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German Language Programs: Rosetta or Pimsleur??

I've heard good things about both. What are the major differences?

I'm researching both for my two late-teen kids, who will be visiting their German relatives and want to be able to converse a little. They will be traveling March 2010.

Posted by
14799 posts

This questions has been asked numerous times before with lots of discussion on it.

I suggest you search the helpline to find those discussions:

How To Search The Helpline For Answers To Your Question

Posted by
1449 posts

Frank is right about searching, but to add a quick reply I suggest the following steps: (1) get the Pimsleur I and II from your local library since it is expensive to buy. This gets them started with the sounds and a little vocabulary, and is a very easy way to start speaking. It's not rote learning, but learning with heavy reinforcement. So you learn a new sentence, they'll ask you to use it in a reply a few seconds later, then 30 seconds later, then 2 minutes later, etc. The interval between asking you to produce it keeps increasing, and meanwhile they are reviewing other sentences or teaching new ones. Pimsleur says to do a 30-minute lesson once, then move on. I found (along with many others) that doing it twice in a day drives the words home better.

The drawback with Pimsleur is that progress is somewhat slow; what you learn, you learn well, but after the 1st 60 lessons there are better options. So after the 2 months with Pimsleur (if they're still interested in learning) then I'd suggest buying the Assimil "German With Ease" program. Be sure to get the version with the book and CD, not just the book. They're short lessons that you read and listen to; in the book the German is on one page and the english translation on the facing page. The audio for each is around 1 minute. The lessons would be too fast IMHO for a true beginner, but after the Pimsleur they'd be ready. Assimil teaches a lot more vocabulary. The only drawback to this great program is the book doesn't explain very well how to use it! However I found some good instruction at http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15048

The real problem you're going to face is motivation; learning a language is more like learning to play tennis than learning a lesson in school. It takes lots of steady practice to improve, and many people give up when they realize the number of hours it will take.

Posted by
481 posts

Thanks! I will definitely check out the Assimil German program.

Posted by
12040 posts

Rosetta Stone is only good for a bare-bones introduction to the language. Not useful at all for conversational skills.

Posted by
12172 posts

I like Pimsleur as something to listen to in the car. I really like something that shows me words as well as just a conversation to listen to and repeat.

You can visit a library and get a ton of different language courses, then buy the ones you like.

There are also free online courses. One is by BBC. You can find it by Googleing BBC languages. Another that seems to be good (although I've only begun using it) is LiveMocha.com.

Livemocha has chat features which worry me, especially for teens. Ideally it may be a way to meet some locals before their trip. Alternatively, it might be creepy people with alterior motives. I'm not sure there is a foolproof way to tell the difference - so I avoid the chatting or accepting "friends" on the site.

Posted by
20 posts

I suggest: Michel Thomas

I used his CD's for a trip last summer to Paris and I really liked his method. You learn along with other people he is teaching on the CD. That is to say, you get to hear these other strangers screw up while he is teaching you and so you feel a bit less silly getting involved. I would definitely suggest that they listen and learn TOGETHER as this would create a much more efficient learning environment (they will correct/help each other along the way).

I am going to germany for over a week next summer and I definitely plan to get his CD's again; and maybe a small reference book for vocabulary :)

Posted by
2 posts

I would recommend using the Michel Thomas method. It will help your children acquire sufficient German language skills for their upcoming trip and will also provide a basis for further language development, if that is something in which they are interested.

Posted by
1912 posts

Hi Alexandra, I found Pimsleur's to be very easy to use!FYI,all the young German kids speak English.The only time I got to use my German was on the older people! Hope this helps. All the best, Monte

Posted by
481 posts

Question: I see that some programs are computer software and some are cds to listen to or files you can download to your iPod (I was browsing iTunes). Which do you find more useful?

Posted by
1064 posts

Rosetta Stone has advantages if you have studied German in the past and, like me, never managed to master the language. Some of you probably have had the same experience. I agree with the need to learn through repetition, but I found the Pimsleur lessons too draggy, so I did not order the more costly advanced program. I am not sure Rosetta Stone is worth the price, but it has been the best program I have found so far for my needs. The lessons help me to form a visual image that comes to mind when I am trying to form a sentence. I doubt if either program, by itself, can help a person learn actual conversational German, but both programs provide a start in what I call "survival" German. That, at least gives me the confidence to venture beyond the normal tourist areas, even if I am speaking like a five-year-old. The best way to learn any language, obviously is to take classes in the country and refuse to converse in English for a year or two, but most of us cannot leave our jobs to do that.

Posted by
20 posts

I would personally suggest the audio CD's so that you can listen to them when you're in the car or walking down the street. I feel like (as a teenager) if you have the software you need to actually motivate yourself to sit down and focus on learning the language; which is not usually the way teenagers operate :)

Posted by
19052 posts

"all the young German kids speak English."

S&M, with all due respects, you have not met all of the young German kids. You need to get out of the touristy areas. I have met plenty of young kids that don't speak English.

Posted by
1912 posts

Lee, I lived in Germany for 5 years in an area that was 99% locals! I guess I should have said "almost all the German kids that I met spoke English"! My mistake. So hows this Lee? In the area of Germany that I lived, almost all the kids that I met spoke English! Is that better Lee?

Posted by
1064 posts

I don't know how many Germans, young or old, speak English, but it has been widely taught in West German schools since the end of WWII. Of course, studying a language in school and being able to speak it are two different things. Also, students in the old East Germany probably did not have a chance to study English, although the younger generation probably does. However, none of this is meant to discourage Americans from learning German. It is better to know some than none. And it is not just Germans that you will be communicating with; there are a lot of immigrants in Germany for whom German, not English, is their second language.

Posted by
1449 posts

Alexandra, on the question of software vs audio part of it depends on your preferred learning style. Some people learn better when they read something, others with hearing it. I've found I'm a reading person; I can learn an unfamiliar word easier if I've seen it written down; then the consonants and vowels that I may not be able to distinguish that well by just hearing it make more sense to me. However I started with Pimsleur which is all audio, and they say the words slowly and clearly enough that I was able to understand them.

I'd say the bigger distinction is practice; you need to practice regularly to learn a foreign language, and even better than 30 minutes of daily practice is 10 minutes 3x a day. If you're around a computer often enough that may not be an issue, but I find that for me the convenience of being able to play a lesson while I'm driving, exercising, etc. is really a boon compared to computer-based instruction where I have to be sitting at home in front of my computer.

Posted by
481 posts

Thanks for the replies. I have family in Germany and I know that kids usually learn English beginning in the 5th grade. Teenagers there seem more fluent. My 16 year old niece stayed with us for a year and went to high school. Her English was pretty good when she arrived and of course, excellent when she left.

I think I'm leaning more towards a computer program. I asked my son and he remembers 10 years ago when we went to Germany and I'd purchased a simple program for the kids to learn the names of things. He still remembers the items. He's more of a visual learner and he's on the computer a lot.

Posted by
32171 posts

Alexandra,

I'd definitely suggest the Pimsleur programs (Levels I, II & III). I've been using those to learn Italian, and I find the teaching method works well for me. They're availalble not only on CD's but also on "BookChips" that can be played on PDA's or other portable players. Having the lessons available so easily is much easier than sitting in front of a computer (at least that's what I've found).

Cheers!