Wonderful system ... but questionable grammar..., June 17, 2004
Reviewer: A reader
No one in these reviews has touched on the questionable grammar introduced in these tapes... Perhaps these people have not gone on or tried to put their Russian into practice (indeed it is unlikely that someone they don't know will try to correct them on a trip), but I have continually had to 'relearn' certain mistakes in these tapes which were riddled throughout the series. This ranges from things which I have been told are 'unnatural' in conversation to downright ungrammatical. However either should be considered unacceptable, as in an AUDIO course with emphasis on speaking, I would expect emphasis to be on natural, conversational Russian.

Also, many subjects of grammar are 'danced over', and never fully explained grammatically...I realize length of time prohibits this, but I as someone interested in grammar, I would have found it easier for a quick explanation, such as a word is in 'accusitive' form, rather than have them make up some 'layman's' explanation that I have to try to interpret, only to find out ultimately the concept was quite simple.

All in all, this series is a WONDERFUL way to learn language...my attention was always kept and after completing just halfway through the second series, I already feel that I can convey some very simple things with my Russian...

...the only problem is that it's not entirely CORRECT Russian...

A Real Help for Learning the Difficult Sounds of Russian, October 1, 2003

(By Edward Trimnell, author of "Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One," ISBN:1591133343)

A Slavic language, Russian is much more difficult to pronounce than Spanish, German, or even French. This Pimsleur course is helpful in this regard, because it breaks the sounds down into manageable pieces. Without Pimsleur, it can take you quite a while to develop an "ear" for Russian.

Pimsleur courses are all-audio. They don't contain textbooks or dictionaries. However, the Pimsleur method can be very effective. Pimsleur courses are especially beneficial to those who face long daily commutes, because the audio materials are not dependent on any written materials.

The downside is that there is a relatively small amount of material contained in the course, and it doesn't teach the Cyrillic writing system at all. Therefore, the Pimsleur courses are best used as supplements to more traditional programs.

Ideally, you should use this program in conjunction with a book-and-cassette course from Living Language or Berlitz. By studying the textbook course at home, and listening to the Pimsleur audio materials in your car, you can use both approaches to the maximum advantage.

May not be your thing if you are a visual learner, July 31, 2000

I have studied four Asian languages to the advanced level in the last two decades, and decided to learn Russian with this system recently. I concede that the Pimsleur system is unique and innovative and very well organized. However, I believe that persons like myself, who study languages with great emphasis on absorbing new material visually and rely heavily on written text for memorization of vocabulary, absorbing grammar rules, and review of previously studied material, would do better with a well-written, convential textbook/cassette format. I believe the Pimsleur system is a great tool for listening and speaking proficiency, but I question how proficient a person will become at reading and writing the language through this system. If you do not have the time nor patience to sit down with a textbook, and would prefer to learn through vocal imitation of audio cues, by all means purchase this course. For those of us who favor a structured system that contains sections covering and explaining grammar and verb conjugation, etc., best go elsewhere.

How good will you get?, October 27, 2002

I have finished Pimsleur's three levels of Russian. I need not to mention that this program is very well done and of the highest quality. Instead, I would like to answer those who may be wondering, "how good will I get after finishing all three levels of Pimsleur's Russian?"

First of all, be prepared to work hard. It will be fun work, but you will have to concentrate. Some people have to repeat each lesson three times before moving on to the next. I personally had to work through them twice.
At the end of level one, you will know the most basic greetings, you will know how to count to one hundred, and most importantly, you will start getting a good "feel" for the language. Don't expect to be able to converse with anyone at this point.
Level two explores pronouns and gives you more working vocabulary. The future and past tenses are introduced.
Level three explores the complex Russian declensions and gives you a lot more vocabulary.
At the end of the three levels, you will still be at a very basic, survival level. You will have a vocabulary of maybe 300-400 words (this is my estimation so I may be wrong). You will be able to engage in conversations but it won't take very long before you don't know how to say something or you don't understand the other person.

So if this expensive course is so basic, why bother spending so much money on it?

You will pronounce correctly. People will comment on your good, Russian accent. (Ti gavarish bez aktsenta). You will know the most essential words and structures and will will have a good "feel" for the language. You will be in excellent position to learn more.

The next step after that is to take formal lessons with a private teacher, if you can afford it, and study with another textbook. Having worked through all three levels of Pimsleur, you will be able to learn very fast without getting discouraged by the complexity of the Russian language.

I imagine that with other Pimsleur method, more material is presented in the same amount of time. But since Russian is a complex language, a lot of time has to be spent working on single words and how they change according to their role in the sentence.

I feel after having completed all three levels that:

- It was essential to go to the three levels, and not just one or two.
- This is just the beginning, but I have a very solid foundation.
- I wouldn't continue with Pimsleur now, and I understand why they don't have more levels available. I have enough of the basics to continue with more formal training.

This is a very good course - without a doubt the best audio course available -?nd if you are motivated to keep studying, you will aquire a very solid working knowledge of the Russian language.

If you goal is to actually be able to converse in Russian, June 13, 2004

The Pimsleur method strives to condition your mind first with the comprehension of words and phrases spoken by native speakers and to allow you to quickly form a response without puzzling over complex grammar rules. Secondly it strives to enable your spoken words to be pronounced correctly with the correct inflection.

The concept is that most conversations in any language consist of only a few hundred words and that most people speak using common phrases or word groupings. If you learn the overall meaning of a phrase, or word grouping, you are able to comprehend what is being said even when the words seem to run together and preemptively anticipate a response. This contributes to a greater fluency of the language and provides an excellent foundation to build on.

If your goal is to be able to converse in Russian this program is for you as long as your expectations are realistic. At the end of the programs I, II and III, if you are diligent, you should have a good foundation of spoken Russian on which to increase your fluency. What is more important is that you will have a good "feel" for the language and chances are you will get compliments on your accent.

Some of the complaints in other reviews are that there is no printed lesson book that comes with the program to teach how to read Cyrillic Russian and that the accent of the male speaker is difficult to understand. If you wish to learn to read Russian as well it would be necessary to supplement this course with another more traditional course that emphasizes reading skills. Pimsleur does not claim to fill this need but rather focuses on being able to converse. As far as the male speaker goes, I have encountered more people on the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg who speak with his accent than the female speaker's accent. In addition it is my impression that there is more than one male and more than one female speaker. There seems to be an attempt to familiarize the student with more than one accent and thus increase fluency. This is more of an advantage rather than a weakness.

Could be better, May 4, 2004
Reviewer: A reader
I really like the Pimsleur method and have been successful with several of their programs but this one (Russian I) falls short of their typical quality, in my opinion. The material presented is good but the pace is a little fast for the complex pronunciation required. After a few lessons it is often difficult to determine just what the speakers are saying unless you listen very carefully. If you try to listen while driving, this is often impossible. The main problem I have found is with the male Russian speaker. He frequently slurs the words in a nasal tone or speaks so fast you cannot quite tell what he's saying. He also frequently pronounces the words and phrases a little differently from the female speaker and often differently from his previous attempts. When so much emphasis is placed on the intonation and pronunciation in order to speak comprehensibly, it should be imperative that the native speakers enunciate and speak at a pace a beginner can follow. Pimsleur really should produce a 4th edition and replace this male speaker with one who can be consistent with the female and speak at a beginner's pace...and be clear when he speaks. This guy just sounds drunk. After 6 lessons I've gotten so fed up with him I can barely get through the lesson.