Pimsleur Review: A Great Supplement For Language Learning

Taking a look at options outside the Duolingo Owl

Welcome, aspiring polyglot! In line with our language app review series, we wanted to offer you a look at another option outside of Duolingo. This post will take an in depth look at Pimsleur and a local member's experience with it. If you are intrigued you can start by signing up for a subscription (LINK). Next up is Babbel! If you missed our Duolingo review, be sure to check it out here:

Whether you have been learning languages for a while or you are just starting out, you will have noticed that there are just too many language programs out there. And somehow, they all suck. I have personally gone through countless trial subscriptions, written thousands of decks of flashcards, and paid for more than my fair share of classes. For me, there is one that stood out from the rest: Pimsleur.

Who am I?

My name is BowTiedJerboa, I am a software engineer turned marketing novice. I'm learning to write smart contracts and build affiliate websites. I recently launched a crypto news site blockglance.com, which is starting to grow. I have a few other websites now too for various niches that I'm working on at a much slower pace. But what you may not know is that I have been studying languages as a hobby for over five years now.

I successfully learned French and German through Duolingo, immersion, and everything in between. Now I am studying Japanese and facing the struggles that come with it every single day. Learning German and French was not easy, but it was definitely not the same type of challenge. Within only six months I was able to hold a basic conversation in French and it took even less to do that in German. But Japanese? Over a year has passed and I am still no where close to what I could achieve in those six months of German.

This has sent me on a quest to improve my language learning skills beyond what I could do by myself. Reading BowTiedOdin has given me lots of tips that greatly improve the speed at which I am learning languages. Such as using lyric videos (LINK) or listening to audio books (LINK).

The Pimsleur Method

This brings me to the Pimsleur method of language learning. If you have read anything by BowTiedOdin, you will know that he loves immersion (LINK). Unfortunately, most language learning apps like Duolingo just do not do that for me. I will never forget hitting my 3 month Duolingo streak and still not understanding a thing in French.

The Pimsleur method believes that the best way to learn a language is the same way that babies and native speakers do, by simply speaking. This is immersion at its finest. Your lessons will consist of 30 minute audio lessons that have you repeating phrases and engaging in imaginary conversations with yourself (lots of fun). Great for at home but a little weird to do in the subway.

[Odin's note: this is congruent with my experience as well. If you are willing to speak aloud and repeat everything, you may enjoy this app, especially if you have been struggling to escape the Silent Period.]

While Duolingo will be teaching you how to say 'the groom is a hedgehog' (yes this is real LINK), Pimsleur will walk you through normal daily conversations from the start. The first lesson will have you saying 'hello' and introducing yourself. By lesson 10 you will be asking people out for dinner and ordering a beer. While Duolingo believes that these weird phrases help you learn faster, I much prefer sticking to the types of conversation that I can expect in my day to day life.

How Effective Is The Pimsleur Method?

Pimsleur consists mostly of listening and speaking exercises

[Odin's note: this strength is also a weakness. You need to be writing. Fortunately, you have the listening exercises. All you need is some dictation!]

The Pimsleur method is focused on learning to speak a language through interactive exercises that focus on speaking. Most of the time you will be engaging in a pretend conversation through audio lessons. This gets you used to the idea of conversing in your target language.

This contrasts with other language learning apps such as Duolingo, that focus on interactive exercises where you are translating sentences or reading conversations. Pimsleur does not offer a lot when it comes to reading, but that is also not its goal.

[Odin's note: I have said it before and I will say it again, language learning apps are supplements, not meals. You need to be doing everything and using the app to supplement your work if you want to be successful.]

I find that Pimsleur offers two great advantages. First, it offers a great way for me to practice speaking with a low barrier of entry. Secondly, it makes it easy to combine with other parts of my daily life.

Because the lessons are audio only, it is very easy to put on your headphones and talk along while doing something else. This makes it perfect for combining with regular parts of your daily life such as working out or going to work.

