First, a note: although the Epinions listing is for Pimsleur Spanish III, most users will need to proceed sequentially through parts I & II and then III. Along these lines, I advise you not to bother with the abbreviated, introductory sets available in retail outlets; those sets only contain the first few lessons and are clearly marketed to persuade folks to subsequently purchase the complete program directly from Simon and Schuster. If you’re serious about learning Spanish, you’re going to require the entire “Comprehensive Program” which consists of three 30-cassette packages (Spanish I, II, and III) including three large, attractive binders. In fact, a still higher level (Spanish Plus), consisting of five cassettes, is now available. To be candid, even if you master all these packages, you will really only have scratched the surface of the language; but at least you will have scratched deeply enough to make yourself (however crudely) understood in most (but by no means all) everyday situations, and to engage in very basic dialogues. Just don’t labor under the illusion that you’ll be able to comprehend the rapidly articulated, colloquial dialogue of native speakers! There is still a wealth of absolutely fundamental vocabulary that isn't even included with this course; moreover, not all of the commonly used verb tenses are (more or less) covered.
I’ve dabbled with many kinds of “self-teaching” Spanish media. I’ve tried a number of the commonly sold phrasebook-plus-tapes packages that have been available for many years (I rate most such packages at the low end of the “effectiveness” scale, although they can have supplementary value). During the past few years, I’ve spent considerable time with commonly retailed computer software from such companies as Transparent Language (see my review on Learn Spanish Now); Syracuse Language Systems (Spanish Your Way); The Learning Company (Learn to Speak Spanish); and various others. I’ve also got the CD-ROMs comprising the unique The Rosetta Stone program. Of all these media, I consider the Pimsleur audiotapes to be the most effective in helping me listen, respond, and think in a foreign language. I rate The Rosetta Stone program a distant second-best. Everything else comes in, collectively, a distant third.
The Pimsleur approach is really nothing new; Dr. Paul Pimsleur developed it many years ago. On the surface, it’s deceptively simple: first, a fluent English speaker says a word, phrase, or sentence; next, a fluent Spanish speaker says the corresponding word, phrase, or sentence; you listen, and then, during a provided pause, you repeat aloud (in Spanish) what you’ve just heard. Then the Spanish speaker repeats the correct answer as verification or correction. As the lesson proceeds, words, phrases, and sentences will be repeated at key intervals to gradually instill them into your long-term memory. Soon the Spanish speaker will be asking you questions, and you will have learned the appropriate responses. Your speaking aloud (however softly) is absolutely vital to the process.
After using the program for months, I can verify that it works remarkably well—provided that you use it regularly. But, to be honest, because you are allowed to learn as you learned your native tongue--gradually, with considerable repetition of material--by the end of the 90-tape “Comprehensive Program,” you will assuredly not have attained anything close to mastery of Spanish. What you will have attained is the ability to make yourself understood in most of life's fundamental situations. No small accomplishment, that!
About the only thing seriously wrong with the Pimsleur approach is the very thing that makes it so accessible and enjoyable in the first place: it doesn’t teach you (burden you with) written Spanish. Frankly, as I listen to the tapes, I intermittently find myself wondering how a newly introduced word is spelled. (There’s a sketchy, skinny “Supplemental Reading Booklet" that comes with the tapes--indeed, there's even an additional “Reading” cassette, ostensibly to be used with the booklet--but these are seemingly thrown in as afterthoughts and are virtually worthless.) To assuage my curiosity, I sometimes pause the tape, go to my computer and run Transparent Language’s Word Ace software, whose primary feature is a good dictionary with authentic, audible pronunciation. After some re-listening and second-guessing with the tape (if necessary), and some “trial and error” with the dictionary, I usually manage fairly quickly to figure out the spelling of any unfamiliar term presented by the Pimsleur program. Then I continue with the tape I’d paused.
Perhaps others won’t be so compulsively driven to know the spellings of the terms as they’re presented, but let’s face it: sooner or later, you’ll have to learn reading and writing along with the excellent speaking activities of the Pimsleur tapes. (Analogously, a five-year-old child, having learned considerable spoken language, must finally proceed to school for reading and writing lessons.) Thus, Pimsleur’s “Comprehensive Program” cannot really be considered a complete program of instruction for most users. To supplement the tapes, you may want to consult a good college or high school textbook. In fact, mastering a traditional textbook’s earliest chapters before commencing the Pimsleur tapes is not necessarily a terrible idea, despite what Pimsleur’s “user manual” recommends in this regard. (I did it!)
For anyone unable to learn spoken Spanish the ideal way--via a (very patient) native speaker’s guidance--the Pimsleur tapes are about as good as it gets. If you just want to try the first few lessons, the typical city library may be able to supply a “compact” edition. (Thank your lucky stars if your library has--or can borrow--the complete sets. Mine didn't/couldn't.) Most likely, sooner or later, you’re going to have to shell out the serious cash--well over $200 per 30-tape set!--to obtain the complete, 90-cassette course (a CD version is available at even higher cost). For me, it was ultimately worth the price, especially considering that, unlike a long-forgotten college course, the tapes remain available for review forever. You can reach Simon and Schuster at 800-223-2336 for more information or to place an order. Alternatively, check out third-party vendors’ prices by clicking the “Check latest prices” link in the upper right portion of this page. ¡Buena suerte!
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