Pimsleur was one of the last apps I used, despite being one of the first I was introduced to. I lost count of how many times I heard about “the Pimsleur method” and, for the most part, I ignored them.
I’m not much of a talker or a listener. I’m an introvert who doesn’t like people, noise, or talking. And if you’re thinking I’d be terrible at parties, you’re wrong, as I never go to them. I spend 12+ hours a day working on a laptop and the rest of the time I have my head buried in books, so the idea of listening to audio files and talking to myself just didn’t appeal to me.
I eventually bit the bullet when I realized that I could use Pimsleur while working out…on the rare times that I actually work out. And I’m glad I did, as I was wrong about the method and greatly misunderstood what type of learner I am.
By now, you’ve probably already seen that Pimsleur is my number 1 pick for language learning. In the following Pimsleur review, I’ll show you why.
The Method = Excellent
The Pimsleur method is all about repetition. It’s supposed to be based on a scientifically-backed method that works by getting you to repeat key phrases and drilling them into you. But you don’t need to know where it comes from or even why it works. What matters is that it really does work.
Pimsleur courses are split into several different levels and each one has a number of 30-minute audio lessons. Just start the lesson, listen to the narrator, and then repeat the words when prompted.
You’ll be asked to repeat some very basic stuff to begin with (where is Parliament street? I would like a beer, please) and you’ll steadily progress to more complicated stuff.
The reason it works so well is that you’re constantly being reminded of the words and phrases you learned earlier.
So, in lesson 1 you might learn how to use basic question words (How? What? Why?) while also briefly covering directions (it’s over there. It’s here). It’ll keep those words fresh by continuing to use them in increasingly complicated phases. And for the words that are a little more obscure, it’ll ensure you remember them by asking you to recite them at random intervals.
It recommends listening to a lesson every day and then using the accompanying text files. Personally, I have never used the accompanying text files and I usually listen to 1 lesson every 3 days. If I’m playing a game or doing something that only requires half of my attention, I’ll repeat the previous lesson again just to ensure it stays fresh.
By following this half-assed approach, I was able to learn conversational Norwegian in just a couple of months. If I was actually committed, I could have hit those targets in a few weeks.
Does the Pimsleur method really work?
Yes, for me at least. It might not work for everyone. However, it’s worth noting that I am more of a visual learner. I have always been good at remembering images and using visual memory tricks to remember hard words. What’s more, when I learned Greek, my ability to read and write in the language far surpassed my ability to listen and speak.
Despite that, Pimsleur worked for me and continues to work for me.
Can you become fluent with Pimsleur?
This is one of the areas where Pimsleur falls flat.
Many of the lessons on the app only have a couple of levels, including Greek. I discovered it while I was already B2 in Greek and soon realized that it couldn’t teach me anything new (although it was still good practice).
However, languages like Spanish and French have 5 levels and I expect you can reach an advanced stage using the app. For fluency, you’d need to read more, converse directly, and maybe immerse yourself in the language. But for conversational fluency and intermediate learning, it’s ideal.
The Price = Excellent
There are a couple of packages available to language learners on Pimsleur.
The first is $19.95 and gives you full access to a language of your choice. It’s an affordable option, but there isn’t much value there if you’re choosing a language with only a couple of levels.
For just $1 more per month, you can access the whole spectrum of languages. At the time of writing, there are over 50 languages, giving you hundreds of hours of content. It’s a polyglot’s dream and it’s incredible value for money.
How much does Pimsleur cost?
Pimsleur costs $20.95 for an all-access pass, which grants you complete access to all of the site’s languages. You can also keep a couple of profiles so that friends or family members can learn without messing up your progress.
The Languages and Coverage = Good (could be better)
Every level onPimsleur has 30 lessons of around 30 minutes each. So, that’s 15 hours per level. Most languages have at least 2 levels, but some have 5. There are also additional text files and audio courses to study.
It’s expansive, to say the least. My only issue is that the languages I am interested in (including Greek and Norwegian) only have 2 levels. And as noted above, the fact that I was already an intermediate in Greek essentially made it worthless to me.
It’s great if you’re learning a fairly common language or don’t care about fluency. It’s also excellent if you’re starting from scratch or just want to have conversations in your target language. But if you’re looking for an app that will take you to fluency on its own, this isn’t it.
What languages does Pimsleur offer?
Pimsleur offers all of the following languages. You will be given access to all of them as soon as you sign up for the service.
- Albanian
- Arabic*
- Armenian*
- Chinese*
- Croatian
- Czech
- Danish
- Dari Persian
- Dutch
- Farsi Persian
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Greek
- Haitian Creole
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Icelandic
- Indonesian
- Irish
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Lithuanian
- Norwegian
- Ojibwe
- Pashto
- Polish
- Portuguese*
- Punjabi
- Romanian
- Russian
- Spanish*
- Swahili
- Swedish
- Swiss German
- Tagalog
- Thai
- Turkish
- Twi
- Ukrainian
- Urdu
- Vietnamese
The languages with the asterisks contain more than one variation, such as Brazilian/European for Portuguese.
Some of these languages have a very basic offering and won’t get you anywhere near fluency. Others span 5 levels and will get you pretty close.
How many levels are there in Pimsleur Spanish?
There are 5 levels in Pimsleur Spanish. Each level features 19 hours of content when accounting for the additional lessons.
Pimsleur Review: The Verdict
I love Pimsleur. You could argue that it’s flawed as it can’t take you to fluency, but the same could be said for most courses out there. In reality, you need a mixture of things, including books and a tutor (see my Preply student review to learn more). But when compared to apps like Duolingo and Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur is in a league of its own.
Discovering Pimsleur was a revelation for me, and that’s why it’s my number 1 language app/service.
The pros of learning with Pimsleur
- Huge selection of languages
- It actually works
- Great for reaching conversational fluency
- Easy to work around your life
- Intuitive app
The cons of learning with Pimsleur
- Many languages have just 2 levels
- Won’t get you to fluency on its own
Pimsleur Review FAQs
Which is better, Babbel or Pimsleur?
I have used both of these and for me, Pimsleur is the better option. Despite being a gamer and a visual learner, I find that I tend to switch off with apps like Babbel. I start treating it like a game to be completed as opposed to words/phrases that need to be learned. As a result, nothing sticks.
That’s just me though and you might respond differently.
What will Pimsleur teach me?
As far as I can tell, Pimsleur follows a similar script for all of its languages, but it adapts them well and includes the many unique characteristics that set the languages and cultures apart. It’ll start by teaching you how to greet someone and ask for directions and it’ll then advance to specific scenarios.
You’ll also learn numbers and dates fairly early on.
How many lessons are there in Pimsleur level 1?
Each level has 30 lessons, and these are about 30 minutes long.
How many Pimsleur lessons should you do a day?
It’s best to do 1 lesson a day. If you have more time, spend it revising or going through the supporting materials. Don’t try to cram too much in. If you have a long break between lessons (I have done this many times) I recommend going back a few lessons just to refresh your memory.
Is Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur better?
As with Babbel, Rosetta Stone didn’t work for me and I preferred Pimsleur. Rosetta Stone was actually one of the first methods I used when learning Greek and while I did pick up a lot, it became boring and I learned much quicker with Pimsleur.