Albanian, Compact: Learn to Speak and Understand Albanian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Pimsleur Instant Conversation) [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Pimsleur (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0743550587 | ISBN-13: 978-0743550581 | Publication Date: February 6, 2006 | Edition: Abridged

Albanian is spoken by about 6 million people, mainly in Albania and Kosovo. There are two principal dialects: Gheg, the northern dialect, and Tosk, the southern dialect and official language of the Republic of Albania. Pimsleur's Albanian teaches the Tosk dialect.This Compact course provides an introduction to the Albanian language with ten thirty-minute lessons of spoken language practice and Reading Lessons. With this product you start from zero, learning first survival phrases and vocabulary, then progressing to speaking and understanding at a functional level. Every lesson contains an introductory conversation, and isolated vocabulary and structures, as well as full practice for all vocabulary introduced. Emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension. At the completion of this course, you’ll have a basic vocabulary and speak with a near-native accent. This course provides you with a solid foundation upon which to expand your language skills. A Reading Booklet to be used with the audio lesson is also included in PDF format.

 

The Pimsleur® Method: the easiest, fastest way to learn a new language. Completely portable, easily downloadable, and lots of fun. You’ll be speaking and understanding in no time flat!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Paul Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world’s leading experts in applied linguistics. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed The Pimsleur Method based on two key principles:  the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called “Graduated Interval Recall.”  This Method has been applied to the many levels and languages of the Pimsleur Programs.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Pimsleur; Abridged edition (February 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743550587
• ISBN-13: 978-0743550581
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #152,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Slavic Languages

More About the Author

Dr. Paul Pimsleur (b. 1926, d. 1976) devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world's leading experts in applied linguistics. He was fluent in French, good in German, and had a working knowledge of Italian, Russian, Modern Greek, and Mandarin Chinese. After obtaining his Ph.D. in French and a Masters in Psychology from Columbia University, he taught French Phonetics and Linguistics at UCLA. He later became Professor of Romance Languages and Language Education, and Director of The Listening Center (a state-wide language lab) at Ohio State University; Professor of Education and Romance Languages at the State University of New York at Albany; and a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Heidelberg. He did research on the psychology of language learning and in 1969 was Section Head of Psychology of Second Language Learning at the International Congress of Applied Linguistics.

Dr. Pimsleur was a member of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), American Educational Research Association (AERA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and a founding member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

His many books and articles revolutionized theories of language learning and teaching. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed a new method (The Pimsleur Method) that is based on two key principles: the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called "Graduated Interval Recall." This Method has been applied to the many levels and languages of the "Pimsleur Programs."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good starter for learning Albanian, February 24, 2006

By 

G. BARTO (Los Gatos, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Albanian, Compact: Learn to Speak and Understand Albanian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Pimsleur Instant Conversation) (Audio CD)

If you're looking for a way to pick up a few words and get started in a new language, Pimsleur can't be beat. Albanian is different enough from, say, Spanish, that it takes some work to pick up structures that come easier with Western European languages. Still, this is a good start and it's fun to have had your first conversation, however small, only an hour or so in. Though I did need to listen twice to disc 1 for my start.

Warning: if you want to be fluent in Albanian, it's going to take more than this. But if you want to make a start and feel like learning Albanian might be possible, it's a good program and at a great price (comparable sets used to be around $100 for unusual languages). Supplement with Before You Know It's Albanian (byki.com) - the introductory lists are free and will give you a little more to do with what you've learned.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good starter method for Albanian, though too short, January 18, 2008

By 

H. Abadzi "habadzi" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Albanian, Compact: Learn to Speak and Understand Albanian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Pimsleur Instant Conversation) (Audio CD)

The Pimsleur method delivers material that works very well with human memory. The Albanian method is no exception. I highly recommend it to everyone starting this unusual language. The method is the same whether in tapes (chepaest if you find them used), CDs, or audiofy. (I don't buy audiofy because the digital memory is copy protected, and if you lose it you have lost quite a bit of money.)
Pimsleur has only done a brief Albanian method, so this product teaches you how to count (very well) and a few basic items but does not get into noun conjugations and other important things. Hopefully they will augment it someday.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Product, January 5, 2008

By 

Richard L. White III (Chesapeake, Va USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Albanian, Compact: Learn to Speak and Understand Albanian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Pimsleur Instant Conversation) (Audio CD)

This is a great set for learning Albanian, Pimsleur never fails to let me down. The only thing I have negative about this is the written review at the end of the lessons, i wish that there would be a full written transcript of each lesson to help connect the words with the writing, and that Lesson 1 would have an intro to the alphabet and a reading of it. They do not cover conjugations of the words very well, but with listening, you pick them up yourself.

If you learn by hearing something used, than this is great, but if you want them to build up from the alphabet to full length sentences, than this isn't for you.

Personally, i feel that with this to listen to, and "Learn Albanian-Mėsoni Shqip" by Ēezar Kurti to read, you will have a great start to your Albanian learning!