Customer Reviews

Russian I: Pimsleur Comprehensive

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I have studied four Asian languages to the advanced level in the last two decades, and decided to learn Russian with this system recently. I concede that the Pimsleur system is unique and innovative and very well organized. However, I believe that persons like myself, who study languages with great emphasis on absorbing new material visually and rely heavily on written text for memorization of vocabulary, absorbing grammar rules, and review of previously studied material, would do better with a well-written, convential textbook/cassette format. I believe the Pimsleur system is a great tool for listening and speaking proficiency, but I question how proficient a person will become at reading and writing the language through this system. If you do not have the time nor patience to sit down with a textbook, and would prefer to learn through vocal imitation of audio cues, by all means purchase this course. For those of us who favor a structured system that contains sections covering and explaining grammar and verb conjugation, etc., best go elsewhere.

I have lived and worked in a Russian speaking country for the past two years. When I arrived I had a relative send me Russian I. I found the process of speaking and listening and repeating very effective and even caught myself thinking in Russian after working through tapes. I would hear things on the street then hear them in the lessons and think, gee, so that's what that means. I quickly developed an ability to take the grammar framework and plug new words in. The speakers on the tapes enunciated clearly and at a perfect rate for me to develop new skills. In my opinion the program works as advertised.

My only complaints are that the language was a little more formal than what I needed in my particular situation and the lessons were too expensive for me to afford Russian II or III, which could have helped me a great deal.

Well, it's a long story but I'll try to make it short.....

While I was in college, I traveled to the Russian Far East many times. I was volunteering on A Siberian (Amur) Tiger rescue program (quite a story in itself). Many times I was out in the Siberian forest with 4-10 men that didn't know one word of English! I yearned to learn the language for many reasons. One, for survival purposes in the forest, and secondly (maybe this should be the first reason) while at headquarters (in Khabarovsk) I was dying to converse with the incredibly beautiful women there.

Back in The States I learned that a classmate had the Pimsleur tapes and wasn't using them anymore. So, I borrowed them and learned A TON! The Pimsleur tapes cut down the learning curve. You will be engaged in conversations in no time!

My pronunciation was so good that some Russians second-guessed whether or not it was my native language. For example, while at a restaurant my Russian friends told me to ask our waitress something. They told me what to say and I repeated it to her when she came to our table. I didn't know that I had just asked her to sleep with me (I was still on the first lesson)! But, my pronunciation was so true that she didn't know it was a joke. My friends were dying in laughter and I was looking at them with the word "TOTAL CONFUSION" stamped on my forehead! She said, "justa moment paleez." She came back and said "Eet wuldz be ah plezshur." Then looked at both my friends and stuck her tongue out at them! It was hysterical.

Well, the point is....these tapes first taught me basic conversation skills and later I could talk to any Russian speaking person with complete confidence. And the point I was trying to make with the "waitress story" is that your pronunciation will be 'native-like'!

I am just completing this set and have already purchased set number 2. I feel more confident with russian after 1 month study with this system then I did after a year of spanish in high school (admittedly I didnt try very hard at that point). This system does not focus on nouns a whole lot, so I would recommend picking up a russian-english dictionary to give you a little more breadth. Also it helps if you can find someone who speaks russian to speak with or at least email with... If you want to learn Russian this is absolutely the best way to do it. Also- this set can routinely be had brand new on ebay for between $180 and $220. I got mine for $185.

When you learned your native language, what was the most effective grammar lesson? For most people, it had nothing to do with memorizing rules, reading grammar texts, and surviving grammar lectures. You learn the most grammar by repeatedly HEARING grammatically correct sentences. By the time you were old enough to read, you already instinctively understood most of the grammar rules you would now be taught in school.

That is why the Pimsleur method is the cornerstone of my Russian study program. Memorizing a grammar book is not my idea of a fun Saturday. However, listening to these Russians and being taught how to construct grammatically correct sentences without memorizing the rules is a fantastic way to begin learning a languange.

In addition, these CD's will train your ear to comprehend Russian words and accents. No book can train you in this way. To properly and thoroughly learn a language, you need to verbalize it, visualize it, and hear it. Pimsleur's CD's and booklet will give you the fundamentals to do all three from day one, and will continue to develop your skills to a respectable level.

My Listmania contains all the resources I have used or are currently using to learn Russian. There are several valuable resources out there. I believe Pimsleur is the most valuable, and it remains the guiding force of my Russian program.

I really like the Pimsleur method and have been successful with several of their programs but this one (Russian I) falls short of their typical quality, in my opinion. The material presented is good but the pace is a little fast for the complex pronunciation required. After a few lessons it is often difficult to determine just what the speakers are saying unless you listen very carefully. If you try to listen while driving, this is often impossible. The main problem I have found is with the male Russian speaker. He frequently slurs the words in a nasal tone or speaks so fast you cannot quite tell what he's saying. He also frequently pronounces the words and phrases a little differently from the female speaker and often differently from his previous attempts. When so much emphasis is placed on the intonation and pronunciation in order to speak comprehensibly, it should be imperative that the native speakers enunciate and speak at a pace a beginner can follow. Pimsleur really should produce a 4th edition and replace this male speaker with one who can be consistent with the female and speak at a beginner's pace...and be clear when he speaks. This guy just sounds drunk. After 6 lessons I've gotten so fed up with him I can barely get through the lesson.