Customer Reviews

Hebrew: Learn to Speak and Understand Hebrew with Pimsleur Language Programs (Pimsleur Quick and Simple)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
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If you're thinking of learning Hebrew but aren't ready to commit the big bucks for the 30-lesson course by Pimsleur, this 8-lesson set is just the encouragement you need. When I ordered mine, there was a $20 discount coupon inside toward the unabridged lesson set, so if you decide to upgrade, it's like you get this 8-lesson set for free.

An English-speaking announcer introduces you to the program and two native Israeli speakers demonstrate the correct intonation and pronunciation of Modern Hebrew as it is spoken today.

I am a visual learner and didn't think I would do well with an audio course, but it came so highly recommended, I gave it a shot.

There is no comparison to the Pimsleur method of aural learning. I only hope that the publishers eventually come out with a 2nd and 3rd volume like they did with Spanish, German & French.

With just the eight 30-minute lessons, I felt confident enough to know that if I was dropped off in the middle of Israel without a guide and even if I couldn't find an English speaker around, I could still communicate enough to get food, water and shelter, as well as to have a modicum of a conversation with the locals. This is an awesome, easy-as-pie system for learning Modern Israeli Hebrew.

I have nothing but praise for Pimsleur's Quick and Simple Hebrew. For years, many scholars have racked their brains trying to learn such a complicated language. Studying Hebrew with the Pimsleur method was such a joy and I was able to retain most of what I've learned after listening to each CD. It simply amazes me that after a few lessons, one would be able to carry a basic conversation in Hebrew. I found this language course to be very helpful with my biblical studies too. Also a couple of days ago, I spoke with a person who studied Hebrew for a whole year and I was still able to carry a better conversation. I told him that next time he should buy a set of Pimsleur CD's and save his money. So if your a beginner studying Hebrew, buy these CD's. You'll definitely see progress.

I have done the upgrade and longer Pimsleur 30 lesson course, and this set of 8 lessons is (I believe) a subset of it. The Pimsleur set of lessons (even the level 1 set of 30 lessons) is too basic and insufficient - will not really teach you what you need to learn. It also takes too much time.
Since then, I have tried to learn at a synagogue from a teacher using an excellent book with comic cartoon stories and cassette tapes and have learnt much more. The book is "Haveyeth Ushma" ("Express and Learn") by Judith Case and Paul Anokh but unfortunatlely is published in Israel - the copy my teacher has is in Russian and Hebrew. Is there an English edition? I wish some publisher here would publish it. Even so, we are able to learn with a little translation from our teacher because the cartoons are rich with clues. You learn the different verb forms almost subconsciously and the level of conversation is much higher than with other products. It is both visual and aural. The conversations in the book are also witty, warm and authentic (exactly the way real people speak, not 'staged'). It is better than Pimsleur.

Learning a new language (especially with a non-English script), to the point where you are fluent in it, is very difficult. It takes a lot of persistence, motivation, time, sweat and effort. Most language systems boast that they deliver quick results easily - dont believe it; it is easy to over-estimate your progress (as I perhaps did when I was learning Pimsleur and others).

I really like the Pimsleur Language program. The instructors on the CD go over everything very thoroughly, but not in a boring way, so that you really catch on quickly! They start you off with phrases that you can actually use. The only thing I would change is I would like them to include a booklet of the phrases, so that I can see them in writing. It helps me if I can visualize the written words in my mind while speaking them. And I would like them to have the phrases written in Hebrew lettering, because that is what a person would actually encounter if they traveled to Israel.

For Alte Bachurim who have forgotten a lot of their Ivrit this is excellent and well worth the shekels.
Shalom LiHitraot,
Yehuda Aryeh

I bought this version of the pimsleur quick and simple. I was concerned that it would be difficult to learn from the cds as I am a visual learner but there is enough repitition that i am understanding and retaining most of the material. On occasion I have difficulty discerning the difference between the feminine and masculine versions of some words (a visual vocabulary list would be helpful). I still can't say the hebrew word for Isaiah -- but could carry on a fairly good conversation without that word.

Don't listen to amazon's recommendation and get this coupled with the pimsleur conversational modern hebrew... I would buy one or the other. The first 8 of 16 lessons in the "red box" are exactly the same as those in this product (the blue box). I would just get the red box personally as I found the system works for me.

good luck with it. :)

I am a born and raised California girl and my boyfriend is from Israel. After attending several shabbat dinners I was beginning to feel left out when the Hebrew started flying across the table. This series is basic but very helpful and pretty simple to use. I just finished Lesson 5 and have been able to carry on basic conversations with my boyfriend and his brother. So far I can say the following: Excuse me, do you speak English? I am American. Are you Israeli? I understand Hebrew, a little... not so well. How are you? I am fine. I am not so well. I want to eat. I want to drink please. Where is Isaiah street? It is here. It is there. See you later! etc etc.

It is basically the same as Pimsleur's Conversational Hebrew so I did not need to buy both! So I need to request a refund on one when I return from Israel. The tapes spend too much time on just a few conversations.

I study Hebrew in an Ulpan class and use these Cd's in the car. They are well done. It is easy to understand the speakers pronounciation and the format progresses in a logical way with frequent review of older material. There are no grammer drills - just lots of conversation with explanations. These are perfect for someone who wants to learn to have conversations but if you want to add reading and grammer skills then you need another resource as well.

It is very easy to learn with these CD's