Italian II - 1st Ed. REV.

I do a lot of driving around and I feel I am making good use of my time. I don't have experience with other tapes, but the Pimsleur method seems good. One point that I would like to make is that you must listen to the tapes many times to really grasp what you have learned. Some lessons that involve conjugating in the past tense must be repeated over and over to catch the verb tenses. I use 501 Italian verbs as a point of reference, which I think is necessary to get the whole picture of what Pimsluer is teaching. This is the third foreign language that I have learned. At the stage of life I am at (kids, carpools) sitting in a classroom is out of the question. I consider Pimsleur a good way of learning, but I do agree that it lacks tourist situations. However I feel I have gained the tools to figure out what I need to know when I return to Italy.

I just finished my first year in college, and as I had a summer off, I decided I wanted to learn Italian so I can go to Italy next summer. I found Pimsleur to be absolutely perfect for mastering an accent, and making the language come natrually. I can say many things with ease now, and never doubt my accent or usage. I would suggest supplementing it with a grammar book so you will actually be fluent. I used Italian step-by-step by Berlitz. This is the perfect combination if you are SERIOUS about learning Italian. The Berlitz book is hard to stick with, but it is very thorough, and if you are disciplined, the two work together to make you very comfortable in Italian. Since I am a visual learner, it helps a lot to know what words I'm saying with Pimsleur, instead of just memorizing the sounds and having no idea how to write it. I'm just starting level III Italian, and I'm very excited, because I'm learning now in conversation the things I learned from the book a couple weeks ago. This has proved to be a perfect combination for me. I can't wait to start Pimsleur Spanish!

Pimsleur II will begin to take you beyond the very basics of Italian conversation. By no means will you be fluent; but if forced, you will be able to converse in a manner that natives will begin to understand. While level I introduces you with a solid foundation, Level II begins to add some weight to your Italian language skills. When I completed Level II, I felt much more confident in my approach to Italian conversation. To provide the reader with an English equivalent - Level I brings you to this level of fluency: "Excuse me, my name is Tom. Where is the road to Rome? On the left, and straight ahead? Thanks so much!" Of course there is a bit more fluency than that, but that is about the level of conversation you can expect to be comfortable with. In level II, however, you will be brought to the following level of conversational skill: "Hi Mary! How are you? Do you know what time the department stores close today? I want to buy something for my daughter. I'm leaving Rome in a week. I really like it here in Rome. I went to the Vatican today, and now I need to go buy something for my oldest daughter." Again, that is a sample- you will have more fluency than that.If you're considering Pimsleur II, you probably already know that this method is one that doesn't rely on books, other than some very minor reading, which is less than 5% of the course. The Pimsleur method gets you familiar with the language, and has a unique way of getting you to think in the language. You will find yourself automatically responding to the oral cues, which is truly encouraging! This means you're learning- and not memorizing! I found that spacing my lessons apart helped my comprehension greatly. Instead of repeating a lesson immediately that I did not feel totally comfortable with, I put the Cd away and repated the lesson again the next day. I found in doing this, things came much more naturally and easily (rather than straining to master 1 lesson each day). Some of the lessons are very easy (1 session), while others will require 2, 3, or rarely 4 sessions. The majority took me 2 attempts before I felt satisfied with my progress. I spent about 75-80 days on this level. (Including an occasion day off about every 5-6 days)You certainly pay more for Pimsleur- but I assure you, if you want to be more than a tourist in vocabulary and command of Italian language, this is an enjoyable and rewarding investment. Consider listening to Italian radio on the internet, watching Italian movies subtitled into English, and trying out Italian chat rooms. It is also extremely valuable to learn the basics (the bare basics) of Italian vocabulary before you jump into this Italian language quest. I have found this to be a tremendous advantage in combination with the Pimsleur method. Happy learning!

This is the second Pimsleur tape series I have purchased. I bought the first through Sybervision (the company that advertises in airline inflight magazines). The Sybervision introduction to Italian doesn't appear to exist anymore, although I've tried to find it. This is a pity, because it takes the best of the Pimsleur method and weaves it around a goofy but engaging storyline of a British husband and wife taking an Italian vacation.Unfortunately, Italian II skips the story and gets right to the learning. The result is that this version is as dry as a summer brushfire in Campania, but it still delivers the best system for learning to speak a foreign language that I have yet encountered (you will learn nothing about how to write or read it, by the way.)What makes the Pimsleur method special? For my taste, the Pimsleur method of self-learning is far and away the best because of its graduated approach and outstanding use of English and Italian to prompt your answers and confirm your comprehension. Fundamentally, the Pimsleur method introduces vocabulary and then tries to spring a quick quiz on you when you least expect it. Either you know the answer or you don't. When you can't immediately recall the right answer, you know it's time to go back and review.The Sybervision-Pimsleur Level I program I started learning Italian with had the virtue of being mildly entertaining while it taught. This level II course is all business. It is grunt work slogging through it, but it packs the same rewards as the Sybervision version. If you apply yourself, you will learn a lot of Italian and pronounce it well.The proof of any language course is in the pudding, and I spent two weeks in Italy this summer after having drilled myself on Italian II. All my practice came during several months on my morning commute on the train to Manhattan. From the moment we arrived in Italy, my ability far exceeded my self-confidence. I was able to speak almost effortlessly to cab drivers, waiters, hotel employees, and most importantly, my wife's relatives. My new Italian friends couldn't believe I learned the language from tapes.There's no question that buying Pimsleur's Italian II is a significant investment. But I guarantee if you stick with it you'll surprise yourself, your traveling companions, and the wonderful people you'll meet in Italy.

I've been in love with the Pimsleur Method since my first discovery of a four-tape set, and have gone on to master (more or less!) Levels I and II. Not only is this the easiest and most enjoyable method I've discovered, and one which really trains you to listen and respond at a normal conversational rate, but having just come back from nine days in Italy, I can say that it works! I had no difficulty making myself understood and feeling confident in most casual settings, even communicating with people who spoke no English at all, and received many compliments on my accent. In fact, I can hardly wait to progress to Level III - and then to tackle more languages! My only quarrel is with the scarcity of written material, other than a few brief reading exercises not directly related to the lessons. I understand it prevents the student from using written words as a crutch, but there are times when it would be nice to confirm what you're hearing - and not to visualize a word as written one way, only to have to unlearn it later when you find out your mental spelling is all wrong. However, compared to the thrill of mastering a foreign language while having this much fun, it's a minor quibble!