My speaking abilities have gone up drastically since starting Pimsleur. This is pretty much entirely due to the fact that I am spending 2-3 hours per day talking to myself in my target language. I will spend my time doing groceries, working out, or commuting while talking to myself and listening to Pimsleur lessons.

But I have to mention that I don't rely entirely on Pimsleur lessons. I also spend part of every morning memorizing vocabulary in Anki. During the day I will update my Anki deck with words and phrases that I discover through conversation or reading. And twice per week I have actual classes with homework.

For me, Pimsleur is an amazing supplement to my language learning. But it is no way a replacement. If you are looking for something that will help you speak and will integrate well into your daily life, then this is for you. If you are looking to focus more on reading, then you won't get what you are looking for in Pimsleur.

Speaking

Pimsleur also offers dedicated speaking modules to help your pronunciation

At its core, the Pimsleur method is built for speaking. This has a phenomenal return on investment when you are trying to learn to speak a language. You will be thrust into conversations right from the start. While there are resources for learning to read or write, the focus is absolutely on speaking.

This gives Pimsleur a huge advantage over other apps such as Duolingo, where you might spend months learning a language without knowing how to hold a basic conversation. But what you do get from Duolingo is reading and writing lessons.

Pimsleur also offers a dedicated section for speaking lessons. These are speaking exercises that offer direct pronunciation feedback. The goal is to help you sound like native speakers using their feedback and exercises.

Their speaking section contains two parts, a pronunciation feedback section for you to practice your pronunciation and a challenge section for you to practice the phrases from previous lessons.

I didn't find myself using either of them a lot, even though they are both quite useful. For me, I get most of that studying done through other means so I didn't need it. But they did work quite well and I can imagine them being useful for a lot of language learners.

Speaking: 9/10

Vocabulary

Pimsleur also offers flashcards to practice vocabulary

This is another area where I think Pimsleur stands out. I remember back in my school days having to memorize words that I have never used in my daily life. Memorizing wonderful words such as landfill, parachute, and tractor always seemed pointless to me.

Duolingo seems to do this as well, as I often find myself wondering when I will actually use their words or phrases in my daily life. Pimsleur on the other hand has a complete focus on practical settings. This means all of the sentences and phrases you hear will be ones that you will almost definitely use in your daily life. Except maybe aquarium but I can give them a pass on that.

The vocabulary you learn at Pimsleur is targeted at normal, day to day conversations and situations. This means that you will find it much easier to start having small conversations after you start learning. But it also means that you will need to supplement this with something else.

Pimsleur also offers flashcards and a platform for you to study these flashcards. This makes it very easy for you to study new words and practice between lessons. I prefer to copy all of the flashcards into Anki so they are bundled together with the rest of my vocabulary, but their platform makes it very easy to go through and study the words from their lessons.

[Odin's note: this is great, but WRITE IT DOWN TOO!]

We're giving Pimsleur an 8/10 for vocabulary, since the vocabulary is all relevant and will immediately be useful for daily conversation. But you will still need to supplement this if you want to have conversations beyond the standard small talk.

Vocabulary: 8/10

Reading

Their quick match module has you translating sentences which can help your reading skills

This is one of the areas where Pimsleur lessons fall short. The lessons are heavily focused on listening comprehension and speaking. There are reading lessons spread out throughout the course, but they are quite limited. These will be more focused on learning words and phrases rather than setting you up to read your favorite novel.

The reading lessons that Pimsleur offers consists of a list of words and phrases combined with their pronunciation. There won't be anything to tell you what the words mean, it is meant to be a phonetic approach to teaching you to read the language. The words and phrases will all be from earlier lessons, so you should know the meaning from the earlier lessons.

They also offer a speak easy module that shows you transcripts of conversations alongside their pronunciation

[Odin's note: Transcriptions?? Do I hear dictation going on in the background? Dictation is the burpees of learning a language. It is horrible, but has an incredibly powerful effect. Do it and you will enhance and accelerate your second language acquisition.]

