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Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition)
 
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Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition) [Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Pimsleur (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)

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Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition) + Spanish II, 3rd Ed. (Compr.) [CD] + Spanish III, Comprehensive: Learn to Speak and Understand Latin American Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs
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Product Description

Comprehensive Spanish (L.A.) I includes 30 lessons of essential grammar and vocabulary -- 16 hours of real-life spoken practice sessions -- plus an introduction to reading.

Upon completion of this Level I program, you will have functional spoken proficiency with the most-frequently-used vocabulary and grammatical structures. You will be able to:

* initiate and maintain face-to-face conversations,

* deal with every day situations -- ask for information, directions, and give basic information about yourself and family,

* communicate basic information on informal topics and participate in casual conversations,

* avoid basic cultural errors and handle minimum courtesy and travel requirements,

* satisfy personal needs and limited social demands,

* establish rapport with strangers in foreign countries,

* begin reading and sounding out items with native-like pronunciation.

About the Author

Dr. Paul Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world's leading experts in applied linguistics. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed The Pimsleur Method based on two key principles:  the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called “Graduated Interval Recall.”  This Method has been applied to the many levels and languages of the Pimsleur Programs.

Product Details

  • Audio CD
  • Publisher: Pimsleur; 2nd Rev edition (April 1, 2002)
  • Language: English, Spanish
  • ISBN-10: 0743523571
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743523578
  • Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 11.2 x 1.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #55,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
    #8 in  Books > Books on CD > Languages > Language Instruction > Spanish
    #20 in  Books > Books on CD > Reference
    #65 in  Books > Books on CD > Nonfiction

More About the Author

Paul Pimsleur
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Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition)
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Customer Reviews

76 Reviews
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 (47)
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 (17)
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 (5)
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (76 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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785 of 800 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Start Here Before Spending the Big $$$, July 10, 2003
By David H. Peterzell "Ph.D., Ph.D." (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition) (Audio CD)
There is little doubt that The Pimsleur CDs for Spanish I will get you off the ground and learning Spanish painlessly (if not exactly rapidly). If the thought of learning Spanish while being stuck in rush hour traffic, or driving across country, is appealing to you, then Pimsleur is the good stuff.

Having said that, I think it pays to be aware of a few things before making the Big Purchase.

Because the price tag for these CDs is high, you might find it helpful, as I did, to try Pimsleur's "Quick and Simple" set of CDs for Spanish first. Those CDs duplicate (with minor differences) the first 8 lessons of the Spanish I collection. So if you wish to be cautious, that is probably 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.

Whether you start with the Spanish I package, or the Quick and Easy CDs, you will be exposed you to the heart of what makes the Pimsleur method unique and painless. 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 found the approach efficient and useful, and I had lots of fun with the CDs as I drove around town blathering away in Spanish.

But it is worth emphasizing that Pimsler is not the only game in town. There are other very high-quality competing approaches (e.g. Platiquemos Spanish), that are generally less expensive. On Platequemos, for instance, the speakers sound like they are from Central and South America, and one gets the impression that they are teaching a version of Spanish that is useful in the Americas.

I think it pays to be aware that with Pimsleur you are learning a very general form of Spanish that does not always play well in some Spanish-speaking counries. In the lessons, for instance, you are quickly instructed to say "Encantado" (pleased to meet you) after meeting someone. When I mentioned this to some Mexican friends, they just laughed and said "you probably won't get killed for saying that, but from know on just say 'mucho gusto' and nobody will get hurt!" A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing!

The culture-specific meaning of some words is a big issue. Take words like "familia," "confianza," "amigo," "amor," and "tu." We may think we understand the implications of these familiar words, especially after learning a little Spanish, but newcomers are unlikely to understand their deep and subtle meanings within the context of (for example) Mexican culture.

