Cosi Cosi (So-So), November 28, 2004

Well, it definitely isn't as good as the Pimsleur language programs. I was amused to see the advertisement on some of the packages that showed Pimsleur more expensive when cost per word was compared. Yep, Pimsleur costs maybe nine times more and is worth every penny.

The differences are many. The design of the Pimsleur series is superior to this one. It does take longer to learn the same amount of material because Pimsleur repeats it over and over. They use conversations and the concepts of "Graduated Interval Recall" and the "Principle of Anticipation". The first concept just means that the time between repetitions is increased as you learn. If the item is repeated before the memory decays, the length of time you remember increases. Then, before it is forgotten, the item is repeated again, thus shifting the word or phrase from short term into long term memory. They've timed the average memory decay time to ensure the repetition occurs prior to the loss of the target word or phrase. In contrast, each phrase in "Learn in your car" is repeated twice, then you go on to the next word or phrase. In Pimsleur, the repetitions are more frequent, and are found in the context of various conversations.

The quality of Pimsleurs recordings are superior. The recording equipment was better. Furthermore, I dislike having the speakers on "Learn in your car" in only one ear or the other. This seems to be an odd use of stereo recording, and not conducive to clarity. Also, the Italian speakers in "Learn in your car" don't speak as clearly as they should.

Can you learn some Italian from these recordings? Certainly. I guess you'd just have to make up your own conversations and turn the non sequiturs into something meaningful. You'd also need to play them over and over and over...

I would not have minded seeing the transcript of the Pimsleur lessons in a book. But, as Pimsleur reminds us, their method was especially designed to learn to speak without the necessity for a book. They succeed at their goal completely. I can't say the same for "Learn in your car".

Great Way to Learn a Language, July 10, 2003

This is a great way to learn Italian! After the first CD, I knew lots of useful phrases. I went to Italy after working with all of the CD's, and felt very confident. Each CD builds on the previous one, making learning very easy. I would highly recommend this course, especially for anyone who spends a lot of time in their car.

Out of Date!!!!, September 11, 2004

Italy has been using the Euro for over two years. These lessons spend much time teaching the student about Lira. It also spends time teaching you BIG NUMBERS. That is really useless when dealing in Euros!
Pull this product off your site until it joins the 21st century!

The Italian speaking woman is also very difficult to understand. She does not have a clear voice when it comes to the endings of words.

Superb, August 7, 2004

I've been using disc number one during my morning and evening car commute for a week and I already feel confident enough to navigate transportation, get directions, and make purchases. Although I'll be joining a group tour, my confidence has increased to the point that I'm planning to spend a day in Venice on my own before I meet with my group in Padova.

The vocabulary and phrases are just what a traveler needs and the listen and repeat method works very well for me. Occassionally I can't quite get the pronunciation by listening, but the course comes with a set of small booklets that lists all the vocabulary in the same order as it appears in the CDs. The booklet is small enough to slip in my bag so when I have a few idle moments during the day I can look up the phrase that was giving me trouble or just do a quick refresher.

This was what I wanted, June 1, 2004

This was exactly what I was looking for. None of that cutesy, irrelevant stuff found in some of the other audio courses. They say it in English, give you a chance to say it, then say it in Italian and give you a chance to repeat it, twice. The words and phrases are things you might actually want to say, with an emphasis on travel-related vocabulary. The only drawback is that the English is spoken by a man whose voice is more clear than the woman who speaks the Italian. There are times when she speaks too quickly or too softly. They should have traded places. Overall, though, this is very helpful. I have it running in my car everywhere I go.

A Winner!, June 1, 2004

Got Italian first, now doing french. Actually bought as gifts for family. Fabulous course. I've tried Berlitz, beginner and intermediate, and at least 3 other french courses. This one I found to be the best available - with 2 cassettes under my belt i navigated paris and was THRILLED with the ability to communicate. A winner based on quality, price and efficiency - my personal feelings - the best on the market today.