Pimsleur Japanese Review: Top 7 Reasons To Learn Japanese In 2024

 

I’ll also provide some tips for getting the most out of your course experience. Let’s get started!

Pimsleur Overview:

 

The Pimsleur method was developed in the ’50s by Dr. Paul Pimsler, an educator with a background in linguistics and language acquisition.

Importance Of Japanese Language

Japanese is a language spoken by around 128 million individuals in Eastern Asia, principally in Japan, where it is the primary language. 

It belongs to the Japonic or Japanese-Ryukyuan family of languages, although its origins and relationships with other language families are unknown. 

Numerous language categories have already been proposed to unite Japonic languages alongside, including Ainu, Austroasiatic, Korean, and the now-discredited Altaic, but neither of those hypotheses has achieved significant recognition.

It takes a lot of effort to learn a language, particularly studying Japanese. Learning languages can take a very long time, even if you do it halfway. 

As a result, there is no definite explanation to the query, “How difficult is it to master Japanese?” It all relies on a multitude of circumstances, including your native language, the amount of time you spend studying each day, and whether or not you can take trips to immerse yourself in the language. 

To summarize, Japanese is among the most challenging languages to learn for a natural English speaker. 

It necessitates a significant amount of commitment and time. The kana as well as how to pronounce the words are reasonably simple to learn, the vocabulary is quite challenging, and the kanji is extremely difficult.

Learning a language like Japanese demonstrates your aptitude for success in life. You are persistent, patient, and completely unafraid of taking on new challenges.

If you want to learn Japanese, the best option is to use online language applications.

Also Read: Pimsleur Italian Review

7 Reasons To Learn the Japanese Language:

 

1. Japan’s economy is the world’s third-largest economy:

Japan is a successful nation with Asia’s most thriving economy. Japan has the world’s third-largest economy, with a nominal GDP of $5.082 trillion in 2019.

Prominent Japanese corporations were amongst the world’s biggest, highly efficient, most well-known corporations.

In a range of industries, well-known brands including Sony, Toshiba, Sanyo, Casio, Canon, Minolta, Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, and others have made significant strides.

Regardless of whether you function properly in commerce, construction, production, technology, finance, or politics, you would very certainly be contending with, if not employed by, a Japanese company.

2. Business Options In Japanese Market:

If you wish to start a business in Japan, knowledge of the language will provide you with additional chances.

The Japanese, who was once the world’s second-biggest economy but are now ranked third by GDP, spend billions upon billions of dollars on fast-moving consumer goods.

Its exports and imports are strong, and Japanese multinational businesses have offices all over the world.

It will also be advantageous to the company to be able to effectively communicate with potential clients, key stakeholders, workers, or suppliers.

Part-time projects, apprenticeships, or staying in Japan after you finish your education could all be excellent options to round out your international learning experiences in Japan.

3. Broadens your horizons by exposing you to different cultural backgrounds:

Japan has spent most of its existence as an island country separated from the rest of the world.

Japan has been shaped by the ancient civilization of Asia: India, China, and Korea, throughout history.

Although the customs of all these Asian nations vary, they reflect many commonalities that set them apart from Western ideas and conventions.

As a result, learning Japanese helps broaden your understanding of the principles shared by other Asian countries, such as religious opinions, morality, and aesthetic appeal.

Knowledge of Asian customs also enables you to move beyond your society to see this from a different angle.

4. Opportunities to visit Japan:

If you want to explore Japan, you should at least master the fundamentals.

You don’t require it to understand road markings, particularly in urban areas, since so many of them are additionally written in English.

However, you would need to be good at communicating in elementary Japanese if you wish to engage with locals.

According to 2013 research, only about 30percent of the total population can communicate in English.

If you don’t speak Japanese, you might find it challenging to move around in Japan.

5. The entrance to the world of technology:

Japan is a pioneering nation. High-speed trains, the Walkman, blue LED lights, portable calculators, and humanoid robots are just a few examples of Japanese inventions.

If you work in technological research and development, understanding Japanese will open up many more options.

Understanding Japanese will help you better comprehend and use cutting-edge technologies, even if you aren’t technically inclined.

6. Indulge in the unique pop cultures:

You would perfectly understand anime, films, popular programs, news, and any other popular Japanese media if you master Japanese.

This enables you to explore pop culture, recent events, historical memory, and a variety of other topics in their original language, permitting you to gain a better understanding of Japanese tradition and pop culture.

7. For the challenge, learn Japanese:

Some people thrive on challenges, and learning Japanese is no exception. It is, nevertheless, not difficult to learn. In truth, several aspects of Japanese are rather simple to master. Japanese grammar is thought to be less difficult than that of several European languages. It may be difficult to comprehend the Japanese alphabet and writing style.