So, I think it pays to learn phrases and code words from a specific culture or country that most strongly interests you (something you'll never get from plodding through the simple and general Pimsleur approach). To this end, there are books that often discuss a specific country's idiomatic expressions or slang. For instance, I've been interested in learning more about Mexico's version of Spanish, as well as its culture. I benefitted greatly from Boye Lafayette De Mente's book, "There's a Word For It In Mexico" (also marketed as "The NTC's Dictionary of Mexican Cultural Code Words"). In the case of Mexican Spanish and culture, Octavio Paz' "The Labyrinth of Solitude" is excellent, too. Travel guides for specific countries, such as the Insight Guides, often provide a few words of slang that are unique to specific regions.

It pays to have a fluent spanish speaker as a co-worker, friend and/or lover while you are learning from the CDs, as they might, on a good day, rescue you from whatever linguistic cliff Pimsleur sends you over. If you don't yet have a Spanish speaking lover, you may need to purchase some additional resourses, e.g. "Wicked Spanish", "The Lover's Dictionary," or "Hot International Phrases" to help you get into/out of trouble. And don't forget to buy every Shakira CD that has ever been recorded!

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

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72 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good memorization approach, January 10, 2005
This review is from: Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition) (Audio CD)
I have been using a number of recorded Spanish lessons to learn Spanish on my own, including the Foreign Service Institute course (Mastering Spanish, levels 1 and 2) and lessons from learningspanishlikecrazy.com. One of the best things about the Pimsleur's Spanish series is that it has more interactivity than the other courses I've used. There are many set up situations where you interact back and forth with a recorded speaker. I have found this to be very helpful in practicing for real live speakers. Mastering Spanish, for example, has a lot more single-sentence utterances you copy, but less back-and-forth. (I understand the new Platiquemos tries to correct for this problem.)

Another good point about Pimsleur is that it uses a repetition pattern developed by Dr. Pimsleur that has worked well in helping me memorize the material. They present a word or phrase several times, go on to other things, then go back to that recently-learned phrase again. A bit later, they hit it again. I find this to be very effective in helping me remember the material.

The main drawback is that the tapes are somewhat slow, and overly formal. For example, phrases like "Encantado," "Que le vaya bien," and "Por supuesto" are taught instead of more informal equivalents (such as "Mucho gusto", "Nos vemos", and "Claro"). But whether this is good or bad may depend on what you want to get out of the language: if you're a tourist or in business, you may want to be more formal, so the more formal phrases may work well for you. For everyday communication, however, I've found less formal is better. Some people immediately tutear (use the informal 'tu') with you, and it would be nice to immediately switch into an informal mode of communication with them.

To overcome the formality trap, get a book like "Breaking out of Beginner's Spanish." I cannot say enough good things for this book. It is an indispensible companion to any self-study course, and will get you using words and phrases appropriate to the situation. You might also want to sign up at learningspanishlikecrazy.com, where you have weekly teleconferences with a native speaker.

Finally, this series is clearly very expensive. But, never fear: try your local public libraries before buying one yourself, either as a "try before you buy", or instead of buying. (I always try to borrow materials first before I buy them, so I can evaluate them myself.) I've been through most of the course now, and have borrowed everything from a local library.

In summary, there are drawbacks to the course, but I find its memorization approach to work very well for me.
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46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Probably one of the key ingredients to learning Spanish, December 12, 2005
By Tricepilot "ADV" (Cibolo, Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Spanish I - 2nd Rev. Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) (English and Spanish Edition) (Audio CD)
Pimsleur is heavily hyped for a good reason - it works. My own "formula" for learning spanish in middle age includes three approaches: 1) Pimsleur CDs; 2) Grammar study; and 3) Practice with native spanish speakers (or whatever form of "immersion" you can get). Pimsleur works because of the challenge to your memory, using a technique called graduated recall. If you have a way to play them while commuting, your trip will pass like a flash.

My own method of learning pushes me to know the grammar behind what I am hearing, so I purchased Barron's Spanish the Easy Way. I also have several other grammar texts which I purchased on Amazon after checking reviews. One gadget I highly, highly recommend is an electronic Spanish dictionary, which has become indispensable. Once you use on of those, you will rarely use a hardcover version. I carry this with me in my pocket and find myself looking up words all of the time. You can find one of these by Googling it.

Go with Pimsleur, absolutely, but shop around. Make sure you can't do better than the price listed here.
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