The following comments are from Neal Walters, "Language Lover" and creator of this web site.
I tried Penton Overseas German "Learn in Your Car" about two years after using Pimsleur German (I through III).
I still love Pimsleur because I think it is the easiest most logical way to learn a language step by step. I think "Learn in Your Car" is a great follow-up to Pimsleur, or a reasonable substitute if you need to save a few hundred dollars. (Pimsleur Levels I-III will cost between $500 and $600 even at internet prices.)
"Learn in Your Car" (3 levels) has only 9 CDs, where as Pimsleur has 15 language CDs per each lesson for a total of 45 CDs. Yet, despite this, "Learn in Your Car" teaches approximately twice the vocabulary. Thus, the Pimsleur method teaches more gradually and you can often listen to each tape or CD only once or twice. Each lesson logically builds on the past lessons, and forces you to search you brain for the correct phase.
"Learn in Your Car" does build somewhat gradually. The first level (3 CDs) is more travel related, the second level adds past tense and the third level adds more grammar and conversational skills. The model of the entire course is basically that an English speaker says a phrase or sentence, and the native speaker then says the same phrase or sentence twice in the target language.
One big advantage of "Learn in Your Car" is that it contains small pocket-size booklets that contain the entire transcription of the course. Many Pimsleur customers have longed for such a booklet. This allows you to learn in your car when you are driving, but then you can follow up those hard to understand words by looking them up in the booklet. I carry a booklet with me, and use it while waiting on fights, standling in line at the grocery or post office, etc...
| Pimsleur | Penton Overseas Learn in Your Car |
|---|---|
| Price - Approx $175 - 15 language CDs (per level). | Price - Approx $39 - 9 language CDs (for all 3 levels) |
| Can be learned entirely without book. The booklet included with each Level is only 16 or so pages and contains only the "reading" lessons. It does NOT include full transcription. | Booklets are optional - but it is there if you need it. It includes full transcription. Each booklet is pocket size and great for carrying with you. |
| Each lesson introduces maybe approximately 20 vocabulary words, and intensely drills you on them using the Graduated Interval Recall method. | Is missing the Graduated Interval Recall, but obviously does reuse words from prior lessons, so that you are constantly reusing words you learned earlier. |
| Each lesson is exactly 30 minutes. 30 lessons per level, 90 total. | Each lesson is probably about 5 to 8 minutes. Thus, each CD has about 15 lessons. |
| Each Level includes thirty 30-minute lessons. Pimsleur provides Level I, II, III. Each level inlcudes 15 CDs (or cassette tapes) along with one reading CD (or tape). Thus in 3 levels, there are a total of 45 CDs or 90 Lessons. | Learn in Your Car also provides 3 levels - on 9 CDs. There are actually 111 lessons included on these CDs, but each is obviously shorter than the Pimsleur lesson. You also get three BONUS CDs, see below. |
| NA | Includes three bonus CDs that teach you how to learn a foreign language. This helps to reduce the "fear factor" and gives great ideas on how to sound like a native speaker. |
| Conversational dialogs, about 30-45 seconds long, are introduced at the beginning of each lesson. Then the rest of the tape teaches you how to speak and understand that dialog with near fluency. | Never contains any dialogs; only short words, phrases, and sentences. |
| Does it work? | Does it work? |
| Pimsleur works great for me, because I like to learn in the car without a book. | After completing Pimsleur German Level III, I still wanted to know more German.
I find "Learn In Your Car" a nice follow-up. I'm still learning new words, but
it's helping to re-inforce words, grammar, and conversation skills learned earlier
with Pimsleur.
"Learn In Your Car" is great for review - because it cover more content in the same amount of time. Once you have been through Pimsleur, the lessons can actually be a little boring - because you know a lot of it. A one hour review with "Learn In Your Car" will definitely cover more words than a one hour review with Pimsleur. |
| Media | Media |
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