Croatian Compact (Compact) [CD] [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Pimsleur (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Compact Croatian, a stand-alone 10-lesson (5 hours) program, teaches beginning language strategies for essential communication and traveling needs, plus an introduction to reading.

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.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Pimsleur (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743528719
• ISBN-13: 978-0743528719
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,629,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A taste is all you get, April 29, 2004

By	"texasjeff" (Seguin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Croatian Compact (Compact) [CD] (Audio CD)

I have to give Pimsleur Croatian program five stars for the excellence of the product, but as good as the course is it may not be for you. The Pimsleur method is the only self-taught system I have ever used that actually works. The method of verbalizing, constant review and slowly working in new words and grammatical uses is effective and enjoyable. The pronuciation lessons are so good that my Croatian friends were amazed, although they quibbled that I was learning a Slavonian accent instead of a Zagreb accent. Within this excellence lies a major problem with this one-volume set. It is not nearly enough. The Pimsleur method, as is any really effective method, is time consuming. The ten half-hour lessons only add up to five hours of instruction. Repeat every lesson and still you only have ten hours. This barely scratches the surface. At the end of this course you will really only know a few words and phrases, not nearly enough to even communicate on a survival level. If you are looking for a course so as to learn enough Hrvatski (Croatian) to communicate basic travel needs, it's not here. If you are looking for a course that gives you a solid understanding of some basic Croatian words and grammar as well as excellent, contemporary pronunciation, then this is the place to start. But I guarantee you will be left wanting more.

I have to question why Simon & Schuster even publish the one-volume sets. They have the comprehensive three volume series in many major and minor languages; for them to issue all of their series in a comprehensive form would not seem to be much of an investement.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly effective, June 3, 2002

By	K. Jones (Pacifica, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Croatian (Audio Cassette)

I have all of the Croatian tapes on the market and none can compare to the Pimsleur tapes. Before getting this series I had despaired of ever learning this language. I was astonished at how quickly I have learned and retained the information presented here.

I just returned from my third trip to Croatia. For the first time I was able to get the sense of conversations as well as communicate with some confidence. I only wish there was an intermediate level. The Pimsleur method is a remarkable approach to learning a language. It is the first language series that I have used that really lives up to its hype.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but no cure all, March 13, 2005

By	A. Le (Melbourne, Australia.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Croatian Compact (Compact) [CD] (Audio CD)

A word of note on the Pimsleur technique. Essentially it comprises three speakers; a narrator, a male speaker, and a female speaker. The course is split into 10 half-hour lessons. And, if the recommended timeframe, of one class per day, is adhered to, should take you 10 days to complete. You will no doubt review the lessons at least once, and therefore the commitment each day will generally be a solid hour of listening.

In a sense it is not all too different from a basic phrase type course in which words and sentences are spoken for you to repeat. Similarly, you will learn words and sentences, not grammar. The difference is in the structure of the course, which uses review and continuous repetition, along with the posing of questions to the student. It also places a greater emphasis upon pronunciation, with a syllable breakdown whenever new words are introduced. The syllable breakdown technique is very good in nailing the pronunciation, something your typical listen and repeat course does not do.

However it adds up to a more time consuming method and therefore less material is covered. It is therefore, in ten lessons, a case of greater depth than breadth. Such that, in essence you will learn, albeit with astoundingly good pronunciation (your native speaking friends will note this), only about thirty phrases (See D. Woei (Netherlands) "Vietnamese for dummies: Easy to learn, but waaaaay to little", review of Pimsleur's Quick and Easy Vietnamese for an identical word/sentence list, December 11, 2002)

Another note that perplexes me about this course is the inclusion of the reading exercises. Eight of the ten units are accompanied by a reading lesson, which is basically a reading of 15 or so words at the end of the lesson, these words are printed on a reading book/pamphlet. The object is no doubt to develop in the learner an understanding of reading Croatian words. However, the words appear random, with no relevance to the course unit. In fact there are no translations to English, and not all words are covered in the course of the lesson. I do not know why it doesn't provide a list of the phrases and words that have been discussed and taught.


The real question is: Is this worth your money? The Pimsleur technique seems widely lauded, and in terms of Croatian quite effective. This course in itself is good and is recommended as a suitable introduction to the Croatian language. Without many competitors, it is nevertheless, very good. This then should be enough to buy it. It's good for starters, and there's not much else that is offered for Croatian.

Unlike, for instance French or Spanish, Croatian is not a language that has the same wide market appeal, hence the relative lack of language products available for it. I am convinced that this introductory course, if indeed Simon and Schuster do not produce a comprehensive course, is intended to test market demand. For whom those most likely to undertake it are business people or foreign service types. Thus it is good in allowing for the speaking of several phrases to break the ice, but in teaching the necessary language skills to communicate with one's potential mother-in-law it is lacking.