Product Description

The 16-lesson (8 CDs) Conversational Course gives customers the first half of the incredibly effective and efficient, world-famous Pimsleur Comprehensive Program. Customers will love the experience of acquiring the essential grammar and vocabulary of Thai during the spoken practice sessions. It is this ease of language acquisition that makes the full Comprehensive Pimsleur Program so popular and successful for adult language learners.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #467304 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-27
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 8
• Binding: Audio CD

Features

• ISBN13: 9780743551229
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Pimsleur programs provide plenty of positive reinforcement that will keep learners on track, and we found that Pimsleur gave us more proficiency and confidence in speaking the new language than any of the other language programs we reviewed."-- AudioFile Magazine

"EXTREMELY ACCESSIBLE...each section within the lessons is short enough to hold our attention, and there is enough repetition to teach even those who consider themselves slow learners...Pimsleur [programs] are extremely thorough and easy to use -- quite lively!"-- Boston Herald

"Learn French while commuting, German while jogging, Spanish (or Russian, Italian, and Japanese) while cooking all with NO WRITTEN MATERIALS!"-- New York Daily News

"Designed for the ear and not the eye...the lessons provide PERFECT 30-minute bites of work."-- St Louis Post-Dispatch

"Learn to habla español or parlez français before your next trip aboard. The interactive LESSONS CHALLENGE STUDENTS to use new words in conversation instead of memorize them."-- American Way (American Airlines inflight magazine)

"I tried other language programs with little success...This is the best by far!"-- Pamela A. Mitchell, Pilot, International Society of Women Airline Pilots

About the Author
Dr. Paul Pimsleur devoted his life to language teaching and testing and was one of the world's leading experts in applied linguistics. After years of experience and research, Dr. Pimsleur developed The Pimsleur Method based on two key principles:  the Principle of Anticipation and a scientific principle of memory training that he called ?Graduated Interval Recall.?  This Method has been applied to the many levels and languages of the Pimsleur Programs.

Customer Reviews

Taking on Thai
Asian languages can be a challenge for western ears and tongues. I found this program very helpful and entertaining. The 8 disk version added another level of conversation not found in the 6 disk version and I was glad I had opted for this one. I was very comfortable greeting people, conversing, bartering and asking question in Thai, though my accent often brought smiles and giggles. The Pimsleur programs work best for anyone planning a short vacation, who speaks little to none of the native languge. Coupled with a good phrase book, like Lonely Planet's, Pimsleur remains my favorite language program.

an excellent value
I have worked with this set of CD's and have found them to be both easy to use and effective. They are very well designed. It is clear to see that much thought went into the material that was selected, and the presentation of that material. I highly recomend this very inexpensive language package for anyone seeking a first time experience with the Thai Laguage.

Dissapointing: Not Up To Pimsleur's Usual Standard
I am a huge fan of the Pimsleur method and have had great success with Pimsleur's Spanish and French programs. I wish I could say a good word for their Thai program.

First complaint is that it's far too short: 8 disks isn't even enough of a primer for Thai, and unlike their more popular language programs (offering 3 levels of 30 lessons each, for a total of 90 lessons) there are no follow on programs available.

Second complaint is the "native Thai speakers" that are used. I've lived in Thailand for over 3 years and NO ONE speaks Thai like the people in these lessons. The male speaker on the lessons is so soft-spoken, effeminate, and utterly soporific that you first can do little but snicker and quickly fall asleep listening to him. No grown man will make any effort to sound like he does.

Also, real Thai is the most muddled, soft-palated language on Earth: they have 47 consonants and don't pronounce any of them. Despite the fact that a Thai syllable may end in either a short/truncated vowel, a "long" sonarant vowel (which in practice is about 1.5 milliseconds longer than their short vowel) or one of 6 ending (unasperated and unreleased) consonants, in practice Western ears can't hear any of the ending sounds at all. As for the consonants that start a syllable, not only is it near impossible to distinguish between their Gs & Ks, their Ds & Ts, their Bs & Ps, their Ls, Rs & Ws, their Js & CHs, their Ys from no consonant at all, and even their Ms, Ns, and NGs, half the time it's impossible to identify the correct family at all: e.g., they'll say what sounds like a B/P but is in fact supposed to be an M or T or even a G. (And if you ask a Thai to repeat what they said slowly, they'll spit out each syllable like it was shot from a pop gun but will put long pauses between each syllable). To learn to deal with this a Thai language program needs to DRILL, DRILL, DRILL in tones and context. This program does not.

This program is only of use to someone who will be visiting Thailand for a few days and wants nothing more than to be able to say Hello, Excuse Me, and Thank You in Thai.