Unfortunately this is nowhere near the amount of reading practice you can get from Duolingo, where you can find short stories and endless lessons of translating sentences.

If your goal is to learn a language for speaking or travelling, then this will not be much of a problem. But if you have a more specific goal, such as reading certain books in your target language, then this might not be enough for you.

Reading: 4/10

Overall

Overall, I absolutely love the Pimsleur method and would recommend the Pimsleur language programs to anyone on their language learning journey. With one caveat: you need to use it the right way. If you are looking for one single platform where you can lean back and let them do the work, then this is not for you.

Duolingo does a much better job of providing you with a big comprehensive program that covers everything you need to learn. With all the drawbacks that come with it. Language learners who want to lean back and let the app do all the work will probably be disappointed with the vocabulary and reading or writing options that Pimsleur has.

If you are an active learner who is proactive in their language learning, which you are if you are reading this, then Pimsleur can hold an essential place in your language stack. When it comes to conversation, Pimsleur is great at teaching you words and phrases that you can immediately use in normal day to day conversation.

It is also extremely easy to integrate with other parts of your daily life. For example, I now get an hour of language learning done every day while working out at the gym. Pimsleur makes this very easy with their audio lessons.

Overall: 8/10

My Experience With Language Learning Apps

Duolingo is a great way to get familiar with a language

The first language learning app that I tried was obviously the famous owl (LINK). I have had a vicious love/hate relationship with this app for years. I find it a great way to get your feet wet and also a lot of fun. But it doesn't seem to really help me with actual language learning.

I first started using Duolingo to learn German about four years ago. Since then I have used it for French and Japanese. I found it great for German and French, building up a multi month streak at some point.

In my experience, using Duolingo is nice for when you are starting out with a new language and want to learn the alphabet or some basic vocabulary. But after you have gotten your feet wet I find it doesn't really do much for me. When I start a new language, I usually spend the first few months on Duolingo to learn the alphabet and get familiar with some basics aspects of the language.

The second app that I dove in to is Memrise. I didn't spend too much time on this app, as it didn't really offer me what I wanted. It felt a bit like a B-movie version of Duolingo. While I liked Duolingo, I was not looking for another Duolingo. I was looking to really step up my game.

Eventually I settled on taking things into my own hands. I discovered an app called Anki. Anki is a spaced repetition flashcards learning app that focuses on helping you memorize vocabulary.

This will require manual work though, since you need to create the flashcard decks yourself. But after that, Anki will take care of showing you the right flashcard at the right time to optimize your learning process.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting curve optimizes retention by recalling words at the right time, source: Wikipedia

This requires lots of tedious work though. I will spend anywhere between 30-60 minutes per day simply memorizing words and phrases that I entered into various Anki decks. Usually I will start with the 1000 most common words from a language to learn some basic vocabulary and then fill it out with words I encounter in my daily life.

The Problem With Language Learning Apps

I have learned a few languages now, so I have gotten quite a bit of experience using various different language learning apps. In my experience, most language learning apps will try to be the one place that has it all. I don't think that works. I have yet to find any language learning program that actually has it all.

For example, I love the Duolingo app and have spent a lot of time in that app. But for me it doesn't really help me get further than basic phrases and grammatical concepts. After this, when I want to actually speak the language, I need to change to something else.

I think most language learning apps struggle with trying to balance a playful keep-me-entertained approach to language learning with actual head-down-and-get-it-done studying. For getting started these apps are great to start building habits and getting acquainted to the language.

But after you have learned the basic phrases, know some of the basic grammatical concepts, and can read the alphabet. Then I think it's time to move on to something more serious.

In the end all of my favorite apps end up focusing on doing one thing and doing it well. For me, that has been Anki for vocabulary. Now I can add the Pimsleur course to this list as well for listening and speaking.

