32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
German by Ear, Not by Eye, July 9, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: German: 2nd Ed. (Pimsleur Language Program) (Audio CD)
Why would anyone buy language CDs or tapes without a book to follow while listening? I asked myself that very question when looking at the shiny box containing this mini Pimsleur Language Program for German.
For a long time, my own skepticism -- and fear of the unknown -- prevented me from buying this Pimsleur Language Program.
But the bookshelf-style format, practical for display and storage, finally one me over. Yes, I confess: I judged the book by its cover (in this case there was no book) -- just its shelf appeal as one might say and the CDs. The inside, however, is even more appealing once you begin using those CDs (or tapes, depending on which version you buy).
Even though I had started formal studies of German two years ago -- the grammar, the phonetics, the drills, all learned within the comfortable confines of the printed word -- I finally decided to venture forth into the Pimsleur world.
That venturing into world is like entering a darkened room. You see nothing. Your ears strain to capture the unfamiliar sounds you hear. Your mind attempts to store those various sounds (presented reassuringly as building blocks of a spoken language with English prompts). And your tongue, as though by magic, reproduces what was heard by the ears, stored by the mind. If you use the course every day, just for 30 minutes, you will find that the method works!
If you are a language beginner, this method can be daunting. But if you have already studied some German in a more traditional book-oriented environment--this method will improve your ear, mind, and tongue.
It's your own German tutor, available 24 hours a day. Ready, friendly, and expert. This course is a great trial run before you consider buying the more expensive and comprehensive Pimsluer courses.
But even this mini program is a wonderful way to improve your ability to learn and speak German. Viel Gluck! [German for "good luck.")
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good start, but it won't get you past the basics, March 22, 2000
By A Customer
This is a great package to introduce you to the sounds of German and the basics. I really like that the program is totaly audio so it forces you to think about what you are hearing. The advantage of this program is that you are able to hear and learn to pronounce German without having to worry about reading complex grammar. I think one stumbling block for learners of a foreign language is that in the begining they get bogged down with grammar and they focus more on that than actualy learning the sound of the language and learning to speak the language without translating it back to English in their mind. The one drawback of this program is that when you are done, your vocab will be very limited. However, if you buy this and think of it as the start of your German language learning, you will really enjoy it. One word of warning...if you already have taken some German or have a basic knowledge of the language, then proably you will find this too basic for you!
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bargain ..........., May 7, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: German: 2nd Ed. (Pimsleur Language Program) (Audio CD)
German: Pimsleur Basic [ABRIDGED] may be the best [money] I've ever spent. I particularly thought that it does a very good job of focusing on the most difficult German sounds for English speakers (e.g. "ch" vs "sch"). Because it relies on audio only, it is perfect for listening while driving.
The only downside is that it doesn't note the spelling differences when teaching words that sound alike, e.g. "Deutsche" and "Deutscher". Later, when I acquired knowledge of the structure of the language, I realized that this passage referred to different words.
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