I Actually Completed Pimsleur Level 1
“You’ll be speaking a new language in no time!” They say. Well, I tried it. Here’s what happened.
“Give us 30 minutes a day for 30 days!” They say.
Pimsleur is primarily known for it’s audio lessons. The premise is, you listen uninterrupted for 30 straight minutes. Along the way, you will be prompted to repeat, translate or respond to phrases in your target language. Complete no more than a single lesson per day, and repeat the lesson if you are unable to understand and respond to about 80% of the material. So I began, using my half-hour commute to listen to each lesson twice daily.
How long did it actually take?
45 days, with one day skipped. I listened to every lesson at least three times. Not only would I listen during my commute, but I would repeat at the gym, during my lunch break, or before going to sleep. I even purchased Bragi’s waterproof headphones, “The Dash,” to listen while swimming a mile on the weekends.
Why Pimsleur?
I listen to hours of podcasts and audiobooks a day, so Pimsleur’s audio lessons seemed like they would be a good fit with how I already consume information. I’ve tried Rosetta Stone, Cambridge University Press textbooks, Innovative Language 101, the latest phone app like Memrise, messaging a language pen pal, even hiring private tutors bi-weekly for months. These approaches may work better for others, depending on how they best learn. I’ve personally found a natural fit with Pimsleur. That doesn’t mean the lessons are a passive activity. It’s easy to listen and repeat, but you won’t really learn that way. You need to be actively engaged.
Did I actually learn anything?
Even though level 1 took 50% longer for me to complete, I’m extremely satisfied with the purchase because of the results. No, I’m nowhere near fluent. But what this level did was remove the intimidation of the language. Listening to a foreign language can sound like a blur of some barbarian tongue. It’s difficult to discern where one word ends and another begins. In level 1, the narrator broke down each new word. Now, upon hearing someone speak, I can separate words and recognize the individual sounds that comprise them. This is a huge step forward in my personal learning process. I’ve also memorized something around one hundred words in six cases and three tenses. I don’t fully understand the grammar, but I’m steadily learning how to apply it, like how a child learns to speak and gradually develops an understanding of the underlying rules.
Pimsleur’s limitations
Because of the format of Pimsleur, I’ve become more skilled at translating English into the language rather than being able to converse in it. Also, I’m worried I’ll forget most of what I’ve learned the moment I go a few days without practice, so I already bought level 2 and started immediately. I can tell already that this will take more than 45 days. To help with conversation, I’m considering supplementing these lessons with a private tutor on Verbling.com (@verbling).
In conclusion
This wasn’t easy and it wasn’t passive. It also may not be compatible with your style of learning. For me, it is, and I’m going to continue. Expect a follow-up after lesson 2.
tags: pimsleur review, how to learn a foreign language, growth hack yourself
FWIW I have since completed level 2 and 3, as well as over 400 hours of Russian language instruction with a private tutor, but haven’t yet published the corresponding articles.