Yes, it doesn't help you very much for reading. But if you are looking for audio courses that help you speak a language then the Pimsleur approach is an amazing addition to your stack.

Why Pimsleur Is Different

If I think about how native speakers learn their language, I don't think any of them have translated 'the groom is a hedgehog' at 11 pm to maintain their 50 day streak. The learning method offered by the Pimsleur courses feels much closer to how a native speaker learns to speak their mother tongue.

The Pimsleur language learning program focusses on teaching through immersion and getting you to speak from the first audio lesson.

Each half hour lesson builds on the previous one, reinforcing what you learned before. Simply by listening to these lessons and speaking along I find myself learning new vocabulary and finding it easier to think and speak in my target language.

The great thing about this is that you can very easily integrate it with your daily life. I remember I used to practice Duolingo during my commute when I would take the bus a lot. Now that I don't commute as much, practicing on Duolingo means sitting down to do just Duolingo.

With these audio lessons however I can put them on while working out and get an extra hour of speaking practice while I'm at the gym. I also listen to the lessons while doing groceries, cooking food, or completing any other menial tasks that don't require my full attention.

This means the sheer volume of thinking and speaking I am doing in my new foreign language has gone from 30-60 minutes per day to several hours per day. This is huge. I have even noticed myself thinking in my new foreign language by accident at times.

While I still have a long way to go, I love how easy it is for me to add these audio based lessons to my daily life. I think anyone learning a new language can benefit from using the Pimsleur app.

What I Love About Pimsleur

In my opinion, Pimsleur is the best language learning program you can find to help you learn to actually speak a language. While I would not recommend using just Pimsleur, it should be an essential part of your language learning routine.

The Pimsleur method is an excellent way to learn languages if you are looking to actually speak the language. Most other apps provide fun interactive exercises or flashy memorization. But the Pimsleur language program focusses on actually speaking.

I find myself interacting with the conversations in the Pimsleur courses daily, talking to myself while doing groceries or working out. This has been extremely beneficial for my speaking skills and has tremendously improved the ease at which I can converse.

Because of the format of the audio lessons it is very easy to integrate these exercises with your daily life. If you are working hard on studying on other areas as well, then this will prove helpful to level up your language learning game by giving you more avenues for practicing.

I would recommend Pimsleur to anyone who is learning a new language because they want to speak it. Each Pimsleur lesson will help you practice speaking with the same kind of practical phrases that you can expect to use in your daily life.

What I Don't Like About Pimsleur

There are some games and interactive exercises that try to help with reading, but it's just not quite Duolingo

From the first lesson you will immediately know the drawbacks of the Pimsleur program just as much as the benefits. While it is a great way to practice speaking and will help you enormously in that avenue, that is also all it does.

If the Pimsleur program is the only learning method you are using, then you will probably struggle to get further than simple small talk. The Pimsleur programs are only really effective as long as you combine them with other methods for language learning.

This isn't like Duolingo that tries to offer you everything, with exercises for reading and writing mixed with speaking. The Pimsleur programs believe in a completely immersive learning method. This means it is a great supplement, but not substitute for your current language learning program.

Is Pimsleur Really Effective?

The Pimsleur method is very effective. And that's not me saying it, that's a paper by Columbia University saying that Pimsleur is effective (LINK). However, this does come with a major caveat.

If you are planning to use Pimsleur as your only language program, then I doubt you will see the same results as me. While it does feel very close to how native speakers learn to speak a language I do not feel like talking to myself 30 minutes per day will actually teach me much.

While the Pimsleur lessons do a great job of reinforcing words and phrases to help remember them it does not help with vocabulary. They do have flashcards for that but those are not as good as the Anki app that I use.

I think the best way to use Pimsleur is in combination with other methods. By combining it with regular lessons with a teacher and self study you can get very far very quickly. One thing I did that helped boost the effectiveness of the Pimsleur classes was to write down all the new vocabulary or phrases that I learned into flashcards on Anki and study those every day alongside the Pimsleur classes.

