Pimsleur Japanese Level 1 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Volume 1) (Comprehensive)
Product ID: 367796646
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The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Whether you want to travel, communicate with friends or colleagues, reconnect with family, or just understand more of what’s going on in the world around you, learning Japanese will expand your horizons and immeasurably enrich your life. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be difficult or take years to master. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes, and we get you speaking right from the first day. Pimsleur courses use a scientifically-proven method that puts you in control of your learning. If you’ve tried other language learning methods but found they simply didn’t stick, then you owe it to yourself to give Pimsleur a try. Why Pimsleur? - Quick + Easy – Only 30 minutes a day. - Portable + Flexible – Core lessons can be done anytime, anywhere, and easily fit into your busy life. - Proven Method – Works when other methods fail. - Self-Paced – Go fast or go slow – it’s up to you. - Based in Science – Developed using proven research on memory and learning. - Cost-effective – Less expensive than classes or immersion, and features all native speakers. - Genius – Triggers your brain’s natural aptitude to learn. - Works for everyone – Recommended for ages 13 and above. What’s Included? - 30, 30-minute audio lessons - One hour and ten minutes of reading instruction to provide you with an introduction to reading the Japanese hiragana script. These lessons are designed to teach you to sound out words with correct pronunciation and accent - in total, nearly 16 hours of audio, all featuring native speakers - a Reading Booklet What You’ll Learn In the first 10 lessons, you’ll cover the basics: saying hello, asking for or giving information, scheduling a meal or a meeting, asking for or giving basic directions, and much more. You’ll be able to handle minimum courtesy requirements, understand some of what you hear, and be understood at a beginning level, but with near-native pronunciation skills. In the next 10 lessons, you’ll build on what you’ve learned. Expand your menu, increase your scheduling abilities from general to specific, start to deal with currency and exchanging money, refine your conversations and add over a hundred new vocabulary items. You’ll understand more of what you hear, and be able to participate with speech that is smoother and more confident. In the final 10 lessons, you’ll be speaking and understanding at an intermediate level. In this phase, more directions are given in Japanese, which moves your learning to a whole new plane. Lessons include shopping, visiting friends, going to a restaurant, plans for the evening, car trips, and talking about family. You’ll be able to speak comfortably about things that happened in the past and make plans for the future. Reading and Writing in Japanese By the 5th century AD Chinese characters began to be widely used in Japan. This early alphabet, kanji , created new literacy, but brought many complications in pronunciation. In the 8th century, two new phonetic alphabets, or kana , were devised to bridge the gap: hiragana and katakana . hiragana is used along with the kanji to show the syllables that form suffixes and particles – “sounds” in other words, while katakana was used for foreign loan words, like “coffee” or “computer.” Today in Japan, the three writing systems are combined, with kanji, hiragana , and katakana often appearing within a single sentence. In this course you will begin to learn to read the hiragana alphabet. Learning the sound of each letter alone and in culturally distinct combinations allows your brain to process what you’re hearing in the audio lessons from a new and different perspective. It’s a powerful combination that makes Pimsleur different from every other method on the market. The Pimsleur Method We make no secret of what makes this powerful method work so well. Paul Pimsleur spent his career researching and perfecting the precise elements anyone can use to learn a language quickly and easily. Here are a few of his “secrets”: The Principle of Anticipation In the nanosecond between a cue and your response, your brain has to work to come up with the right word. Having to do this boosts retention, and cements the word in your mind. Core Vocabulary Words, phrases, and sentences are selected for their usefulness in everyday conversation. We don’t overwhelm you with too much, but steadily increase your ability with every lesson. Graduated Interval Recall Reminders of new words and structures come up at the exact interval for maximum retention and storage into your long-term memory. Organic Learning You work on multiple aspects of the language simultaneously. We integrate grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, melody, and intonation into every lesson, which allows you to experience the language as a living, expressive form of human culture. Learning in Context Research has shown that learning new words in context dramatically accelerates your ability to remember. Every scene in every Pimsleur lesson is set inside a conversation between two people. There are no drills, and no memorization necessary for success. Active Participation The Pimsleur Method + active learner participation = success. This method works with every language and every learner who follows it. You gain the power to recall and use what you know, and to add new words easily, exactly as you do in English. The Japanese Language Japanese is spoken by about 130 million people, 122 million of whom are in Japan. There are also speakers in the Ryukyu Islands, Korea, Taiwan, parts of the United States, and Brazil. Japanese has many “registers” or levels of politeness. Pimsleur’s Japanese courses will teach you how to speak at a polite register, which is appropriate in virtually any situation you are likely to encounter in Japan. Tech Talk - CDs are formatted for playing in all CD players, including car players, and users can copy files for use in iTunes® or Windows Media Player®. Review: enjoyable and easy language learning! - Really please with this product. The Pimsleur method is by far the best language program I have used. Each CD has two 30 minuet lessons which is presented in an easy to understand format yet it's clear and concise. Ideal for listening to on your journey to work. I am amazed how much I have picked up so far with out any real effort! High recommended!. Review: A great language program for the committed