Pimsleur Italian
Dr. Paul Pimsleur created the first language program in 1963 intending to create a complete language course that could teach someone without the need for a teacher.
Pimsleur courses are popular among language learners because they are simple to follow and can be taken at any time.
The language classes are primarily audio lessons and are designed to develop your listening and speaking abilities.
The lessons break down daily speech into digestible bits, and you practice listening to and repeating what Italian native speakers say.
The extra activities and games reinforce what you’ve learned in the main sessions. This will help you in remembering everything later.
What is wrong with Pimsleur
Using Pimsleur Italian also has some downsides. The context in use was unrelated to me.
If you’re a married businessman with kids who wants to go shopping and dine out, Pimsleur is the language course for you.
If you’re like everyone else, you’ll learn things that shouldn’t be prioritized in the beginning.
For example, I rarely use the formal “you” because I tend to socialize with people my age group, but, except for a brief mention in one unit, almost the entire course uses this formal “you”.
Then there’s the course’s extensive use of English. The majority of the audio is in English!
“Listen and repeat” is switched to the target language later in the course, but aside from that, you’re just following directions to translate stuff from English to Italian.
This mindset will always limit your progress and in this way is difficult to go beyond the beginner level and improve your language skills.
Think in Italian vs Pimsleur
Pimsleur’s method is scientifically sound and proven to work thanks to its focus on audio over text.
Its slow but steady pace of learning makes it ideal for total beginners. Too bad that its overly formal speech level in all lessons makes people sound like textbooks.
For a faster learning page and more real-life materials, Think in Italian library of audio lessons and readings is an excellent alternative or a supplement to Pimsleur.
Pimsleur alternative for the Italian Language
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or an advanced speaker and you want to learn authentic and real spoken Italian I suggest the “Think in Italian” courses as a Pimsleur Italian alternative.
The audio courses will lead you through the process of gradually exposing yourself to the language, allowing you to speak comfortably with native speakers in different real-life situations.
The innovation of this course is that instead of translating everything in your mind, you will be able to think and speak in Italian naturally.
Rather than learning details in your language, this course immerses you right away and you will have plenty of opportunities to practice speaking without feeling overwhelmed.
So are you ready to speak like real Italian native speakers?
Find more about how these courses work here.
Still translating in your head? Wanna speak Italian for real? Check out Stefano's courses to think directly in Italian and become fluent fast!
