Customer Reviews

Japanese, Basic: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is a possibility that I might be going to Japan for work, and being somewhat remedial with learning foreign languages, I wanted an inexpensive way to "test the waters"... can I really learn to speak Japanese from a CD? Is Pimsleur the right choice? Absolutely! I put these CDs in my radio on my way to work rather than listen to DJs talk about nothing and have been wonderfully surprised.

Pro:
-Lessons feature male and female speakers to give you a range of voice pitch
-Price of $15 for 10 half-hour lessons on 5 CDs delivered to you door is awesome!
-Some repetition and periodic reviews to help you learn and to keep you sharp
-You learn basics to get around, such as "Do you understand English?" and "Good morning, nice weather isn't it."
-5 CDs come with a nice black zippered soft-sided CD holder

Con:
-Each 30-minute lesson is an entire track, so you can't use the "scan" feature on your radio, you must rewind (or fast forward) manually, despite clear logical breaks (like learning the reponse to a question you just learned)
-No supporting book or pamphlet of words to visually memorize (I need all the help I can get)
-Lessons are not a full 30 minutes typically... would have appreciated more repetition on several words that get almost none (you can rewind, so minor point I suppose)

Neutral:
-Tip #1: CD recommends that if you master 80% of the material, you can move on to the next lesson. I couldn't disagree more, be nearly 100% to get the most of this (you can do it if I can), rewind if you must
-Tip #2: They say a word and you repeat it, there are a few seconds of delay time for you to respond. Learn to say each word not once in that time, but twice, so that you learn to speak at a reasonable speed. It would be annoying to go up to someone and talk too s-l-o-w-l-y...
-Sample vocabulary you will learn: excuse me, hello, good morning, good day, thank you, thank you very much, I, you, good, bad, weather, so it is (agreement), yes, no, I understand, I don't understand, do you understand?, skilled, unskilled, English, Japanese (language, heritage are different words), American, but, well (like I don't know Japanese very well), and so forth... and that's only a sampling of the first 3 lessons... there are 10 in all.

Bottom line: Excellent introduction, highly recommended especially for ~$15. Note: if you buy Pimsleur I, I believe these are the same five discs that begin that series. With Pimsleur I you'll get more CDs obviously, just note the overlap if you are considering it. If I knew then what I know now, I would bite the bullet and go right for Pimsleur I.

I just got the Pimsleur Quick & Simple Japanese (which is the same as this product, but with only the first 8 lessons). I'm almost finished with the CDs, but I have learned more Japanese with these CDs than with the 5+ Learn Japanese books I have bought and attempted to read. This is the real deal. I am planning on purchasing the rest of the series when I get a chance.

If you want to actually speak Japanese, buy these CDs. Even after the first lesson, you can easily see that the method works. I have tried many times to learn Japanese over the years (using books), completely unsuccessfully. After listening to these CDs, I can honestly say I feel more confident in my language learning skills. Although I haven't learned enough to actually hold a conversation, I can see the potential. The CD's teach you how to think in Japanese, not just translate word-for-word. The process is very fluid and natural. Not only does this product work as advertised, it is also lots of fun. Who knew learning a language could be fun?

I bought this wanting to get some basic japanese language skills for my trip to Japan. Just being able to get around, say some polite things, etc.

It is great; I love the CDs and the price is right. If I ever want to learn another language I will check for this deal first.

Also, the price I paid on amazon was cheaper than what they were selling for on Ebay...

Having never studied Japanese before, I bought this program as a "tester" to see if I could learn from an audio-based course...before forking over a large sum for the full Pimsleur Program.


Well...it works...for me, anyway.


With this "Basic Japanese" edition, you get the first 10 lessons of the Pimsleur Level I Comprehensive Program. The SAME ten lessons...SO...you can get to own them twice!

The same goes for the "Conversational Japanese" edition. You get the first 16 lessons. SO...don't buy the "Basic Japanese" AND the "Conversational Japanese" together...you will be buying the same ten lessons twice! Although, Amazon "claims" these two items are "commonly bought together". And if they truly are, all those people are wasting their money. Thanks Amazon :/


In the first ten lessons, you'll cover approx. 130 different words (give or take); NOT counting sentence structures.


Overall, the program works well enough...YET...not as efficiently as the company proclaims. The program is sorely lacking in a phonetic-spelling word list. Pimsleur claims looking over written words would only slow or hinder the lessons and your learning/pronunciation...yet...I guess Pimsleur never thought that someone hearing people pronounce words in a foreign language for the first time might benefit from the smallest amount of visual-aid in order to get it right the first time.