This way you can use Pimsleur as a supplement, to keep studying during moments where you are too busy or preoccupied to do proper studying but still able to focus on the lessons. My hours spent studying went from approximately 1 hour per day to more than 2 hours per day just by listening to the Pimsleur classes while driving or working out.

How I Use Pimsleur For Effective Language Learning

When I first start learning a new language I start by memorizing the 1.000 most common words. You can find the list I use here (LINK).

In the case of Japanese I started with the alphabet, if you're learning a language with its own alphabet I recommend starting there. The Pimsleur program does contain resources for learning this, but their focus is speaking a foreign language.

Their idea is that you can learn the alphabet through immersion too, but I think rote memorization and mnemonics work better for that

It should take about 3 months to learn these 1.000 words. The easiest way to do this is to load them in to Anki and simply memorize the flashcards. After this, I start trying to speak and read. Choosing books and translating them and taking actual classes with a real life teacher.

So what role does Pimsleur play in all this? When I'm walking to the supermarket, working out in the gym, or commuting I will listen to Pimsleur classes and whisper the answers to myself. Even while working there are a lot of tasks that don't require 100% attention.

By listening and following along to Pimsleur classes in these moments I am able to drastically increase my total daily output for learning a language. Just this alone has helped me improve my language skills immensely since starting with Pimsleur.

The key to this though is to actively participate in the learning process and to combine it with other methods. If you simply listen to classes in your sleep like Dexter's laboratory, you'll never get further than 'omelette du fromage'.

Anyone remember this polyglot?

One of the most important things I have done is to enter all new words and phrases into my Anki deck and memorize them. By combining this with an audio lesson from Pimsleur I was able to reinforce the new words much more and learn a lot faster.

Without memorizing the words in Anki I found myself forgetting new vocabulary from Pimsleur quite fast. Even though they look back regularly to recall old words I don't think it's enough to just follow the lessons by themselves.

You also need to be listening to these lessons daily and actively participating. Instead of just listening to the lessons, make sure you actually respond out loud. If you just idly listen to the lessons like a podcast you won't actually be studying.

Since signing up for Pimsleur I never listen to music unless I need to focus on work. All the time that I used to spend idly commuting or not occupying my brain in some form or another is now used by Pimsleur to massively increase my language learning speed.

What Is Better Pimsleur Or Duolingo?

A visual representation of Pimsleur fighting for the top spot as a language app

If you are reading this, then odds are you have either used Duolingo in the past or you are currently using it at least semi regularly. So how does Pimsleur compare to Duolingo?

I would argue that Duolingo and Pimsleur both serve completely different purposes. While Duolingo and Pimsleur are both language learning apps, they approach their lessons in a completely different way. Duolingo tries to gamify the language learning process and uses an approach that is probably close to what you are used to from school. You will learn mostly through the written language with the Duolingo app.

This is completely gamified by Duolingo and will have you collecting gems and building up a streak by using the app every day. Content wise you will mostly be translating sentences. Usually by building sentences with small bricks of words, but also sometimes by speaking into the microphone.

They also offer separate modules for learning the writing system for the many languages that have a different writing system than English. This is great and provides a progressive overload style of learning that makes it very easy to learn a new alphabet.

There are also audio based questions where you will be asked to write down what you hear or speak into your microphone, though that is not the focus of the lessons. They offer a great way to practice speaking and listening, but it is not nearly as expansive as the Pimsleur method.

Finally, there are also reading exercises where you will answer questions after reading one of the short stories designed for your level. These are great as it is often difficult to find suitable reading material when you are starting out with a language.

If you compare this to Pimsleur, there is actually very little overlap between how the two programs approach teaching foreign languages. The Pimsleur programs focus almost entirely on listening and speaking, trying to replicate the process at which native speakers learn as closely as possible.

