Customer Reviews

Greek (Pimsleur Instant Conversation)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am only half way through the cds so far, but I have yet to encounter some very important phrases such as, "Where is the bathroom?"

The Pimsleur method is most useful for those who have trouble studying a foreign language. After a while the repetitions become maddening and, worse, boring. At the end, one has a command of some useful sentence patterns but a very small vocabulary. You will, also, not be able to read a street sign or menu written in Greek characters. The amount of material might ordinarily be mastered in a few days before moving on to more serious grammar. I viewed this purchase as a preliminary to buying the entire course, but I have now decided against it. Combined with an elementary grammar book and supplemented with Just Listen 'N Learn Greek, Pimsleur Instant Conversation would probably be useful, but I cannot imagine even asking directions or ordering a meal after completing this course.

It is the most convenient and easiest method of learning conversational Greek that I have ever heard and seen. The method is catchy and easy to grasp, repititious and well organized. I typed my own transliterations along with the CD's and it helped the information stick in my head. This is the second set that I've purchased by Pimsleur. Very good! Highly recommended.

Pimsleur has developed a method that I would call 'properly punctuated repititon', although he has his own name for it. Essentially, it is properly timed at the (statistically?) most beneficial time for retention.

Being older, I forget everything that happend before yesterday, so learning a new language is particularly challenging.

That said, Pimsleur's method has been very effective in helping me to learn and remember new vocabulary.

Sure, with the Instant Conversation package, you get a limited vocabulary. That is to be expected, since you didn't pay for the comprehensive package.

I have a half hour drive to work and it makes the drive time to work seem to go by quickly.

While they recommend 30 minute lessons, and then go to the next if you think you can comprehend 80% or better, I found that (for me) it was necessary to repeat the lessons in order for me to feel comfortable with my level of learning.

Nice thing about CDs, you can repeat as many times as you want.

If your just starting out, and you want to (or have to) do it on your own, this is a great place to start.

I am a native speaker and bought this as a gift. It is quite good, except that it does one thing that greek speakers don't - it uses the polite plural with the person's first name. (The french do this, and whoever wrote this method carried over.)

I had basic Greek down about 10 years ago & what you don't use.... These disks are good for basic "how are you" type conversation. They are very repetitious which can be nerve racking the first lesson is hi; I understand Greek/English; I don't understand Greek/English; miss/sir...the second lessons is the same along w/ the third which also changes what you just learned into masculine/feminine. They also have different pronunciations that what I already new which is just a dialect issue. I gave them to my friend and she seemed to like them as well for a refresher. Would I learn if I didn't know any Greek? Definitely