging, repetition is pointless and dulls the learning process.


  • Dr. Pimsleur discovered (what successful teachers have always knows!) that INTERACTION helps you to learn Spanish faster. When, as in Pimsleur Spanish, you receive Spanish phrases, grammar, vocabulary and then USE it, you remember it better.

  • MEMORY - Graduated Interval Recall

    The Russian linguist stresses importance of Graduated Interval Recall- a fancy name for a very simple theory about memory. Memory is one of the most important aspects of learning Spanish. Yet before Pimsleur Spanish little attention was paid to this. Instead, repetition, rote learning were regarded as the key.

    That was the old way.


    • Pimsleur Spanish examines how your Memory actaully works, on how often and what intervals reminders were needed.. Too soon, or too late, and information is forgotten.

    The Course incorporates these insights. You progress from short-term to long-term memory without being aware of it - while avoiding mind-numbing repetition.

CORE VOCABULARY

The focus is on Core Vocabulary No need to be intimidated by the sheer number of new Spanish words you must learn. Research (including EU research) shows that to communicate effectively, we actually NEED relatively few words

Pimsleur Spanish divides Spanish Vocabulary neatly into two kinds of word

  1. grammatical structures (function words) and
  2. concrete vocabulary, or names of things

    Pimsleur Spanish focuses on the first group, the FUNCTION: verbs, prepositions etc. Once we have mastered them you will more easily put your new language to use.

    The Pimsleur Spanish approach is holistic approach, or, organic.

    So, Pimsleur Spanish attempts to teach you, in the shortest time possible, functional mastery in understanding and speaking Spanish. This Spanish language program is based on audio because the author knew that students of Spanish would learn better with their ears, not their eyes. With Pimsleur Spanish, you learn Spanish Grammar, Spanish Vocabulary and Spanish Pronounciation in a natural and exciting way – and all in a relatively short time.

    Many claim that this is the most simple and effective learning method possible for learning Spanish.

    A few more tips

    To get the very most out of your Pimsleur Spanish follow the guidelines. Make sure, above all, you respond ALOUD when the Tutor tells you to do so: it’s not enough to think the answer; you must actually ARTICULATE SPANISH ALOUD. Don't be shy!

    This is crucial. All you have to supply then is the discipline of choosing a quiet, uninterrupted space and time. A regular 30 minutes a day will do the trick. This clevely designed programme will do the rest! If you commute a half-hour a day, this is an ideal time. The totally audio approach is perfect.

    Just interact with your player. You will use the language-learning portion of your mind. You will process Spanish entirely in its SPOKEN FORM. Don’t let anything distract you from this.

    A final cautionary note

    you may think 30 minutes is little time to spend learning Spanish. But remember this: with this language course Spanish, this 30 minute session will be saturated with Spanish; you will respond in Spanish many times a minute. You will make SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS each session. More would be too much.

    The key to your success is: 30 minutes a day, regularly, consistently. No more; no less.

    And finally

    The focus here is on SPEAKING Spanish. It does this very well, but, reading practice is extremely limited; so, too, is Spanish vocabulary.

    Where you can save $$$ on your Pimsleur software

    This Spanish courseware is expensive, but it has to be said that it is one of the best Spanish language courses available.



    Pimsleur level 1 Audio CD

    Pimsleur 2, Cassette
    Learn Spanish - an overview

    Visual Link Spanish, a new approach