Language Wrangler

Hear it, Learn it, Speak it. That's the Pimsleur difference.

With Pimsleur Language Programs, you actually learn how to speak -- not just how to conjugate verbs. Our interactive audio-only lessons give you real conversational skills in the new languages quickly and easily, wherever and whenever -- without textbooks, written exercises, or tedious drills.

Now you can harness the power of language with Pimsleur!

As the world shrinks and foreign travel becomes a part of almost everyone's life, there has never been a better time to master a new language.

The audio-only format of Pimsleur Courses, with no phrase books or texts, make them the ideal 'in-car' learning method.

Why are there no accompanying books with the courses?

Dr Pimsleur's answer to this was very simple. We all learn to speak long before we can read or write. By using a completely audio-based approach, the PLLS encourages conversational fluency and confidence right from the start.

How does the Pimsleur System ensure that you remember what you have learned?

Another key component of Dr Pimsleur's method is Graduated Interval Recall, where essential information is repeated at precisely the right time for you to retain it. The intervals between repetitions are gradually increased until you remember the information without being reminded. This timed recycling of information moves your new knowledge from short-term to long-term memory with the least possible effort.

Why is the Pimsleur System so effective?

Dr Pimsleur's research suggested that the way we learned our own language as a child was nothing like the way we are taught languages at school. With this in mind he devised what he called 'organic learning', where vocabulary, pronunciation and comprehension are presented simultaneously. The result is an understanding of the language as native speakers use it.

How does the Pimsleur System achieve so much so quickly?

Language can be divided into two distinct areas: Grammatical Structures (function words) and Concrete Vocabulary (content words). Most of everyday conversation is composed of function words - for example, in the sentence "Could you tell me the way to the hotel?", only 'hotel' is a content word. By focusing on the function elements, the PLLS enables the student to comprehend and employ the structure of a new language quickly and naturally.

Who is Dr. Pimsleur?

Born in America of French ancestry, the late Dr Paul Pimsleur received a PhD in French from Columbia University. He was a renowned language teacher at universities in California and Germany and director of the Language Centre at Ohio State University. His ground-breaking research into how children and multi-lingual adults absorb languages has formed the basis of much recent linguistic study.

How does it work?

Since its introduction, the Pimsleur Language Learning System (PLLS) has rapidly become the most successful programme of its kind. Based on the revolutionary research of Dr Paul Pimsleur, the system teaches language in a way that is both simple and effective with none of the obstacles and disadvantages of the more traditional techniques. Students using the PLLS are amazed by the rapidity and ease with which they progress to everyday fluency in their chosen language.