Also Read: Pimsleur French Review

Pimsleur and their Japanese course:

About Pimsleur:

Since 1963, Pimsleur Language Programs, established by Dr. Paul Pimsleur and now controlled by Simon & Schuster, has been available in numerous forms.

Pimsleur is an audio-based language learning program available through a website or a mobile phone app.

The content is divided into 30-minute lessons, and Pimsleur suggests that you complete one lesson per day.

A large percentage of the materials are audio, but every session also contains optional (but suggested) short reading and grammatical lessons, and also some tests and annotations to aid vocabulary acquisition.

If you want to learn how to speak and grasp a foreign language, Pimsleur by Simon & Schuster is an excellent resource.

Pimsleur leaves an imprint on your mind that is difficult to forget. It is particularly good at teaching pronunciation and reading, and it has a persistence that very few competitors can equal.

Pimsleur offers a selection of 50 languages. There are also English-language learning programs accessible.

Even though Pimsleur originated as an audio-only learning method on tape, it has come a long way over the years to develop its digital offerings, which now include a variant with practical tasks for specific languages.

Regardless of your viewpoint, the fundamental content is undeniably strong.

If you want to improve your pronunciation, this is a great tool to have. The language-learning curriculum Pimsleur is well-known.

Pimsleur Review Japanese Course Overview:

Pimsleur may be one of the greatest options for you if you’re looking for a high-quality audio program to help you learning Japanese quickly.

The Pimsleur method of foreign language acquisition is based on spaced repetition.

This essentially means that you will be given a statement in Japanese and will be required to repeat it in smaller chunks.

The time intervals for repeating are tiny at first, but they gradually rise, and you must understand the words you learned previously.

One of the core advantages of this program is that it is a wonderful fit for people who are working who don’t have much time to devote to learning.

Each level of Pimsleur Japanese comes with 30 lessons. They last about 30 minutes, so you may begin learning this new language by devoting simply half an hour per day to them.

You can also download lessons to different devices and listen to them even when you are not connected to the internet.

This permits users of Pimsleur to learn Japanese while driving or doing other activities such as walking their dog, working out, and so on. 

The conversations are about circumstances that individuals would meet while traveling in Japan as vacationers or as newcomers, and Pimsleur adopts the official Japanese speech style, polite in every encounter.

The course employs the “traditional” Japanese “hyoyeon-go” being spoken in the Tokyo area, which differentiates – often significantly – from dialects prevalent in the Kansai region of Okinawa, Hokkaido, and elsewhere.

The course provides excellent preparation for the official Japanese mastery test’s listening components.

Pimsleur jumps between themes that are likely to pop up in conversations, such as asking for directions, eating at a cafeteria, exploring campgrounds, chatting about relatives, and taking public transport, or chit-chat concerning hobbies, reading, and movies.

Pimsleur is helpful, but it needs to be supplemented in all areas that make Japanese difficult:

• It exclusively uses formal language.
• It doesn’t have anything to do with writing.
• The low number of phrases in the lesson makes it difficult to deduce Japanese grammar. 

Key Features of Pimsleur Japanese:

Pimsleur’s Golden Rules. 

The Golden Rules are shown to you as soon as you sign up.

These seem like reasonable caution to only react when the instructor says so, not to anticipate just listening and repeating your way through the lesson, and to concentrate on the audio and reply in your brain.

It also suggests that you don’t rush through the lessons and only listen to one 30-minute audio session per day.

Easy-to-Use Dashboard. 

When you sign in, you’ll be led straight to your lessons. The setup is simple and straightforward.

There is a “play” icon on each lesson you have already finished or are about to finish.

Lessons must always be completed in the order listed, and they are locked until the previous lesson is completed.

You can also use this page to explore your “skill sets” and “practice” tasks, which can help you improve your grades.

Learning Games and Tools. 

There is a range of skills, quizzes, and activities available to make learning Japanese enjoyable.

Teaching aids, quizzes, and scheduled tasks are among the offerings. You can even check lecture transcripts to improve your pronunciation.

Types of Pimsleur Japanese Courses. 

For Japanese beginners, Pimsleur has two types of courses.

1. The first kind is the Premium version. In addition to the normal course materials, it includes Speakeasy Conversations, a quick match game, and study guides. Premium courses, on the other hand, are more costly.
2. The second is a standard course that includes audio lessons, background information, and reading material. If you don’t need these extra features and want to save money, audio lessons may be sufficient.

However, we strongly advise you to enroll in the premium course. 

Pimsleur Japanese Pricing structure:

Customers can choose from a range of price options at Pimsleur.

