Marcus
Genuinely one of the better approaches to language learning
I first used Pimsleur back in 2017 as I was moving to Germany for a few months and needed something to get me conversational within a short period of time (unlike Duolingo). Back then lessons were 1hr each but honestly it worked wonders as many of the friends I made were surprised that I had only been learning for a short time as I had really good pronunciation. I only really done level 1 and utilised my friends to build on it which helped tons. Fast forward to 2024 and I decided to re-subscribe to Pimsleur after 6 years of not using it, this time to learn Spanish, as I have close friends and colleagues who speak the language. Was pleasantly surprised that lessons were only 30 minutes each but the quality remained the same. Again, apart from being able to roll my R’s, my colleagues and friends loved my pronunciation and ability to have small basic conversation after only a few weeks. My advice to anyone looking to become conversational in a short period of time is to use additional free resources alongside Pimsleur. If streaming tv series or movies set the language to what you’re learning and put subtitles on. Use YouTube channels and podcasts. Find people you can actually speak to as it helps massively!
Response from Pimsleur Language ProgramsJun 11, 2026
Hi Marcus, Thank you for your thoughtful review and for sharing your experience with Pimsleur over the years. We're delighted to hear that Pimsleur helped you build conversational confidence in both German and Spanish, and especially pleased that your pronunciation stood out to native speakers, friends, and colleagues. Developing strong pronunciation, listening comprehension, and speaking confidence from the very beginning is one of the core goals of the Pimsleur Method™, and it's always rewarding to hear when learners see those results in real-world conversations. The Pimsleur Method is an audio-first, conversation-based approach to language learning that is designed to help learners begin speaking and understanding a new language from the very first lesson. Rather than focusing primarily on memorization, learners actively participate in guided conversations that build recall, comprehension, pronunciation, and practical communication skills. For more than 60 years, millions of learners have used Pimsleur to develop real-world conversational ability in new languages. Your experience highlights something we often see: learners who consistently complete the lessons can make meaningful progress in a relatively short period of time, particularly when it comes to speaking confidence and pronunciation. We especially appreciate your advice to combine Pimsleur with immersion, media, podcasts, and real conversations. While Pimsleur provides a strong foundation in speaking and listening, language learning is most effective when learners actively engage with the language in multiple ways. Thank you again for your support and for taking the time to share your experience with other learners. Best, The Pimsleur Team

