Pimsleur is one of the most popular language learning companies in the world, but does that mean it’s the right choice for you to learn German? In this article, we explore the pros and cons of the Pimsleur German course so you decide once and for all whether it’s the right fit for your learning style.
Pimsleur
- Three Subscription Options
- Money Back Guarantee
Pros
- Ideal German course for auditory learners
- Interactive audio lessons feature fluent German speakers
- Diverse set of practice drills following audio lessons
- Voice Coach feature provides feedback during verbal practice drills
- Modern, easy-to-use digital platform and mobile app
Cons
- More expensive than other apps like Babbel and Rosetta Stone
- Lessons are fairly long
- Not ideal program for visual learners (no graphics or videos)
How It Works: The Pimsleur Method
In comparison to other German language apps, Pimsleur takes a slightly different approach. Instead of short 5 to 10 minute lessons that consist of a variety of quick hit drills and exercises like you get with say Babbel or Duolingo, the core of the Pimsleur lessons revolve around comprehensive 30 minute audio lessons that feature fluent German speakers.
Essentially how it works is that an English moderator walks you through a real conversation stopping regularly to explain what the German speakers are saying, what the situation is, and any grammar rules that are at play in the dialogue.
Then the moderator from time to time will also ask you questions and prompt you to participate to ensure you are paying attention and grasping the material at hand.
Of course, Pimsleur offers a variety of other supplemental practice drills and learning resources as well, but the audio lessons are definitely the backbone of the program, and what really differentiates Pimsleur from most other language learning apps.
Pimsleur Cost
The Pimsleur German subscription costs around $20 per month, which isn’t crazy, but definitely not as cheap as Babbel, Rosetta Stone, or Mondly, for example. The subscriptions from those three companies are more so in the $5 to $15 per month range.
On the other hand, the Pimsleur subscription is more affordable than Rocket German or Michel Thomas, for example.
All in all, Pimsleur sort of lands near the middle of the industry as far as pricing goes (not cheap, but also not super expensive).
Plus, the other nice thing with Pimsleur is that they offer a free seven day trial period. That way, you can test the waters and see if you like the Pimsleur program prior to being charged a monthly fee.
Pros Explained
Now that we’ve covered the Pimsleur learning framework and pricing, let’s move into the pros and cons that our team discovered as we tested this program.
Ideal For Auditory Learners
Pimsleur is the ideal app or program for auditory learners.
Simply put, if you learn best through listening as opposed to reading or watching and you have a strong memory for spoken information, then Pimsleur should be right up your alley given that audio makes up roughly 75% of each lesson.
Learn On-The-Go
This is related to the previous point, but since each Pimsleur lesson contains an audio component, we like that you can learn while you’re on-the-go. In other words, you don’t have to be at your desk or stare at your phone all day like you do with other language apps.
Instead, you can put the phone in your pocket, and knock out an audio lesson as you’re walking your dog or watching your kid’s soccer practice, for example.
Alternatively, if you have to commute for your job, or you just find yourself in the car a lot, Pimsleur also offers a hands-free driving mode. Therefore, if you lead a busy life, and you’re constantly on-the-go, Pimsleur makes it easy for you to make progress.
Voice Coach
This is a fairly new feature, but it definitely deserves a shoutout, and that’s Pimsleur’s Voice Coach, which records you speaking and provides feedback on your pronunciation.
This was something that was missing from the Pimsleur program for the longest time, but obviously the company listened to the complaints and adjusted accordingly. After you complete the audio portion of each lesson, you’ll be prompted to complete a variety of practice drills, including verbal exercises where you’ll listen to and repeat phrases and sentences in order to improve your pronunciation.
Not to mention, the Pimsleur speech technology is top-notch (right up there with Babbel and Rocket German). The Voice Coach is quick, accurate, and easy-to-use.
Overall, the fact that Pimsleur was able to incorporate verbal practice exercises into their lessons really helped round-out their German program.
Stellar User Experience
The Pimsleur digital platform and mobile app are stellar. This may not sound like a big deal, but it’s worth mentioning. Compared to other apps out there that we’ve tested, the Pimsleur digital platform is much more modern and intuitive.
It definitely has the look, feel and functionality of a premium language app. You can tell the company has invested serious time and resources to ensure the user experience is top-notch.
Cons Explained
Now that we’ve covered the pros, it’s only fair we also discuss the cons as well. That way, you truly know whether Pimsleur is the right fit for your needs.
Not Ideal For Visual Learners
Pimsleur is not an ideal option for visual learners. There are no videos integrated into lessons, and even the use of graphics and images is limited.
As we stated earlier, this is more of an audio-based course, so if you’re the type of person who understands and remembers things by sight, then an app like Babbel or Memrise might be a better fit.
Lengthy Lesson Format
Unfortunately, the Pimsleur lessons are long. Each one is typically comprised of a 30 minute audio exercise followed by a variety of reinforcement drills. In total, you’re looking at around 45 minutes to an hour to complete one lesson.
Therefore, you need to be honest with yourself – if you only have five to ten minutes per day to dedicate towards learning a new language, perhaps a different app with a shorter lesson format would work better.
Light Grammar Instruction
Grammar is not a priority within the Pimsleur curriculum. The explanations and details are pretty light, which some linguists would argue is a bad thing.
However, there are plenty of linguists out there that would argue the opposite – that too much focus on grammar can actually hinder the learning process, especially in the early stages.
Ultimately, it just depends on what side of the fence you sit on. If you like the idea of learning grammar as a means of understanding the language, then the German program from Rocket Languages may be a better fit since their curriculum includes dedicated, detailed grammar lessons.
On the flip side, if you’d rather worry about grammar rules down the road once you have a basic understanding of the language, then Pimsleur will work just fine for you.
Verdict: Is Pimsleur German Good?
Time to answer the big question – is Pimsleur a good option for learning German?
Well, after testing the program, the answer is yes. It’s one of the most well-rounded German courses on the market.
The Pimsleur lessons are extremely comprehensive and we like that their curriculum centers around interactive audio exercises that feature fluent German speakers. This is one of the most effective means for learning the language (i.e. listening to and interacting with fluent speakers). Not to mention their Voice Coach feature for pronunciation feedback, and top-notch digital platform. At the end of the day, Pimsleur just has a lot going for it.
Really, the only circumstance in which we’d steer you away from Pimsleur is if you are visual learner since their lessons are primarily audio-based. Other than that, our team thinks Pimsleur is a highly effective program for learning German.
The standard Pimsleur German subscriotion costs around $20 per month. However, if you only want access to the Pimsleur German audio lessons and nothing else, the price is reduced to $15 per month.
The Pimsleur German course contains five levels that get more complex and difficult as you complete lessons. Most of the levels within the Pimsleur German course is comprised of around 30 lessons.
After completing the Pimsleur German course, expect to reach an intermediate level of fluency. Although this does depend on how much time and practice you dedicate to learning outside of the Pimsleur German course as well.
The Pimsleur German program is extremely effective, especially for auditory learners. All in all, it’s one of the highest rated German apps our team has tested.
Generally speaking, expect it to take around 150 hours to learn German using Pimsleur. Keep in mind that you will need additional practice and instruction to reach an advanced level of fluency though.
