Korean [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Pimsleur (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0671579398 | ISBN-13: 978-0671579395 | Edition: Abridged

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Paul Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world’s leading experts in applied linguistics. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed The Pimsleur Method based on two key principles:  the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called “Graduated Interval Recall.”  This Method has been applied to the many levels and languages of the Pimsleur Programs. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Pimsleur; Abridged edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671579398
• ISBN-13: 978-0671579395
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,216,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Books on Cassette > Languages > Korean

More About the Author

Dr. Paul Pimsleur (b. 1926, d. 1976) devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world's leading experts in applied linguistics. He was fluent in French, good in German, and had a working knowledge of Italian, Russian, Modern Greek, and Mandarin Chinese. After obtaining his Ph.D. in French and a Masters in Psychology from Columbia University, he taught French Phonetics and Linguistics at UCLA. He later became Professor of Romance Languages and Language Education, and Director of The Listening Center (a state-wide language lab) at Ohio State University; Professor of Education and Romance Languages at the State University of New York at Albany; and a Fulbright lecturer at the University of Heidelberg. He did research on the psychology of language learning and in 1969 was Section Head of Psychology of Second Language Learning at the International Congress of Applied Linguistics.

Dr. Pimsleur was a member of the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF), American Educational Research Association (AERA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and a founding member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

His many books and articles revolutionized theories of language learning and teaching. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed a new method (The Pimsleur Method) that is based on two key principles: the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called "Graduated Interval Recall." This Method has been applied to the many levels and languages of the "Pimsleur Programs."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Check out another title instead.., May 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Korean (Audio Cassette)

Edit - The review I originally wrote was for the 10 Lesson Version that I purchased in 1999. Somehow amazon lumped it in with this 30 lesson page. The 30 Lesson version is completely different. The 10 lesson version was quite bad: excessively formal speech, weird pronunciation, etc. Fortunately, for the 30 Lesson program, they completely started over with new speakers, new dialogue, and, thankfully, more casual speech. What they teach actually sounds like Korean, and even better, it's actually useful! The 30 lesson program is great. The 10 lesson program is useless. They are not related at all, so don't get them confused. So just so there's no confusion:

30 Lesson program = Buy (casual, useful speech, good speakers, will give you a good basis for the language)

10 Lesson program = Avoid like the plague (weird, super formal Korean. I've never heard anyone talk this way, in real life or on TV)

I don't really need to talk about Pimsleur anymore in this review because the other reviews already do that, so I'm sure you are all familiar with the method already. I just wanted to correct this review since we're talking about the 30 lesson program now.

----------- this is my old review for the 10 lesson one -----------

I used to like this program, when I got it 3 years ago...

Now however, I realize that even tho it is good at teaching you introductory phrases, the speech on this program is far too formal...

Instead check out the book/cd program called "Elementary Korean." I assure you you will not be disappointed. It's cheaper, and provides infinitely more info.

Good luck!

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Introductory Course, March 13, 2004

By 

peekaboo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Korean (Audio Cassette)

This course is unique because it doesn't teach you grammar, reading or writing. Instead it focuses on the natural way humans learn language: by speaking.

I found this course to be absolutely perfect for my needs. There are ten, 30 minute lessons consisting of one dialogue, then repetitions of the same. Each lesson is ideal for commuters, and that is exactly how I used it.

Two things to keep in mind, which have been addressed by other reviewers:

(1) This is the ABRIDGED and INTRODUCTORY course in Korean. Speakers with a little more advanced knowledge should not buy this course unless they wish to improve their pronounciation. Pimsleur's full comprehensive courses have 30 lessons, and several books in the series. This is meant only to be a compact version.

(2) This course does not teach grammatical instruction; in fact, this goes against the learning theory of the entire series. However, if you know nothing about Korean before you begin, you will definitely have the beginning command of the language and probably a much better one than with any other language series.

In closing, this is a great series for BEGINNERS. It is a much needed introduction for those of us who have bought other language series and were discouraged by their seemingly impossible front at the very beginning.

Readers who wish to explore the Korean language further should buy the "Elementary Korean" and "Continuing Korean" series and "College Korean" for those who wish to have a master handle of grammar. But I would definitely buy this one as a stepping stone.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quality is good, coverage is marginal, and Oh! The price!, December 17, 1999

By 

Celebrated Dullard - See all my reviews

This review is from: Korean (Audio Cassette)

I've worked with as many Korean language tapes and books as I've been able to get my hands on, and there is no question that this has been the easiest to use. However, Pimsleur looses points with me for their dogmatic adherence to the "tape only" format. It is difficult to get a hand on grammar or sentence structure without some reference to the written form. Most of the utterences on the tapes are long blurbs that form comprehensible phrases, but where does one word stop and the next word end (true for Pimsleur Japanese, too)? Also, reference to the level of complexity of verb forms in Korean, which varies with the level of formality between speakers, does not exist on this tutorial. If you are looking for tourist's phrases that will get you around Seoul, this might be your ticket. If you want to understand or become fluent in the language, this is only a partial remedy. Again, this is the best Korean tutorial I've used. That's a shame, because it could be done better. Finally, there's the price. Pimsleur sells boxes of 4 cassettes (introductory lesson) of the more common languages (French, Spanish, Japanese). at about 3 times cheaper than this box of 5 cassettes. No doubt about it... the unpopular Korean language is a seller's market, but how deep are you going to gouge, Pimsleur?