Albanian [ABRIDGED] [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio Cassette)

by Pimsleur (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

SPEAK ALBANIAN TO LEARN ALBANIAN

The Pimsleur Method will have you speaking Albanian in just a few short, easy-to-use lessons.

Learn at your own pace, comfortably and conveniently.

No books to study. No memorization drills.

LEARN ALBANIAN AS YOU LEARNED ENGLISH

You learned English by listening. With Pimsleur, you listen to learn Albanian. This Language Program was developed by renowned memory expert, Dr. Paul Pimsleur. His research led him to the realization that the most important use of memory is in language learning. Based on this, Dr. Pimsleur designed a learning program that works for any language. The Pimsleur Language Program is an integrated system which immerses you in the language, encouraging you to hear, understand and use the language all at the same time.

Now you can take advantage of Dr. Pimsleur's research. At the completion of these eight lessons you will comfortably understand and speak at a beginner level.

About the Author
Dr. Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and was one of the world's leading experts in applied linguistics. After obtaining his Ph.D. in French from Columbia University, he taught French Phonetics and Phonemics, and supervised the language laboratory at UCLA. He went on to become Professor of Romance Languages and Language Education, and Director of The Listening Center 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. 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 that is based on two key principles: the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory that he called Graduated Interval Recall. This program incorporates both of these principles to provide you with the most simple and effective learning method possible. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Pimsleur; Abridged edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671579096
• ISBN-13: 978-0671579098
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.3 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,181,905 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Pimsleur's Speak and Read Essential Albanian, November 21, 1999

By	Sharon Ann Craig (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

My husband and I both found this to be an excellent course for a beginner in learning the Albanian language. It is a very practical, logical and straight forward approach to language study. Neither of us has ever attempted to learn a foreign language before but after going through this study guide we both feel reasonably comfortable with the basics of the language and are eager to learn more. Our only regret is that there is not a continuation of the series progressing to an intermediate, and then advanced level. For us as beginners, completing this course represented time and money well spent and turned what could have been a very dull and mundane undertaking into a fun and a very rewarding experience. We can actually carry on a conversation in Albanian now!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Albanian: Pimsleur Language Program[ABRIDGED], August 1, 2001

By	James Koo (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This is a very (pricey) purchase, comparable to less than what would be covered in less than half a semester of a language course. Unfortunately, it may be the only introduction to the Albanian language, available on audiocassettes. Albanian may be one of the hardest languages to pronounce, let alone learn. This reviewer was in Kosova/Kosovo, and found that the tips on the language, from his Albanian associates, in the United States, were far more useful than these audiocassettes. The booklet, included with the set, is largely useless. It only contains lists of words, without definitions, that are pronounced in the cassettes. If you have to speak Albanian, hire a tutor, and regularly interact with Albanians. If you are planning a brief visit to Kosova/Kosovo, many young Albanians speak English(unlike in Bosnia and Herzegovina), and a greater number of older Albanians speak German. English and German will almost certainly be all that you will need(the older generation also knows Serb; just ask permission first, because of sensitivities from the war). So, if you can afford these cassettes, and have the time to listen to them, buy them, since everything helps. If you are on a strict budget and schedule, however, this set may be a needless expense.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good introduction, September 4, 2005

By	C. Cotten "SimpleSimon" (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Albanian: Learn to Speak and Understand Albanian with Pimsleur Language Programs (Audio CD)

Having completed nearly a dozen of the Pimsleur "compact" series of 10 lessons, I can say the Albanian program is as good as the best. Far from thorough, the purpose of these "compact" courses is to get the ball rolling, to learn simple sentences, interact with natives, get a feel for hearing and pronounciation, and gaining confidence to engage in further study.

I am very confused by the reviewer who gave it 2 stars. The Albanian spoken in Kosovo (Serbia) is quite different from the native Albanian spoken in the country. While mutually intelligible the differences are pronounced. He/she also dismisses the booklet, which isn't a "vocab" builder but a guide that goes with the program in basic reading lessons. The words in the booklet are meant as a guide to pronounciation of written Albanian - nothing more.

After this program you will definitely have a feel for the sound and unique nature of this language, be able to make some small talk, and be more prepared to continue your studies.