Hello,
I have started with Pimsleur 1. So far so good… We’ll see
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Keep trying. Go back a couple lesson if you have to, and re-do lessons if you need to. It really does get better. Good job getting this far, just a little push and you’ll be sailing again.
Popping in to the thread to say hello (and a bit of accountability). After doing DuoLingo (made it through the whole tree once) and LingoDeer just a bit (WAY more effective for learning, less effective at nagging), I’m finding the Pimsleur to be fun… but boy I wouldn’t want to “only” sit down and do the lessons. While taking a walk, driving, washing dishes etc. being a little bit otherwise occupied makes it what I would call “fun”. Not so much if that’s the only thing going on.
The app is a decent interface- saves your place, easy to pause/resume/repeat. But it’s a bit glitchy. Marginally better than using a CD player (not that I have one other than in the car any more…).
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Lesson 14 so far…
円を持っていません。。
ドルはたくさん持っています。
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Hey! I can read that! And remember it! 持っています。
And type it even!
Typing the lessons out might not be an awful study tactic, actually.
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I started doing Pimsleur a while ago, and haven’t been keeping up with 1 lesson a day, but did lesson14 the same time as you, and did lesson 15 today, and was really surprised they introduced potential forms already. And the answering mental arithmetic really kept me on my toes - that was a great way to test numbers.
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Has anyone here had any success NOT speaking? There are times in my day where I absolutely CANNOT talk out loud, but could listen to old lessons. Is this an effective way to review? Or should I just listen to internet radio and wait until I can talk out loud before doing Pimsleur?
I completely understand why doing NEW lessons this way would be problematic.
I don’t really see how this could be a negative? But I could be wrong. Seems like it’d just be listening practice and mental recall at that point. Though I think speaking helps imprint that more, but I think it’d be fine with older lessons. Haven’t personally tried it myself though.
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As for me, fell way behind my desired schedule. I’m at least working my way through level three. Made it 1/3rd of the way so far. 
Well… I have finish the first 30 lessons and somehow I was expecting that the N5 listening part should be easier now… but I’m still pretty f**** up.
I also started the 1st lesson of Japanese 2. And between the faster speed and the new voices I’m also a little f****
We’ll see…
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That’s probably just because a full Pimsleur course != a full Japanese I course in terms of material covered, though it’s a great start.
Try throwing some Shadowing: Let’s Speak Japanese into the mix too! They’re a good combo.
I just got the app and I’m trying to do the same thing. 
We can do it!
How are you doing?
I’m at 2x06 and I’m getting used to it
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It’s been 84 years but I finally finished level three! Phew! I’ve been holding on to these for so long, feels nice to finally have reached the end.
Now it’s just a question of whether or not I should start investing in level four, haha.
Hope everyone else is hanging in there
I’ve downloaded a good chunk of their audio books. They have really helpful cultural notes, but I got a little bored when all they taught were business scenarios. That’s understandable for people needing to learn Japanese for a business trip, but I wanted more variety.
Looks like level four offers a bit more general topics for tourists rather than business: Japanese Software Language Course 4 | Learn Japanese | Pimsleur®
But I agree that the business stuff got a bit boring x’D Same with the family stuff for me too, since like, I don’t have any kids, haha.
A few of the topics included in Level 4:
• You’ll visit a Japanese garden and have tea, go shopping, try on clothes, visit Japanese hot springs.
• You’ll learn to negotiate lodging or plan a move.
• You’ll learn how to get help finding something you’ve lost, and how to ask for and understand detailed directions.
• You’ll be able to discuss the seasons, historic cities and buildings, sports and outdoor activities and hobbies like photography, express appreciation to your hosts or friends, and amazement and wonder when trying new things.
Has anyone who tried level four think it’s worth continuing with the series? Or should I save my money and focus on YouTube and podcasts?
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Has anyone who tried level four think it’s worth continuing with the series? Or should I save my money and focus on YouTube and podcasts?
I guess it’s up to you. If you need to SPEAK Japanese, it’s a good idea to practice speaking, and Pimsleur seems to really help people. If you just want to UNDERSTAND Japanese, podcasts and YouTube will probably fit the bill.
Congatulations on finishing the 3rd set! I can’t seem to quite gain traction on the second set. I moved closer to work, and now my commute is too short to listen to the lessons, and I haven’t found another reliable time slot yet. :-/ I seem to have found other uses for that extra forty minutes of my life every day.
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I agree with novakac, it depends on your goal and reasons. If you need to be able to speak basic Japanese, I’d say keep going. Phase 5 finally gets you into more casual Japanese, and more conversational settings.
That being said, if you need anything beyond basic Japanese, or you care more about reading/understanding it, it may not be the best use of your money just because of how expensive it is. I’ve found a lot of people here don’t speak the way that Pimsleur teaches (just different words or phrasing for the same concept) which threw me off a lot when I moved here a year ago. I’ve since gotten used to it, and I think Pimsleur was a solid foundation for me to expand upon, but it definitely didn’t work all on its own.
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Ah yeah, I figured. But I thought I’d ask anyway, in case those that tried it liked it more than the first three sets, given the topic changes and likely language upgrade since they’re newer. (No more “traveler’s checks” haha.) Curious if they found it worthwhile.
Thank you! It’s not easy, so I definitely empathize with the struggle. Most of where I fit it in was morning walks or times of cleaning. I don’t need to think too much on either of those tasks, which makes it easier to do the lessons during them.
@Houndstooth Hm. They were definitely fun and getting me going, but perhaps the money might be better spent on more Italki lessons or something. The prices really are a factor of why I ask x’D I’ll have to give it more thought. Thanks!
Woah dang that’s awesome!! That’s the kind of stuff I was excited about learning when I picked it up
I’ve completed level four. I’m repeating all the lessons one more time now before buying level five.
For me it’s perfect to practice in the car when commuting. I think it’s quite a good setting having to pay attention to the traffic which is first priority of course but still be able to talk Japanese. I think the phrases and words that you can really easily speak that way will also come easier when used in conversation.
Certainly it’s not cheap, but given the huge amount of time you can spend with it, I personally think it’s well worth it.
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