Pimsleur Review 2024: Is It Worth It? Can Your Become Fluent In Foreign Language?

What is the Pimsleur method?

Linguist Dr. Paul Pimsleur researched and developed a special way to learn languages that now bears his name. 

The Pimsleur method basically works by reminding language learners of new words at a gradually increasing level of frequency, which is formally called the graduated interval recall method. This spaced out approach helps solidify both the short-term and long-term memory, so information is retained in the most efficient way possible. Pimsleur studied how much time it took students to remember new information and at what intervals they had to be reminded of the information again in order to retain it. 

Pimsleur’s research also found that learners need to be asked to understand a new word or phrase, have the opportunity to respond, and then be reinforced for each correct response. This method is believed to help students learn faster compared to traditional conjugation drills or memorization techniques.

Students will find that Pimsleur courses are structured around conversations and speaking aloud, sorry no games or fun activities with this program. Focusing on conversations is meant to help the brain not only learn new words and grammar, but also intonation, rhythm melody, and pronunciation as quickly as possible. 

Dr. Pimsleur method review

In short, the Pimsleur method is great for building a solid foundation to learn a language. The method is effective and easy to follow as long as you enjoy participating in conversations. 

The method is actually structured around teaching students a solid framework before adding on new vocabulary words and introducing more complex grammar concepts. 

The Pimsleur method does not require flashcards, grammar drills, or extensive studying. Instead, those things are built into each conversation learners participate in, so you’ll learn them as you go. 

Dr. Pimsleur himself was fluent in English and French, good at German, and had a working knowledge of Italian, Russian, Modern Greek, and Mandarin Chinese.

Read relevant Do Language Learning Apps Truly work? 

Pimsleur course structure

Pimsleur has more than 50 languages and dialects to choose from, including Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. 

You’ll select a language and begin learning right away. You should complete the lessons in order and do no more than one lesson per day. Each lesson is only about 30 minutes long. During a conversational lesson, you’ll hear a phrase spoken in another language and will be asked to repeat the phrase slowly several times. You’ll do this until you can speak the phrase when prompted, rather than by repeating after someone else. 

Be sure to speak out loud when the instructor tells you to so you can practice pronunciation and help your auditory memory retain the information. Most of the lessons are audio-based, but some lessons include PDFs or booklets with the words and phrases you’ll learn in each lesson. 

There are also reading lessons that focus on understanding how letters combine to form sounds. The reading lessons will teach you how to pronounce the things you read, and then you’ll learn what the words mean. 

Also, do not try to take notes or use a dictionary for reference during your lessons. You’ll want to keep distractions to an absolute minimum to fully engage the language learning portions of your brain. 

Each language level includes 30 lessons that are 30 minutes long. Some languages have as many as five levels of lessons, while others just have two or three levels. You’ll notice that you’ll be hearing a lot of the same words and phrases over and over again throughout your learning. That’s because the Pimsleur method is based on repetition and intentionally repeats content at very specific intervals to help you commit your new skills to memory. This can get tricky since you’re relying on your memory of a pretty unfamiliar topic, but you’ll eventually get the hang of the basics of the language and will be able to recall more and more. 

The number of words you learn in the end will depend on the language and level. According to the company’s website, each 30-lesson course teaches between 300 and 500 new vocabulary words.

How does the Pimsleur app work?

If you plan on using Pimsleur on the go using a mobile device, the app will give you the best user experience. 

You can download the free Pimsleur app for Android or Apple mobile devices. You can also use Pimsleur through an Amazon Alexa device. 

Pimsleur mobile app requirements

•           Apple® iOS 11 or greater

•           Android™ 7 or greater

•           Most Android smartphones and tablets with 1280 X 720 or larger screen

You can purchase a language subscription through the app or on the website. Once you download the app, you can log on to your account and complete your lessons from your mobile device. Your progress will be saved across whatever device you use to access your account. 

Note that a registered Pimsleur user can share a premium language course with up to three family members. Each learner’s progress is tracked separately for each sub-user with a premium account.

Pimsleur prices: What to know

Pimsleur prices vary based on your learning level and the type of subscription or product you’re purchasing. A monthly subscription starts at $14.95 and prices go up from there. Pimsleur can get to be pretty costly compared to other online language learning resources that are available. 