While there are modules available to practice reading or vocabulary, the core lessons are entirely focused on listening and speaking by listening to their 30 minute audio programs. They have a few modules and games that teach reading or writing as well. Such as a Tetris style word translation game or their flashcards. But those are not nearly as expansive as their regular lessons.

Determining which of the two programs is better depends on why you are trying to learn the language. If you are learning a foreign language in order to speak the local language next time you travel, or if you are learning in order to speak and understand normal day to day conversations, then Pimsleur is better for you.

However, if you don't care too much about speaking or listening and would rather read and understand the language then you will not find enough of that in the Pimsleur approach. While it does teach a bit of the written language, this part of the Pimsleur approach simply does not compare to Duolingo.

Duolingo offers a lot for reading comprehension and does a great job of teaching you to read and understand the written language. If you are learning a foreign language in order to read books or consume media then Duolingo will do a much better job of preparing you for that. The learning method is much closer to what you will know from school and focusses on translation rather than speaking.

How Much Does Pimsleur Cost?

Their regular single language package starts at only $15

I was a bit confused by their pricing at first, since Pimsleur offers various different pricing plans. There is an all access subscription plan that offers access to each audio program in their library. Alternatively, there is also a premium plan that offers complete access to each audio program for just one language.

Regular Full Package - $15 Per Month

The two main options are the regular single language subscription and the all access subscription. I went with the all access subscription so I could try everything before writing this review.

Now that I have tried all the bells and whistles that come with a subscription, I would probably go with either a single language package for $15 or the all access program for $21. The extra content that come with the premium subscription aren't really worth it. I'm staying with the all access subscription so I can try out other languages, but I think the basic $15 subscription is enough for most people

All Access - $21 Per Month

The all access subscription is only $1 per month more than the premium subscription

The all access plan is roughly $21 per month and the premium plan is $20 per month. Since the all access plan is only an extra $1 per month I doubt anyone would opt for the premium plan.

Pimsleur offers a 7 day free trial if you sign up for their subscription on the Pimsleur website. This lets you try out any of the many languages offered for the duration of the 7 day free trial. After the trial is over the subscription costs roughly

Buying Courses - $150 Per Level

There is also the option to buy individual courses rather than paying for a monthly subscription. For example, if you are learning French you can buy access to each audio program for a one time payment of $575. This gives you access to level 1 to 5, with 16 hours of audio lessons in each level.

They also offer the ability to purchase individual levels for $150 each, or $750 for all levels. But since the subscription plans are only $21 per month and I've been completing approximately 1 level per month, this would make the lifetime access very expensive.

Buying Physical CDs - Too Much

It is also possible to buy physical Pimsleur CDs if that is something you want. I know some people prefer to have a physical product over digital access, so if you are one of those people you might prefer to buy a Pimsleur CD instead.

These contain audio lessons as well, together with some booklets and reading instructions. They are quite pricey though, I've seen the full 5 level packages priced at $1,190 on the Pimsleur website. However, this only gives you the lessons on a CD. You won't have access to the app. I don't see why you would not want to have the lessons available on your phone at all times.

I think using the app is easier for most people

Rather than paying almost $600 for the individual courses I prefer simply paying the $21 per month and getting access to everything in their library. I've had the chance to try out some beginner lessons for all kinds of languages that I otherwise wouldn't try. Besides, it will take 3.3 years to pay for the lifetime access to all 5 levels. I doubt it will take me that long to learn. By then I will probably be learning another language anyway.

I think most language learners would be better off taking the $15 monthly subscription. For avid learners or people learning multiple languages the all access is a great option as well, I'm happy with it.

Can You Become Fluent In A Language From Pimsleur?

This is not as black and white as you might want it to be. If you are planning to use the Pimsleur app as your only language learning tool then the answer is the same as with any other program: no.

While it will definitely be one of the best apps for teaching you how to speak in a foreign language, I doubt it will bring you to fluency. You will probably end up stuck at an intermediate conversational level. If you want to elevate your fluency beyond that you will have to use various different methods for that.

