Customer Reviews

Pimsleur Quick & Simple Latin American Spanish

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think that this "Quick and Simple" set of CDs is the best way to get started with Pimsleur products, rather than buying the more expensive, more comprehensive products right away. You'll get a sense of whether this is the route you want to go if you want to learn more Spanish. At the same time, it is worth knowing that there are other high-quality competing approaches (e.g. Platiquemos Spanish).

The Quick and Easy CDs will expose you to the heart of what makes Pimsleur unique. The approach is based on (1) The Principle of Anticipation (a mastery technique that is different than rote recall), (2) Graduated Interval Recall (an approach that provides new stuff to memorize at optimal intervals), (3) Core Vocabulary (an efficient, optimal selection of a small number of key words that you need to know, as opposed to an extensive vocabulary), (4) and "Organic Learning" (learn speech, eg sound, rhythm, intonations, as opposed to a bunch of textbook gramatical rules). I should add that there's something subtly humorous about the content of the CDs, so if you have a sarcastic or wicked sense of humor, you won't be totally bored.

Like many, I find the approach efficient and useful, and I have had lots of fun with the CDs as I drive around town blathering away in Spanish. But it really isn't the only game in town. For instance, if you are going to speak in Mexico, then Platiquemos has some advantages.

Don't be fooled by the $50 coupon that comes with the CDs. In my experience, a much better price can be found using Amazon.com.

I like the Pimsleur system. I have used it with Traveler's Spanish, the Spanish I, and for French. I prefer the cassettes to the CDs becasue of they are easier back up so as to retrace areas. The concept of listen/repeat in your car on the way to work without alot of book-study at the lower levels is effective, easy, fun.
The purpose of this particular set of 4 cassettes is to provide an introduction into the Pimsleur system to see if you like the system and want to move directly up to the larger Level I set.
If you are planning to use this set to get ready for a trip to Spain or Central/South America, this may not be the correct set for you. If you will only be there for a short trip, this might be OK. But if you are going to be there longer, or if you want to brush up on your high school Spanish, then pass over this set and go for the Traveler's Edition set, which is specifically designed for those purposes.
It works, its fun, get the right one.
If you are not sure if you have any aptitude for Spanish or if you want to go further, this is a good set to sample. If you know you want to go more deeply into the language, this will not be enough.

The rate of learning is slow enought that you won't really need to press the pause button... contrary to what the back cover says, there is a lot of repetition of the same words involved - Pimsleur calls it "saturation". But they substitute words around where possible so you don't repeat the exact same phrase more than a few times in a row.

The first CD is very simple indeed. The whole 60 minutes is taken up with just a handful of phrases (english equivalent):

Do you speak? / do you understand? / I speak / a little / I speak a little spanish / you speak a little spanish / I don't speak / you don't speak english / no señorita / are you North American? / Yes señor / thankyou / how are you? / very good / good thanks / you speak spanish very well / good day...

That's about all the content there is on the first CD, but there are several variations of the theme -word substitution- so it is a very slow rate of learning.

In comparison, there is ~10 times as much content on virtually any of the other spanish audio CDs I have reviewed. According to the 3 CD set "Learn in your car spanish", that product conatins 600+ words. Whereas "Pimsleur quick & simple spanish" contains only 75 words.

The good news is- I don't think I'll *ever* forget these phrases now, I believe they've been firmly etched in my brain. I.e. permanently! But I had already been exposed to these words previously, so I found it all rather boring.

At this rate, I don't think I'll learn much more new information from the remaining CDs. Thus, I can only recommend this for people that know practically no spanish to begin with. Start here and follow up with other spanish audio products.

**UPDATE** OK I am half way through now, and I realise I am enjoying this course more than the all the others I have trialled --- for the simple reason that it is INTERACTIVE. It's like having a language teacher right there. The speaker asks you to compose new sentances based on the phrases taught previously. I think it is a very effective method.

Sure it is slow, but I think you can only learn & retain so many new words per day..... the good news is that Pimsleur makes sure they are CORE words. When I try to learn more words with other programs, I tend to forget them all too quickly. I am tempted to buy the full Pimsleur course, even though I already have 35+ hours of otehr spanish CDs to get through!!