Pimsleur free trial explained

Pimsleur offers a free, 7-day trial to explore the program and see if you would like to use it. The free trial grants you access to all the lessons in one language, and you can try as many lessons and features as you’d like during the trial period. 

If you change your mind about using Pimsleur, you need to cancel the subscription before the end of the 7-day free trial period. If you do not cancel your subscription your credit card will be charged automatically. 

Different Pimsleur plans

•           What is Pimsleur audio only? 

A Pimsleur audio subscription gives you access to audio only lessons. These subscriptions start at $14.95 per month.

•           What is Pimsleur Premium?

A Pimsleur Premium plan is available for select languages and includes interactive lessons, flashcards, cultural lessons, quizzes, saved vocabulary, and skills categories. A premium subscription starts at $19.95 per month. 

- Pimsleur lifetime options

If you would rather purchase your learning materials upfront, you can purchase and download Pimsleur MP3 files or CDs that you’ll own forever. The MP3 lessons are identical to the lessons available through the monthly subscription service. Some public libraries offer free online access to Pimsleur or have sets of CDs that you can check out. Another option is purchasing the audio lessons from Audible.com. 

There is a higher upfront cost to go this route, however. One level of MP3 files, that’s 30 lessons, is about $120. CDs are more expensive at $345 per level. 

Can Pimsleur make you fluent in another language? 

Many people wonder what level will Pimsleur get you. Pimsleur will not make you fluent like a native speaker, but it will give you a practical understanding of the language that will get you through most everyday social situations graciously. By giving this solid framework, students can take what they know and build upon it by regularly using the language in their interactions. You’ll pick up new skills very quickly if you travel to a place where you need to use that language, and Pimsleur will get you to a level where you’ll be able to easily communicate in day-to-day interactions. 

Many users note the Pimsleur effectiveness is limited to conversational dialogue rather than in-depth grammatical learning. Pimsleur is most useful for anyone who wants to be able to speak a new language and can get by without writing or understanding all of the ins and outs of grammar. 

Pimsleur advantages and disadvantages 

There are a limited number of reviews by Pimsleur users available online. It has 2.3 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot out of seven total reviews. 

Here are some of the pros of using Pimsleur: 

•           Online Pimsleur reviews by actual users are limited 

•           Some online reviews note that the program is effective for learning a new language

Here are some of the cons of using Pimsleur: 

•           Technical problems with the mobile app can be difficult to address

•           Customer service is limited and only available by calling a U.S. phone number

•           Some users say it is difficult to get a refund or cancel their subscription

Is Pimsleur work it? 

Because Pimsleur is designed to teach you a language in the most efficient way possible and teaches you both the language basics along with pronunciation, we would say Pimsleur is worth the money if you commit to regular language learning. 

At $15 to $20 for a monthly subscription, Pimsleur can be cost-effective as long as you complete one lesson each day as intended. Since Pimsleur also allows multiple users to share an account, there is an opportunity to split the cost of a subscription up to three ways.  

If you’re an auditory learner Pimsleur will likely be perfect for you. If you’re not sure, you should definitely try the 7-day free trial to get a good feel for the lessons. 

FAQ:

- Can I do more than one Pimsleur lesson a day?

Pimsleur classes are designed to limit the amount of new material you learn every day to help your brain process and form long-term memories. It should take up about 30 minutes of your day. If you try to learn too much in a day, you may be overwhelmed and won’t retain as much of the information as you would have by focusing on one day’s worth of learning. 

- How long does it take to learn Spanish with Pimsleur?

Spanish is considered a relatively easy language to learn. The Foreign Service Institute estimates it takes most learners 600 to 750 hours to master the language. That’s not too long compared to the hardest languages - Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean - which take 2,200 hours to master!  

- Can you learn multiple languages on Pimsleur?

It is certainly possible to learn multiple languages with Pimsleur, but you will need to purchase an additional Pimsleur subscription if you want to learn more than one language at once. One Pimsleur subscription gives users access to lessons in any single language. During your subscription, you have access to as many levels of a course as are available.

- Does the Pimsleur method really work?

Many people have learned languages using the Pimsleur method, and it’s also used by government agencies and companies to train employees as quickly as possible. It is not designed to get you fluent in a language but will give you enough of a framework to communicate effectively in most situations.