The best way to learn a language is to fuse various methods together and Pimsleur plays a vital role in expanding your possibilities for language acquisition. The audio programs involve speaking in sample situations and are a great way to practice speaking.

This contrasts with other language learning apps, such as Duolingo or Rosetta Stone, where you learn languages by learning words and phrases. Of the two, Rosetta Stone is much more similar to Pimsleur. Both focus on offering an immersive learning experience. The key difference however is that Rosetta Stone focusses on separate words and phrases that you learn through imagery and flashcards.

Why Pimsleur Helps You Become Fluent

Pimsleur teaches speaking through actual sample conversations. This sits very closely to how you would be using the language in normal day to day situations. With Pimsleur you will find yourself imagining walking through an aquarium or gift shop and talking to your friend or the cashier. You will simulate going to the check out and paying for your groceries or ordering food at a restaurant.

This means you will be able to use fragments of your language knowledge right away. While this is a far cry from actual fluency, it is the easiest way that I have found to start using my new language outside of the lessons right away.

After the first Pimsleur lesson I learned how to introduce myself. At the end of level 1 I could make small talk at shops and restaurants, using a little bit of Google translate here and there. This made it very easy for me to start using the language and start building from there.

I would argue that while Pimsleur won't make you fluent right away, it will give you the best foundation for speaking a new language out of all other apps I have found.

How Pimsleur Helps Me Become Fluent

Of course you still shouldn't be relying solely on Pimsleur to learn the language. I like to use Pimsleur in between my studying. While commuting, working out, or doing chores. This way I can get more hours of practice done in a day. I write down all the phrases I learn during the audio lessons and study them daily on Anki.

Whenever I'm talking with a native speaker and don't know a word, I'll use Google translate and add it to my Anki deck later. This way I can expand my vocabulary with words and phrases that I use in daily conversation until I don't need to use Google translate any more.

Finally, by getting lessons from a native speaker twice per week I get lessons in grammar and pronunciation. I have found this is the best way for me to improve in these areas, since homework style exercises just don't seem to stick with me.

Alternatives To Pimsleur

There are several alternatives to Pimsleur that you might be considering before choosing whether to sign up. Before signing up for Pimsleur I had tried Duolingo and Anki. Additionally, I experimented with Babbel after signing up so I could compare them.

Of these, I think Babbel is the main alternative you might want to consider. While I love Duolingo and Anki, their goals are different and are great to use alongside Pimsleur.

Duolingo

Duolingo is probably the most famous language app on the market

The main alternative that I was familiar with is Duolingo. For me, Duolingo was the first app I used for language learning and is usually my baseline comparison. Duolingo and Pimsleur serve completely different purposes.

While Pimsleur focusses on speaking, Duolingo tends to focus more on translation. The modules and lessons in Pimsleur are almost entirely audio lessons. On the other hand, Duolingo will provide a balance of speaking, reading, and writing. With the majority of the lessons focusing on translating sentences.

If I had to choose a favorite, I would definitely prefer Pimsleur over Duolingo. But I think they both have a valuable roll in your language learning journey. If you are learning a language in order to talk to native speakers in their own language. Then Pimsleur would definitely suit you more. But if you are learning a language in order to read, write, or watch movies. Then you would probably prefer Duolingo.

One advantage of Duolingo over Pimsleur is the price. While Pimsleur will cost you $21 per month, Duolingo super on the other hand only costs $8 per month. You can even use Duolingo completely for free. So if you're looking to avoid paying, then Duolingo would definitely be your choice of preference.

Anki

I love using Anki for memorizing words and phrases, but it's very boring

Another language learning app that I like to use is Anki. Anki is a rote memorization tool that exclusively helps you to memorize words and phrases. It works very similar to how you probably studied for exams as a kid.

You write down all the words and phrases you want to learn on flashcards. Then using Anki you go through them until you know them all. Do this every day and you can memorize the vocabulary. While you will never come close to speaking like native speakers by memorizing words and phrases, this is a great supplement to help grow your vocabulary.

