Customer Reviews

Italian I

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the program to buy. If I were to start over again on learing Italian, I would purchase Ultimate Italian for the understanding of the language and Pimsleur for the verbal skills. I spent 9 months in lessons and was unable to engage in conversations. It wasn't until the I went through the Pimsleur programs (I'm currently on the III level), that I felt comfortable enough to go to the local conversation group in town.

Level I gets you started by going very slowly and methodically. The first few tape take you syllable by syllable. As I progressed I felt confident that I had gained a solid foundation before advancing.

This program can be used on it's own, but the benefits increase dramatically when supplemented by more traditional materials (such as Ultimate Italian). The book learning helps to better understand the conjugations in Pimsleur, while Pimsleur makes the it possible to speak in logical sentences.

The bottom line is, when you're trying to use the language in a foreign country, you need to have a a few dozen words and phrases on the tip of your tongue at all times (e.g. dove, abito, che cosa, Quale la strada per Roma etc.) Pimsleur is the best at doing this.

The Pimsleur Method is excellent in that it beats these basic phrases into your head by introducing them to you, making you say it multiple times, then asking you to repeat it again 10 minutes later. You're asked to recall a phrase sometimes when you least expect it--forcing you to truly know your comprehension.

Most language tapes I've used just get too overwhelming--they pack dozens of words and phrases onto an hour cassette. The Pimsleur tapes take the same material and stretch it out over several tapes and build in the repetition exercises. There's an English speaking narrator which is essential when you're getting started. Eventually there's less and less English, but always enough so you know what's going on.

You do need a grammar book to supplement your learning as there is a dearth of written material that I haven't found helpful as other reviewers have mentioned. Often times you hear a word and don't know if it's Che or K--seeing it written was extremely helpful.

I used Italian I last fall before going to Italy and it worked wonders. I'm on to Italian II now where you get into past tense--which wasn't covered at all in all 30 tapes of Level 1.

Finally, check with your local library if the cost is prohibitive; it's worked well for me.

An excellent program. It's a blast. Perfect for commuters. One drawback is that by only listening, you may get very confused when reading or writing Italian. The above review from Helena, Montana is a clear example. The reviewer misspells "Molto bene" as (sic) "Multo Biene" because it's never seen in print during the lessons. Knowing basic letter sounds and a few words before embarking would be helpful. And get a dictionary. Even a travellers' dictionary. In spite of the drawbacks, this is incredible. The subtle infusion of correct grammar really works! I use the CD Version because there is a lot of pausing and rewinding at first while you're thinking. Pimsleur is...the man. Buy two!

The Pimsleur Italian Course is significantly different from the Pimsleur Russian Course. The Russian Course is all-audio. On average, each tape has 30 minutes of intensive audio-only lessons. (This is great for using while driving.) The Italian course, on the other hand, is not really all-audio. The tapes are shorter (average of several randomly-chosen tapes was 20 minutes of audio lessons.) The last portion of the Italian tapes is then given over to "reading." This section averages 5 minutes (for a total of 25 minutes of content per tape compared to 30 minutes on the Russian tapes.) The student is asked to read a series of phrases from a pamphlet, and then listen to their proper pronunciation. The phrases are not translated and are unrelated to the words being used in the audio portion of the same or earlier tapes.

With the Russian course, I found that it took ten to fifteen minutes to submerge into the audio lessons, and the last 15 to 20 minutes were the most productive. With this Italian course, I am just warmed up and have to quit to listen to a series of phrases that I do not understand instead of continuing the audio drills.

What is the point? I bought this thinking it was an all-audio course and instead find that the original Pimsleur concept used in the Russian tapes has been modified. There is reading in the Russian set, but it is entirely contained in one cassette at the end of the 30 one half hour sessions of audio and does not interrupt the flow of purely audio language drill. I think it would be useful to let the buyer know that the well-known Pimsleur concept, as found in the Russian tapes, has been modified, and for people like me, the modification fails.

I just spent a week and a half in Italy and Pimsleur I left me able to communicate succesfully in all the situations I found myself. Why? Because it was easy to stick with Pimsleur, I really knew the material that we had learned.

While the material covered is fairly limited, the fact that the tapes taught me to pronounce written Italian allowed me to use a travel phrase book very successfully for all the interactions I came across that Pimsleur had not specifically covered. Some of the people I was travling with didn't know correct pronunciation and they sometimes had trouble making themselves understood when they used the phrasebooks.

If you do decide to buy pimsleur for a trip, here are some practical suggestions: start the program well before the minimum 30 days before you leave... odds are high you will want to repeat some of the lessons to ensure you master them. Also, it is very expensive, so do shop around before purchasing. But for me, once I found the best price, it was well worth the cost!

Of all the language methods I've tried, including Berlitz, this is not only the most enjoyable, but the one that really teaches you to comprehend and speak the language at the speed of normal Italian speech. It seems to go in and out of print, so hold out for it! I'm already lamenting that the Intermediate level is currently unavailable.

If you want an easy way to learn another language without all any of the trouble, this method is the way to go! You lean at your own pace, on your own time, and the comprension level was amazing. I learned and retained the language. Multo Biene!