Customer Reviews

Russian II - 1st Ed. (Pimsleur Language Program)

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

 

 

I have used this program (all three volumes) with great success. Of course, the tapes request more attention than for example the Pimsleur Italian tapes, but you can still use them while driving. The inference of the correct endings for cases is especially well done : you never hear the word Genitive, and yet I could master the flexion easily where I had failed with an older book. The thing that sets the program apart from competitors is, in my opinion, that you master small talk with total confidence after the three volumes, and we must admit that this is quite useful.

Pimsleur is a Godsend for me! I spent almost two years trying to learn Russian with varying success and failure using many other books, tapes, methods. But Pimsleur is the ONLY one that really, truly works! It really teaches grammar without teaching grammar - it really gets you talking and understanding. The price seems stiff at first, but it's really worth it! Pay a few more dollars - save up if you have to - and get Pimsleur courses when you want to learn a language!

No one in these reviews has touched on the questionable grammar introduced in these tapes... Perhaps these people have not gone on or tried to put their Russian into practice (indeed it is unlikely that someone they don't know will try to correct them on a trip), but I have continually had to 'relearn' certain mistakes in these tapes which were riddled throughout the series. This ranges from things which I have been told are 'unnatural' in conversation to downright ungrammatical. However either should be considered unacceptable, as in an AUDIO course with emphasis on speaking, I would expect emphasis to be on natural, conversational Russian.

Also, many subjects of grammar are 'danced over', and never fully explained grammatically...I realize length of time prohibits this, but I as someone interested in grammar, I would have found it easier for a quick explanation, such as a word is in 'accusitive' form, rather than have them make up some 'layman's' explanation that I have to try to interpret, only to find out ultimately the concept was quite simple.

All in all, this series is a WONDERFUL way to learn language...my attention was always kept and after completing just halfway through the second series, I already feel that I can convey some very simple things with my Russian...

...the only problem is that it's not entirely CORRECT Russian...

The Pimsleur method is a proven system for learning new languages. I've been using this series on Russian and I've had many native Russian Speakers compliment me on my pronounciation. What better proof do you need?

You have a serious problem with the Pemsleur Russian II Audio Cassette. You have the author as mary carroll. The mary carroll book is a romance novel and you have sent it tpo me three times and I have sent it back or was told to not return the book. Get a grip on this situation. The catalog number is a mess. Please correct this inefficiency.