Babbel

Babbel's lessons are similar to Duolingo's style of quizzes

Babbel is a little bit similar to Pimsleur in that it also focusses on an audio lesson. But Babbel is more of a mixture between Pimsleur and Duolingo. It tries to create an all in one learning experience, teaching you reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

This is completely different to the Pimsleur method that only really focusses on listening and speaking. Instead, Babbel offers interactive exercises like Duolingo does alongside the listening and speaking lessons.

Babbel's lessons also contain conversations to help with a more immersive learning experience

While I haven't used Babbel myself, I know that BowTiedOdin loves it and I think I can imagine why. Pimsleur is not enough by itself to teach you a language. It works well for me because I supplement it with other forms of learning. If I was looking for a more comprehensive app to facilitate my learning I would not use Pimsleur. Babbel seems like a much better fit in that case.

One caveat however is that while Babbel offers a great program, they do not seem to offer nearly as many languages as Pimsleur does. Babbel offers only 14 languages while Pimsleur offers 51, almost 4x as many. Though the languages offered by Babbel are all of the most popular ones so you are fine if you are learning Spanish. But if you wanted to learn something like Swiss German or Egyptian Arabic you would have to turn to Pimsleur instead.

Previous Models Of Pimsleur

The Pimsleur app has seen a lot of development and changes over the years, significantly improving its appeal from its early days as a CD collection.

2022 - Adding Voice Coach

It looks like my German still sounds good

Most recently, in 2022 Pimsleur updated its app to include a voice coach. This tool is aimed at helping users with their speaking skills by providing them with pronunciation feedback. While I don't use this feature much myself, just by playing around with it in German I can tell that it works pretty well.

2021 - All Access Subscription Is Added

This is probably one of the best additions they have made. Without the all access subscription I doubt I would be as fond of Pimsleur as I am right now. There are so many languages you can learn in the app and I have gone through the first lesson for a lot of languages just for fun.

2020 - Bonus Content

The bonus content does not look like a game changer to me

I have not looked at the Bonus content a lot and not all languages seem to have them. It's nice that they added smaller situation specific lessons, but I don't really feel the need to give them any extra time. I doubt a small 15 minute class on what to say in an airport will sway your opinion on whether to use Pimsleur.

2018 - Release Of The Mobile App

I love the ease of use that I have by using the app on my mobile phone

In 2018 Pimsleur saw its most significant change, releasing a mobile app. This is again one of the changes that would completely change my mind about their service. I doubt I would subscribe to Pimsleur if I didn't have the option of listening to their audio files wherever I go.

Their app is very easy to use and offers a simple UI. While it is not as snazzy as the Duolingo app, I think the Pimsleur app is great for what it does. Find a lesson and playing them is very easy. Sometimes I struggle to rewind with the circular time tracker, but that could also be me.

Where To Buy

The main place to buy Pimsleur is by signing up for a subscription (LINK). This will give you access to their web app and their mobile app. I would recommend doing this because the CDs are expensive and the app lets you listen to the lessons on the go.

But if you really want to buy the physical CDs, you can find them on Amazon. For example, the first 10 lessons of German are available as physical CDs for only $19 (LINK).

Conclusion

All in all I love the Pimsleur language learning method. The audio courses that Pimsleur offers feel like they come close to the way native speakers learn, except in a more grown up version. I have tried a few languages on the Pimsleur app and I will definitely keep using it for future languages that I will learn.

If you liked this article make sure to follow me on twitter on @BowTiedJerboa and let me know what you think about Pimsleur in the comments!

For more content check out Second Language Strategies dot com or find me on Twitter or Instagram. If you are struggling to get speaking in your target language, get up to 55% off a Babbel subscription using this link. I look forward to seeing everyone’s progress in the months and years to come. Don't forget to check out the YouTube channel as well!