NOW...with every new word, the program DOES provide a slow piece-by-piece pronunciation...HOWEVER...anyone who has seen "Lost in Translation" knows it doesn't matter how slowly someone says "Lip mi Sockins", you're still going to need some clarification. (And YES, I realize that scene involves a Japanese Woman trying to speak English...BUT...just wait until you buy this program, and you will see...sorry...hear what I mean).

EVEN...The "full" visual-aid (i.e. a reading booklet) that comes with the "Comprehensive" Program ONLY has but the smallest amount of phonetically-written Japanese words in it. SO...I've been writing my OWN as I've progressed through the lessons.


NOTE: I'm currently on Lesson 11...which is, of course, not included in the "Basic" edition. The point is...having studied the entire "Basic" program I can honestly say...

If you only want to learn a decent amount of Japanese (for a trip, or what have you), I recommend the "Conversational Japanese" edition; assuming you have NO intention of ever buying the Level I "Comprehensive" Program.

However, if you merely wish to test out the Pimsleur program, then "Basic Japanese" is a good way to go.


AND ONE FINAL NOTE: Don't buy the "Comprehensive" Program(s) at the way overpriced amount(s). I found a Pimsleur reseller who sells new versions of it for only $156.95 (http://pimsleurmarketplace.com/japanese); and will even buy them back (in like-new condition) for $100! Although, you might find a better deal then I did, and should NOT take this as an endorsement for "Pimsleur Marketplace"...I just wanted to warn you before kicking out $345.


May this review be helpful to you.


Happy Japanese Learning ^_^

For those who have no clue on the beauty of Japanese language and are interested on it, you ought to learn it and this is a great way to do so! If you know a bit, you'd better look for something more advanced. It is, on the other hand, the best way I've invested my time while driving to the office.

I was looking for a way to learn Japanese while I commute, and I settled on Pimsler. Pimsler offers three first level Japanese courses:

1.) Basic Japanese - 10 lessons (13 dollars + shipping)
2.) Conversational Japanese - same as basic, plus 5 lessons (19 dollars + shipping)
3.) Japanese 1 - same lessons as conversational + 15 more lessons (160 dollars + shipping)

Basic Japanese is very inexpensive, and it's a good way to give the method a try without investing a lot of money. I'm very pleased with the CDs after the first 7 lessons, and I've decided to invest in Japanese 1.

I find it takes 2 to 3 times listening to each CD before moving on to the next lesson. While I haven't learned that much Japanese yet, I feel even the little bit I have learned will come in handy on my vacation in Japan in a couple of months.

The lessons are entirely audio-based, so they're perfect for listening to on your commute. They definitely demand one's full attention.

As a novice, I felt confident with sentence structure and pronounciation in just a few simple lessons. Each lesson builds on what you have learned in previous lessons and encourages you to develop your own sentences and phrases. I would have liked a printed guide with which to review what I have learned, as I am a visual learner. A great value.

I commute 1 hour to work each day. During this time, I decided learing Japanese would be my "project" to utilize my time wisely. This has been a very interesting adventure for my family and myself. My children are very interested in learning as well. They have learned as much Japanese as I have in just as little time. It was money well spent. We now great eachother in Japanese and also say, "Thank You" in Japanese at restarants, etc. it really freaks out the waitresses for my 4 year old son to tell her "Domo Arigato".

I got these CD's from the local library to supplement my study of Japanese. I'm at the intermediate level (about JLPT N3) and started listening to these starting with 1B while driving. They have really helped me to drill the basic sentence structures and I have found them very helpful in being able to think in Japanese rapidly. For me it's been great practice in using particles (I'm no longer confused about when to use "de" or "ni." "Ga" and "ha" (wa) have been given a good workout in the drills too, as well as "he" and "ni".

I was pleasantly surprised by the usefulness of these sets and would wholeheartedly recommend them either as a traveler's introduction, or as part of a comprehensive study of the language.

I went to Japan for 2 weeks this summer and the Pimsleur audio CDs were a life saver. I only got through 8 of the lessons before going, but they gave me the confidence to use between 10 and 20 phrases with ease while traveling in Japan. Most Japanese understand and even speak very functional English. Starting with at least one sentence in Japanese will encourage them to try much harder to work with you in English. Speaking a little Japanese is a must because, in Japan, the Kanji makes a Westerner essentially illiterate.