--- I'D GIVE IT FIVE STARS NOW ---

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INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING:
I was *extremely impressed* with Amazon's "Priority International Courier" shipping option. I ordered several spanish books + CDs and wanted them here so that I could start learning spanish ASAP, as my trip to Tenerife + South America is in a month's time. I placed the order on thursday night; it was well after midnight here in Australia (local time). I got both parcels on Monday afternoon! Absolutely Incredible!! I order stuff from the USA all the time, and this is definitely the speediest service I have ever encountered. Thanks Amazon!

This set of CD's, if used per instructions, will produce the
results it was designed to produce. Within 8 days you will be
confidently recognizing and using some very basic Spanish
words and phrases.

Make sure you cosider what you're trying to accomplish with
this set before you make your purchase. Here are a few things
to consider:

Spanish I Quick and Simple is actually the first 8 lessons of
the Comprehensive Spanish I course, allowing you to test
Pimsleur's approach without actually having to buy the
comprehensive set first. Quick and Simple will teach you to
strike up simple conversations and ask for or give very basic
directions. The conversational style on the CD is very natural.
You should have very little difficulty learning it.

If you are uncertain about how far you want to go with learning
Spanish or are unsure about using Pimsleur's CD's, consider
buying this introductory set. Some websites will purchase it
back from you (at reduced cost of course).

If you are serious about learning Spanish and would like to
continue beyond very basic conversations, then forget about
purchasing this set and purchase the comprehensive set instead.

In Jan 2004 I was planning a trip to Venezuela in March 2004. All the guide books suggested that a little bit of Spanish would go along way to getting what you want.
Since I didn't know any Spanish whatsoever I was in quite a fix. Luckily I stumbled on this product.
I said hey what the hell for 15$ it was worth a try. I could really test whether this was a gimick or whether it really work.

I was pleasantly surprised. After taking the 8 lessons I know enought Spanish to get around. How to greet people, how to find a hotel, restaurant etc. How to ask for something etc.

It was just basic stuff but it helped alot. I'm sure if I would have go the entire package of 30 lessons then I would have been able to communicate in Spanish quite effectively.

I now am going to Italy at the end of summer. I plan to buy the whole 30 lesson set for Italian. I am confident that during the summer I will learn Italian quite well.

The only disadvantage to this thing is the for the whole set you have to pay alot of money.

But if you don't believe then just buy the starter set of 8 lessons for 15$. See it works for you. If it doesn't no major loss.

While I like the Spanish lessons, I am very unhappy with Pimsleur marketing. A brochure comes along with the CD stating that in 30 days you will receive another set of CD's for a "free trial." I called immediately to stop this, but still received them and will be bill $59.95 per month. In order to send them back you have to call a number, but you are on hold for so long you want to give up. So be aware that you are getting yourself in a bit of hassle if you order this CD.

Pimsleurs' Spanish Quick and Simple is a good value for the money but I still returned it beacause I wanted to make my own original sentences and create 'original' communication in Spanish and Behind the Wheel Spanish was the only course I found that accomplished this for me beautifully.
Besides not including sentence building techniques and idioms I found several other problems with the this Pimsleur course. For example, if you 'tune in' to just ten minutes to pick up a little vocabulary, then youve 'missed' the graduated interval recall which is key to this method.
Some people (like myself for example) are just too busy to stay with their ears and mouths glued to a foreign language program for a half hour no matter what. There are no tracks to jump aournd a bit for quick review either. You must therefore, 'follow the program' or else you will be driving with your finger on the fast forward button. And remember, you miss the benefit of the two Pimsleur 'Principles' if you dare to be
spontaneous.
Also... If you're a visual learner or if (heaven forbid) you should wish to learn to read and write a bit of the language, then you're simply out of luck. This mehtod and course provides no written materials and is 100% audio.

Nothing wrong with the product. It doesn't cost much so you don't get much. It is actually the first 4 cd's of Spanish 1. Its helpful if you don't know any Spanish, but if you do have some experience this will not be enough for you. I would suggest you buy the entire Spanish 1 set.

As a beginning course, or to refresh a few months of elementary school Spanish, these CDs are great. Easy to learn and remember phrases. I was able to put my acquired verbal skills to use in Argentina, and for basic ideas, this introductory course was great. I would consider buying the full Spanish 1 set before I travel again.

This program effectively works to set the words/phrases in the memory. It is a good beginning for those with "un poco Espanol" background.