Japanese III [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Pimsleur (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0671315498 | ISBN-13: 978-0671315498 | Publication Date: January 1, 1999

With Pimsleur Language Programs you don't just study a language, you learn it -- the same way you mastered English! And because the technique relies on interactive spoken language training, the Pimsleur Language Programs are totally audio -- no book is needed!

The Pimsleur programs provide a method of self-practice with an expert teacher and native speakers in lessons specially designed to work with the way the mind naturally acquires language information. The various components of language -- vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar -- are all learned together without rote memorization and drills. Using a unique method of memory recall developed by renowned linguist, Dr. Paul Pimsleur, the programs teach listeners to combine words and phrases to express themselves the way native speakers do. By listening and responding to thirty minute recorded lessons, students easily and effectively achieve spoken proficiency.

No other language program or school is as quick, convenient, and effective as the Pimsleur Language Programs.

The Comprehensive Program is the ultimate in spoken language learning. For those who want to become proficient in the language of their choice, the Comprehensive programs go beyond the Basic Programs to offer spoken-language fluency. Using the same simple method of interactive self-practice with native speakers, these comprehensive programs provide a complete language learning course. The Comprehensive Program is available in a wide variety of languages and runs through three levels (thirty lessons each) in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. At the end of a full Comprehensive Program listeners will be conducting complete conversations and be well on their way to mastering the language. The Comprehensive Programs are all available on cassettes and are also on CD in the six languages in which we offer the Basic Program on CD.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Pimsleur (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671315498
• ISBN-13: 978-0671315498
• Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 11.8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,167,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best intermediate course, May 28, 2001

By 

"assaf28" (Tel-Aviv Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese III (Audio CD)

Ok. Even Pimsleur III won't get you very far, is expensive as hell, and is somewhat cumbersome to work with. So the rest of this review will be about how in hell did I get to giving it five stars. There are several ways to go about when wanting to learn a language in an audio-only manner. You can get the "Learn in your car" from Penton Overseas. You can get the audio-only course from Living Language. Or you can take Pimsleur. From the lot, Pimsleur would be the ONLY decent answer for the utter beginner, and Pimsleur III will give the best stability with the language for beginner to intermediate level with the other options, you will find yourself replaying the tapes a couple of times. Does any language course that is a self learning course worth this kind of money? No. That's why we have the next paragraph.

Money. First of all, by all means get it used. It is an audio course that I recommend going through only once. So if you're lucky enough to find a CD version used, it will be exactly the same (of course - assuming that the seller is decent enough to sell unscratched CD-s). As for used audio cassettes, well, as much as we want to hear the correct pronounciation, we have to remember - this is not Mozart, it is only recorded speech. However even if you don't find it used, you can buy it, and after completing the course, sell it as used. As this is suitable for first time learning, and is too much for review purposes (perhaps the other audio-only courses will be better for review).

One last thing. Usability. I'll talk technology, but it's essential here. When I bought the heavy package, the first thing I've done was to move it to MP3. So then I had the entire audio collection on a single CD. In such a way you take a single disc to your car, play it with a mobile MP3 player, and stock the valuable course in your closet for backup. In that way, when you finish with the course, the originals stay in a good enough state to be sold as used. However, if you won't convert to MP3, the need to each time take another cassette/CD to your car would be a serious drawback, since storing the entire course in your car doesn't sound as a sensible alternative to me.

To wrap it up, buy it, MP3 it, learn it, sell it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product, Reasonably Priced, November 22, 2005

By 

Leo Smith (Ft Worth, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese III (Audio CD)

This is an excellent language CD course, and most likely the best there is. I won't echo what has already been said by other positive reviews here. Allow me to address some of the concerns brought up by other reviewers.
· Is it too expensive? If you shop around a little to get a good price, and then consider the nice buy-back program, the actual price is not bad at all. In fact it is actually cheaper than many similar products out there.
· Are the speakers Japanese? In Japanese 1 and part of 2, there is a woman who constantly pronounces "g" as "ng" (a soft g, as they say). This is slightly unusual, but not incorrect, according to Japanese friends. There is one "guest" speaker who has a really funny, perhaps false, deep voice. His visit is very brief; maybe 1 minute total. With the possible exception of "deep voice", the speakers are most certainly Japanese.
Although I gave it 5 stars, this course is not perfect. My complaints are
· A couple words were introduced abruptly, saying they'd already been covered when they hadn't.
· No vocabulary list, although Pimsleur Spanish has one. I had to make my own.
· More frequent than usual use of the word "ee" in place of "hai"
· At times overly honorific (polite)
· A few words are not the most commonly used now
However, these are all minor problems. It's well worth the money for any beginner.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the start of your long journey, this is a good work mule., December 24, 2010

By 

Kuraido53 (Albany, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese III (Audio CD)

I turned to Pimsleur because I did not have a computer for Rosetta Stone at the time I had the money for this product. For a person with a discerning ear, a bit of intelligence this can be a wonderful product. Each lesson starts with a conversation in Japanese between two speakers. This conversation is usually composed of words and phrases from previous lessons, and new words that you will learn on the current lesson. After 3-4 times on each lesson (over two-three days) I usually feel confident enough to move on. The program says you need to get 80% of the material correct before you move on, but the more repetitions you give yourself, the more you will retain lessons that you complete.

I've read several reviews of this product where advice is given to pause the recording between questions to remove the stress and give yourself more time to answer. I disagree with this strategy for a a few reasons: They give you adequate time to respond at a natural speed, it tests in real time your retention and in real life people don't wait for 15 second tracts of time while you formulate a response. Just repeat the lesson if you are not successful. Cue it to the difficult spots for some targeted practice on the difficult sections.

Another strategy to use Pimsleur to its fullest is to pull the conversations from past levels onto a single track with the lesson numbers spoken. That way if they bring up a word/phrase that you have covered but you want to go back and learn it, you have a reference. Also at the end of 3 levels of this audio course it is just plain cool to hear all of that spoken Japanese without English interruptions that you can understand.

Language is a long journey, and Pimsleur is a step, but you will by no means be able to hold conversations with natives, because you usually only learn how to say things a single way. Imagine in English: How's it hanging? Sup? Are you well? How are you?~Good. Great, All right, I guess. Terrible. Bad. Not Good. Etc...After Pimsleur you will have much to learn. So consider this one part of your learning package. Other important parts include Native Japanese audio/video, writing, and reading practice. Kanji, 'nuff said.

I've been satisfied with this product, much more than other audio products I've tried (Which tend to inundate you with vocabulary and phrases without providing you a convenient mechanism for practice and memorization, like is used in the Pimsleur Language Series.)