If you are interested in learning another language one of the many products available to help with the process and one of the better known such products is by Pimsleur. However, perhaps because it is so well known and ubiquitous on the net these days the phrase “pimsleur approach scam” apparently often comes to the mind of potential language learners, in fact if you are reading this article now you may well have arrived here after looking for pimsleur approach scam reports online on through the search engines.
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So without further ado let me allay your fears and state up front that Pimsleur is no scam, it is in fact a decent system backed up by groundbreaking research on applied linguistics performed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur in the 60’s. With that out of the way, read on for more details on why it is legit and in fact remarkably effective at what it does..
The Pimsleur approach or method uses a number of key principles to ensure effective learning and subsequent memorizing of learned vocabulary and ultimately to achieve a reasonable level of fluency in the most efficient manner. The principle of graduated interval recall is arguably chief among these techniques and it is simply the repeated use of words at specific intervals timed to maximize memorizing. When you work through each unit in the Pimsleur course you will find previously covered words and phrases cropping up at various times throughout the entire course to ensure you really do remember them and they “stick” so that they easily come to mind when you are trying to talk in your newly acquired language.
The principle of anticipation is another key component of this language learning system which certainly seems to present a positive contribution to the language acquisition process. Finally Pimsleur focuses on a core vocabulary which is a selection of words which are most commonly used in conversation and so are the most useful to learn. This focus on core words ensures that even though you may only learn a few hundred words in each level, you can actually function moderately well in your chosen language and have a sound base to build on and from where you can then move on to other vocabulary acquisition strategies and build your conversational fluency.
For more in-depth coverage you may want to read our detailed Pimsleur Review article and for comparison with another popular system check out our pimsleur vs rosetta stone article.
In summary I must stress once again that Pimsleur is certainly not a scam, it is in fact real and quite effective at what it does, however it is of course not a magic bullet and you should manage your expectations to avoid disappointment – any language learning system still requires you to dedicate enough time to study it and even once complete you will still need to continue studying using other methods and to actually go out and use the language in real life to attain a high level of fluency and functional ability.
Note – if you are considering buying any Pimsleur language course I highly recommend you get it from Amazon.com for the best value and of course their excellent customer service which ensures a safe and reliable online shopping experience.