commuting student - Pimsleur is ideal for someone who drives a lot and wants to take advantage of the time in the car. Pimsleur is entirely audio; there is no text. If you complete Pimsleur 1, you'll be able to speak very limited, basic Japanese. You'll recognize phrases here and there when in Japan, especially the commonly used ones like welcome, good morning, and thank you. You'll learn pronunciation, and so you'll be able to use a phrase book in combination with your very limited Japanese to do things like reserve seats on trains or order at a restaurant. (I cannot imagine using a phrase book without having studied some Japanese as your pronunciation would be all wrong.) You'll learn your numbers. You will not be able to carry on a conversation with anyone Japanese unless they are extremely patient and willing you discuss one of the few subjects in which you've learned a few words. In my opinion, that's OK - what more can you expect in a month or two? I studied all of Pimsleur 1 and half of Pimsleur 2 before going on a 10 day vacation to Japan. I derived great pleasure from the small bit of Japanese I knew, and I was constantly looking for opportunities to use it. You do not need to know Japanese, as there is English everywhere, but it's fun. Getting through this course is not easy. I had no previous Japanese experience, and after the first two or three lessons, I had to listen to each lesson at least twice at 100% concentration to get to the 80% correct level they recommend before moving on to the next lesson. It is tough. There are no cognates, so there's lots of memorization. In my opinion, it's critical to spend no more than 2 days on a lesson, as you'll start to forget stuff that's reviewed in the previous lessons if you don't move at a reasonable clip. That means an absolute minimum of 30 fully concentrated minutes per day, and you'll be much better off if you spend an hour per day working on it. If you commute 30 minutes each way, you're set. I've also used Pimsleur Spanish, and I found Pimsleur Japanese much more difficult due to the lack of cognates. If you're not sure if this is for you, spend the $15 to buy Pimsleur Basic Japanese. This is the first 10 lessons of Japanese 1. Here's how it works: 1.) Basic Japanese: Lessons 1- 10 2.) Conversational Japanese: Lessons 1 - 15, Lessons 1 - 10 are the same as Basic Japanese 3.) Japanese 1: Lessons 1 - 30, Lessons 1 - 15 are the same as Conversational Japanese
| Customer Reviews | 4.1 out of 5 stars 38 Reviews |
B**E
enjoyable and easy language learning!
Really please with this product. The Pimsleur method is by far the best language program I have used. Each CD has two 30 minuet lessons which is presented in an easy to understand format yet it's clear and concise. Ideal for listening to on your journey to work. I am amazed how much I have picked up so far with out any real effort! High recommended!.
J**R
A great language program for the committed commuting student
Pimsleur is ideal for someone who drives a lot and wants to take advantage of the time in the car. Pimsleur is entirely audio; there is no text. If you complete Pimsleur 1, you'll be able to speak very limited, basic Japanese. You'll recognize phrases here and there when in Japan, especially the commonly used ones like welcome, good morning, and thank you. You'll learn pronunciation, and so you'll be able to use a phrase book in combination with your very limited Japanese to do things like reserve seats on trains or order at a restaurant. (I cannot imagine using a phrase book without having studied some Japanese as your pronunciation would be all wrong.) You'll learn your numbers. You will not be able to carry on a conversation with anyone Japanese unless they are extremely patient and willing you discuss one of the few subjects in which you've learned a few words. In my opinion, that's OK - what more can you expect in a month or two? I studied all of Pimsleur 1 and half of Pimsleur 2 before going on a 10 day vacation to Japan. I derived great pleasure from the small bit of Japanese I knew, and I was constantly looking for opportunities to use it. You do not need to know Japanese, as there is English everywhere, but it's fun. Getting through this course is not easy. I had no previous Japanese experience, and after the first two or three lessons, I had to listen to each lesson at least twice at 100% concentration to get to the 80% correct level they recommend before moving on to the next lesson. It is tough. There are no cognates, so there's lots of memorization. In my opinion, it's critical to spend no more than 2 days on a lesson, as you'll start to forget stuff that's reviewed in the previous lessons if you don't move at a reasonable clip. That means an absolute minimum of 30 fully concentrated minutes per day, and you'll be much better off if you spend an hour per day working on it. If you commute 30 minutes each way, you're set. I've also used Pimsleur Spanish, and I found Pimsleur Japanese much more difficult due to the lack of cognates. If you're not sure if this is for you, spend the $15 to buy Pimsleur Basic Japanese. This is the first 10 lessons of Japanese 1. Here's how it works: 1.) Basic Japanese: Lessons 1- 10 2.) Conversational Japanese: Lessons 1 - 15, Lessons 1 - 10 are the same as Basic Japanese 3.) Japanese 1: Lessons 1 - 30, Lessons 1 - 15 are the same as Conversational Japanese
T**S
Works Well
This Japanese language program consists of 30 lessons that are roughly 30 minutes long. The first lessons consists of learning a few words. The begging of the second lesson starts off with reviewing the words you learned in the previous and then learning some new words for the rest of the lesson. This is how each lesson works after that. The amount that you review does increase as you continue in order to form complete sentences. It is recommended that you only complete 1 lesson a day. You may have to go over some lessons more than once as well so there is a chance that you might repeat some of the lessons for a few days before you can move on to the next. By the end of this set, you are able to greet people, introduce yourself and others, order drinks or food, count, and form complete sentences all in Japanese. The sentences will be short ones though (or at least I feel like they are). Overall, this language program will not give you an exceptional grasp of the Japanese language but it is a good start. As of now, there are 3 levels of the Japanese language program from Pimsleur. The second level picks up where this one ends and works the same way as the first and the third level continues from the second.
