Pimsleur French
French Levels I & II – Lessons 1-60
Includes 32 hours of spoken language practice in sixty 30-minute audio lessons from the Pimsleur Comprehensive Level I and Level II programs, and the Readings from each level, as well as the Level I and Level II Reading Booklets. Also includes a User’s Guide to introduce you to the Pimsleur Method.
Devised by language educator Dr Paul Pimsleur, Simon and Schuster’s Pimsleur Language courses provide the listener with a comprehensive, self instructional, step-by-step guide on how to learn a new language. The Pimsleur approach is so effective because it is based on tried and tested techniques and principles that have proven to enable rapid and successful language learning. The unique audio method allows the listener to learn pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar without repetitive rote learning, in a similar way to how we acquired our native language components.
Pimsleur French Level I
Upon completion of the 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.
Pimsleur French Level II
Level II will double your vocabulary and grammatical structures while increasing your spoken proficiency exponentially. Upon completion of a Level II, you will be able to:
- engage in fuller conversations involving yourself, your family, daily activities, interests and personal preferences
- combine known elements into increasingly longer sentences and strings of sentences
- create with language and function in informal situations
- deal with concrete topics in the past, present, and future
- meet social demands and limited job requirements
- begin reading for meaning.
Here is what one user has said about the program: By jugador45 “jugador32″ (Arden, North Carolina)(Amazon Review)
I’m not just getting on the bandwagon, but I have to go along with those who award the Pimsleur French I course five stars. Here’s what you need to understand: This is a no-nonsense course all about learning to SPEAK and UNDERSTAND SPOKEN French. That’s what they advertise, and that’s what they deliver. There is very little about French culture (only what comes through in the CDs), almost nothing about reading, and nothing about writing the language (at least not in this series). When I first got the package, I thought they left out the book. But THERE IS NO BOOK. What you get is a little folder of just a few hundred words that explains the Pimsleur teaching method and giving you study tips. In a nutshell, here are their rules for success. Listen for ½ hour per day and absolutely repeat aloud after the native speakers. Just “thinking” you spoke the words and phrases won’t cut it. You learn by SPEAKING ALOUD. Do NOT take notes. Taking notes causes you to develop a lousy accent. This is especially important with French where proper pronunciation is critical. Working exclusively from the brain rather than the written word is the basis of the effective Pimsleur technique. If you think you have mastered 80% of the material in your half-hour session, go on to the next lesson THE FOLLOWING DAY. Do NOT do two consecutive lessons in a day unless you are reviewing a lesson you have previously taken. This is important. The half-hour sessions are intense, but hey, it’s only 30 minutes. It’s kind of like exercising. If you discipline yourself to do it every day, you’ll get in shape quickly and stay in shape. Lesson one boggled my mind, and I had to repeat it four times. I almost gave up. But eventually the rhythm of the language comes through, and you’ll only need those single 30-minute sessions. The Pimsleur people say that after 30 lessons you will have advanced to the intermediate level in SPOKEN French. I believe them. Someone taking a college course will not get to this level nearly this fast, but again, they are also working on reading, writing, and culture. Get ready to drill, drill, drill, drill and drill some more. Sometimes you’ll want to say, “All right already! I get it!” But these people understand the need for repetition, and they know what they’re doing. Toward the end of the course you use a very small folder to see what written French sounds like. But make no mistake; the emphasis is absolutely on SPOKEN French. The Pimsleur folks note in their folder that the most important part of learning a language is grammar and pronunciation. Imagine building a brand new house. You want to put up a good structure (grammar and pronunciation). The “furniture” (vocabulary) can come later. There is little vocabulary in the course. That can come later and it’s much easier. Don’t worry about it yet. When I first started with Lesson 1, I really sounded like a mush mouth, and I doubt if a Parisian would even have had a clue what I was trying to say. But now, if I may say so, I think I sound pretty darned good. I highly recommend the course, and I will definitely be buying the next course in the series.
The advantage to buying the course from the Multimedia Book Shop is the price! Brand new, immediately downloadable and discount coupons available. Begin your French Lessons today!
