Pimsleur evaluation.

[BarryM]

Pimsleur language method is not for everyone. As a matter of fact, it's not the best method to learn for most of us. The Pimsleur Russian lessons I've been using really lack in some very important features that are necessary to understand Russian. They fail to explain some key things in the language that would allow for things to fall in place properly.

Pimsleur is pure auditory memorization. It lacks structure and it fails to take advantage of some simple concepts that would allow for much better retention. Some people are well suited for pure auditory memorization. Others, like myself are pattern matchers and associators who fare better with both audio and visual. Unfortunately, Pimsleur seems to leave us out of his learning equation. One thing I have noticed, all of the Pimsleur lessons I have seem to be scripted nearly the same way.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be anything better on the market. Pimsleur is the only one that seems to have the necessary amount of content. One thing that really irritates me is that the Pimsleur lessons don't come with a published script. I believe this a serious flaw because seeing the written words really makes things come together. Pimsleur lacks much more than that.

Pimsleur Russian is a good tool, but you're not going to understand Russian well with it. The best that Pimsleur gives you, is the ability to phrase some basic questions and hear some simple answers slowly. Now that I'm studying Russian with a teacher, things become much clearer. The Pimsleur lessons start to make sense only when much of them are explained within the right contexts.

After much discussion with my Russian teacher, we both have come to the conclusion that a really good comprehensive set of Russian lessons does not currently exist. My Russian teacher is an expert linguist with fluency is several languages. I'm making more than triple the results with retention and language comprehension than with Pimsleur alone. A good grammar course helps quite a bit as well.

-blm

[tim360z]

... in response to Pimsleur evaluation., posted by BarryM on Dec 1, 2001

Hi Barry,

   Pimsleur Russian?  I think it really depends upon to what degree you want to speak and read/write Russian.  Pimsleur is a spoken system which can get someone up and running,  like when you know absolutely "0".  As most Americans do.  Surely,  it alone will not provide anyone with perfect Russian...but from what I am told it is the best system like it out there.  Of course good college classes or a private tutor would be far superior and far more costly.

  For anyone new the Russian phonics set can be a maze,  so it provides a good starting phonics.  There are things it misses,  especially nuances,  but I think most can get up and running and reach a certain low/intermediate fluency---which sure beats "Zero".  Like you,  I found it would be better to have like a written transcription with me when I may practice.  For me it would be more reinforcing to actually "see" the word set in my mind.  I have even written some words and phrases phonically...so I could see them on paper.  Of course,  this bears little resembelence to the true spelling of the words or phrases.  But,  sometimes it is of help.  Sometimes a waste.  

  Now, a couple RW/UW girls who I communicate with who write quite well in English,  tell me that their written English skills are far better than their spoken skills.  This seems to hold true in about 5 different cases that they need to have the alphabets and words directly in front of them to make "sense" of English.  A written sense.

  Pimsleur Russian---I think can get one going,  but the degree of fluency is really up to the student as he/she decides just how much fluency,  and thereby work effort one wants to put into it.  I wish there was some Russian language "pill" I could take.

  Myself,  at this moment,  I would be very happy with a written transcription to accompany the audio lessons.  Tim

[BarryM]

... in response to Re: Pimsleur evaluation., posted by tim360z on Dec 1, 2001

My carefull observations are that Pimsleur Russian I is a good start but II and III don't live up to expectations. Because of the more complex nature of the language, there needs to be more than just pure memorization of phrases. For example travel words such as "åõàò". A 30 minute explaination of them by my teacher made sense of at least 8 Pimsleur lessons that contained them. Also, some of the pronunciations in Pimsleur are not "The Tsar's" Russian, but with a northern regional accent(perhaps Ukrainian) that is not necessarily correct.

There is obviously a gap in good language lessons that could be filled by an entreprenuerial individual. I suggested this to my teacher, but she is not in good health and is worried she would not be able to complete them.

-blm