A**S
Great language acquisition method!
Having completed the entire Pimsleur Mandarin course, I can attest to what a great program this is. If you want to acquire a good accent, this is the way to go. There is no written text to accompany the lessons and they explain that when you try to write it down it hampers your ability to pronounce the words correctly. You would try to say what you read instead of saying what you hear. I totally agree! People complain about the repetitive nature of the lessons, but you will feel very comfortable with what you learn doing it this way. So far, I see that "standard" Japanese is being taught, not a casual or informal version and that is good. You can always get casual later. I ripped the CDs to MP3 for portable use and found one irritating fact. The metadata on the CDs has strange info like "Russian" or "Shakra Meditation" and no consistency to the lesson titles even when it's not strange info. I have to manually change each title in Adobe Audition. Having completed Level 1 and most of Level 2, I agree with others that the woman's accent is strange at times. Arguably, it is useful to hear different pronunciations because that's how it would be in real life. For someone who is totally new to Japanese, this could raise a difficulty. Mainly, it is in the difference between the "hard" g sound and a softer sound like an "ng." The man uses a more standard (in my opinion) pronunciation so you can wait and hear him say the same things if you are confused.
U**6
Good intro but with a fatal flaw: Zero explanation of Particles - which are critical in Japanese.
Pimsleur's Thai course was a great introduction to a difficult language, so I bought their Japanese course too and... it's got a big, big problem: No explanation of the function of Japanese particles. That is a massive blunder on the part of Pimsleur, because you absolutely must know the particles and their function, or you are simply not going to be able to speak Japanese. Fortunately I've since enrolled in a local conversation class in which all of the particles are covered thoroughly. Even with an in-person classroom setting, the troublesome distinction between "wa" and "ga" remains sketchy but is slowly becoming more familiar. Pimsleur simply throws the particles at you, as part of the sentences you learn and repeat, with absolutely no explanation of what they do. None. The best you can do in that circumstance is rote memorization of particles that happen to be used in those canned sentences. Since you will not know what the particles mean or how they function, you will never understand how to use them in anything other than those canned sentences, unless you do significant research external to these discs. So if you decide to spring for this course, you have to consider it only as one component out of many in your Japanese study. Naoko Chino's "How To Tell The Difference Between Japanese Particles" - available elsewhere here at under $20 - is a useful book, and of course a live classroom is the best option if it's available. There are two other negatives that this course shares with Pimsleur's Thai course - and presumably all of Pimsleur's courses: - There is a dearth of vocabulary training. Generaly speaking Pimsleur is best at teaching you grammar and syntax, (though as noted above the grammar suffers heavily from the absence of particle training,) but basic vocabulary is not Pimsleur's strong suit. If you cram this course for months and months, then go to Japan, you will find yourself at a complete loss for words, literally, every time you turn around. Pimsleur does not give you even simple nuts-and-bolts basics like different food names (or even words for general types like vegetables, fruit, or meat); parts of your body like arm, leg, neck, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, finger, knee, ankle, etc. (you'd better hope you don't need to see a doctor); the list of colors; location words like front, back, inside, outside, up, down, over, under, NSEW, etc.; simple objects like table, chair, window, door, floor, wall, ceiling, lamp, plate, bowl, chopsticks, pen, pencil, etc. [Here's a tip: The "Quick Study Academic" laminated chart for Japanese Vocabulary - also available here at Amazon - is something I wish I'd found years ago. It's got all of the above and more, in one multi-sided folder, complete with Hiragana along with the romaji for each word.] Another negative this course shares with Pimsleur's other language courses is that it follows the same structure, including an amazing amount of time spent learning how to ask people for money. Like maybe your ambition is to go to a foreign country, make new friends, and then become a homeless panhandler on a street corner somewhere? Ok, presumably this is to get you used to cashiers in stores telling you how much you need to pay for whatever you're buying, but... there is way, way too much time dedicated to this, time that would've been far better spent on things like vocabulary. And particles, for cryin' out loud. So bottom line: Pimsleur's Japanese 1 is only a "get your feet wet" introduction to the language. It will definitely give you a feel for Japanese and its Yoda-like syntax, but it is too heavily flawed to be anything more than one component of Japanese study - which will have to include other sources for the multitude of things Pimsleur left out of this course.
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