How much does it cost?
Our introductory Pimsleur Conversational
courses actually cost less than $4 per
half-hour lesson - a breakthrough price for
Pimsleur language training.
For more in-depth study, we offer Pimsleur Comprehensive
courses on compact discs for less than $7 per lesson, and
Pimsleur Comprehensive courses on audiobook chips for less
than $6 a lesson. These prices include complete customer
service and our
Spoken Performance Guarantee
to the purchaser of a Pimsleur Comprehensive program. These courses
can even take you to the intermediate level of spoken proficiency
as measured by the Spoken Proficiency Scale.
(Click here for a detailed explanation of the Spoken Proficiency Scale.)
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How long does it take?
Each lesson takes just one half hour. Using the Pimsleur Method, an
adult second-language learner will take only 45 hours - at the rate of
ONE half-hour lesson per day - to complete the three levels of a Pimsleur
Comprehensive program and arrive at the Intermediate Level for
conversational ability, with full use of the essential grammatical
structures and everyday vocabulary required for immediate communication
with native speakers of the language.
(Click here to read the detailed discussion paper: "How Long Does It Take To Learn A Language?")
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Can I really learn that much in such a short period of time?
Yes, you can! The Pimsleur teaching method is based on the original
and unique research conducted by Dr. Pimsleur that established how long
students retain new information and at what intervals they need to be
reminded of it to guarantee retention. This training System called
Graduated Interval Recall (GIR)
is the guiding principle over the 30 lessons of each course: the
material you learn will gradually shift from your short-term memory to
your long-term memory. What is the point of doing a language course
that does not automatically build your memory of the grammar and
vocabulary so that you have it on the tip of your tongue, when you need
it!
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Where do I have to be to do the lessons?
Anywhere you feel comfortable! The program is audio-based, so you can
listen and learn in your car, at home, at night, during lunch, jogging or
biking - it's your choice!
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I failed to learn to speak a foreign language in high school.
Will I be able to learn a language using your method?
Yes you will. Based on customer surveys of Pimsleur
Program purchasers, Pimsleur is the foremost language program in the
successful teaching of spoken foreign-language communications skills to
adults.
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I am way older than school age. Is it too late for me to learn a foreign language?
It's never too late! Read the full text of the article: "It's Never too Late!"
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I know I'll be able to ask some questions in a foreign language.
But, will I be able to understand the answers?
If the Pimsleur Method is followed correctly, as recommended, then
even after only 60 lessons (30 hours) the learner will have achieved
the Intermediate-Mid level: "...characterized by creative ability
in the target language and by being able to communicate personal
meaning to native speakers by combining and recombining input to
correctly form sentences of increasing length."
AND ALL IN JUST 30 HOURS OF PIMSLEUR TRAINING!
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How many hours a day do I need to spend on this?
The Method requires a learner to do one lesson per day to activate the
Graduated Interval Memory Recall
schedule. You are at liberty to repeat the same lesson the same day, if
you wish. But avoid attempting "Rote Memorization" of a lesson. Language
learning should be fun and a joy to do.
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Can I use this to supplement my traditional language course in school?
Our recommendation is to avoid any other language
teaching or learning activity while doing a Pimsleur program - even
foreign language dictionaries - since the course requires the
learner to "discover" meanings through individual use, listening
attentively to typical conversations to find helpful clues.
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If my travel plans change, can I return the unopened course?
If you decide after ordering, that you do not want to go ahead with
the particular language course, you've ordered - because you now plan
to travel to another location - we'll be pleased to make an
even-exchange for the language of the new destination provided the
seal of the packaging is intact. Simply call Customer Service
and make arrangements for us to send the new language, and at the same
time picking up the original shipment. There will be no charge - or
delay - for this adjustment.
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What if I just can't learn a language with your course? Do I get a refund?
We have a "Spoken Performance Guarantee"
which means that if you do not attain the expected level of proficiency after having followed the
course exactly as prescribed then we will refund the full purchase price.
(Click here for a full explanation of this guarantee.)
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I'm a visual learner. Does the Pimsleur Language Program include a printed text?
The entire point of doing an Intensive Spoken Language course, with
the requirement of doing a half-hour audio SPOKEN-LANGUAGE PRACTICE
SESSION every day, is to include the kind of language learning that
will enable you to discover how easy it is to understand and speak
other languages in their spoken forms.
That said, most Pimsleur Comprehensive courses include a booklet
of reading material and optional lessons that will help familiarize you with
words you might see on menus, signs and in other everyday situations.
More than 25 million
individual American language learners have purchased and learned to
speak a language with Dr. Paul Pimsleur's unique and exciting new
spoken language Method. You have nothing
to lose, and a world of spoken communication to gain. Take advantage of
PIMSLEURDIRECT.COM: The Language Portal - and enjoy experiencing the
wealth of language and linguistic materials available here.
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