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Vic February 2nd, 2008

Foreign Language courses are in big demand today and with are world getting smaller by the year it's not surprising.

With most of the Internet commerce being conducted in English, and with the number of immigrants settling in the United States, the need for programs that teach English as a second language (ESL) is also more in demand than ever before. More and more people want and/or need to communicate with friends, colleagues, and customers from around the world.

Over the past 40 years many innovative concepts in language learning have been developed but the one that stands above all others is the Pimsleur method.  This method developed by a linguistics professor Dr. Paul Pimsleur is widely recognized as the leading method for aquiring a second language. Dr. Pimsleurs programs are made up of 30 minute lessons and are almost entirely audio, with no written material until the most advanced levels, this is because Dr.Pimsleur was a firm believer that we learn language by hearing, not by seeing.

One of the tools used in the Pimsleur method is Graduated Interval Recall, a series of repetitions that transfer new vocabulary and patterns from short-term memory into long-term memory. When a new phrase is introduced, it is repeated at 5-second intervals. The narrator will then move on to something else but, after 25 seconds, will ask the listener to recall the previously learned phrase. After the 25-second interval, the intervals increase to 2 minutes and then 10 minutes. Finally, the listener will be asked to recall that phrase two or three lessons later. By this time, it is set in the listener’s repertoire.

Pimsleur programs also use a challenge with response technique, in which the narrator asks the listener to respond to specific situations. He might say(in English): “You are asked if you’d like something to eat. How would you say that you’d rather have something to drink?” or “How would you ask me if I’d like something to eat?” After a pause, during which the listener answers, a native speaker provides the correct response. By forcing the listener to respond in the target language, the Pimsleur program helps the listener better internalize the organic way language is used.

Ten years ago, Simon & Schuster acquired Pimsleur, which now offers 57 different language courses (including various ESL programs), and most of these are available in three or more different “packages,” depending on the length and desired level of competence.

You can read more about each of these foreign language courses here. 

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