Pimsleur Japanese exclusively provides a monthly membership ($14.95/month) through the app; on the desktop, you can also only buy individual lessons or perhaps the complete course as a one-time payment.

The first lesson is provided free of charge.

Individual levels of the premium course can be purchased for $150 each, or the entire level can be purchased for $575.

You can buy only Five Pimsleur lessons ($21.95) at a moment if you don’t want to spend loads of money all at the same time.

Pimsleur Japanese allows you to choose a price plan that best suits your needs. 

Pimsleur membership offers you complete access to all features, including:

1. Offline learning allows you to learn whenever and wherever you want.
2. The car’s driving mode.
3. Games and flashcards might help you learn more quickly.
4. Visualization aids for cultural lessons
5. The ability to bookmark new words
6. Mobile application access
7. Katakana, Hiragana, and Kanji Basics
8. Increase your Japanese proficiency to an intermediate level.

Course Duration

The frequency with which you utilize Pimsleur Japanese lessons determines how long it would take you to master it.

For example, if you complete one session per day for two months somehow without taking any breaks, you will be able to learn the languages in about 25 weeks.

Each lesson lasts about 30 minutes, so you can finish them all in a day and still have time to analyze whatever you’ve learned.

After all, Pimsleur recommends it. This is supposed to apply to a variety of languages.

The duration of class sessions and the consistency at which they are studied throughout time influence how much time an average individual spends learning the language.

Other activities, such as watching a Japanese-language film, listening to music, or reading books, will, of course, have an effect.

Pimsleur Japanese Levels

The Japanese courses from Pimsleur are divided into levels, such as Japanese Level 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Each level contains 30 units to accomplish, each of which takes 30 minutes (as a result, each level lasts about 15 hours).

The levels are arranged in order of increasing complexity.

With this curriculum, you’ll begin at the beginning, learning basic survival expressions and vocabulary before progressing to a high-intermediate level of expressing and comprehension.

By Level 5, the discourse and tempo have quickened, allowing for more fast adaptation to various terminology and grammar, as well as approaching native comprehension and fluency. 

You’ll have the ability to communicate in depth about your private affairs and psychological state, as well as construct complicated statements employing a variety of tenses and expressions.

Pronunciation and comprehension are emphasized, as well as learning to speak.

After completing this course, you’ll be able to communicate successfully with a broad vocabulary and gain a deeper understanding of the language and culture.

Pimsleur Japanese Level 1 Premium

Pimsleur Japanese Level 1 Premium is a great way to get a huge head start on learning how to read Japanese.

You will start learning to read the Hiragana alphabet at this stage of the course.

Learning the sounds of each letter individually and in multicultural combinations allows your brain to interpret what you’re hearing in the audio lessons freshly and differently.

It’s a potent combination that distinguishes Pimsleur Japanese premium from all other methods on sale.

Pimsleur Japanese Level 2 Premium

These courses, which expand on your skills from Level 1, are designed to boost your confidence and Japanese fluency while allowing you to converse with a near-native accent on the move.

It also aids in the expansion of your vocabulary, the improvement of your grammar, and the learning of the Japanese katakana alphabet.

You’ll be able to communicate at a mid-intermediate level with near-native articulation at the end of Pimsleur Japanese Level 2 Premium, and you’ll be able to fulfill most social needs and meet restricted work requirements.

Pimsleur Japanese Level 3 Premium

These lessons are designed to help you interact with abstract thoughts and meet daily needs in Japanese while improving your pitch-perfect accent.

They build on the vocabulary knowledge you learned in Levels 1 and 2.

Pimsleur Japanese Level 3 Premium lessons will help you learn to speak Japanese naturally and enjoy conversations about a wide range of topics.

Its reading exercises will teach you how to read hiragana, katakana, and a few kanji characters in Japanese scripts.

Pimsleur Japanese Level 4 Premium

These lessons are designed to improve your proficiency and help you speak Japanese at rapid rates with a larger vocabulary, more complicated structures, and dynamic discussions, building on the language skills you learned in Levels 1, 2, and 3.

You’ll learn to speak fluently and naturally like a native speaker. Your vocabulary will grow as your reading practice continues.

Pimsleur Japanese Level 5 Premium

These lessons are designed to help you proceed to an intermediate level of Japanese in this fast-paced language program packed with pertinent sentence structure and sophisticated usage.

They build on the language skills you learned in Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4. Continue with your reading classes to improve your pronunciation and expand your vocabulary.

The Pimsleur Japanese Level 5 Premium includes thirty 30-minute sessions as well as reading practice to help you speak and understand Japanese with near-fluency and a wide variety of conversational abilities.

In Level 5, the pace and discourse pick up, allowing you more fast exposure to new vocabulary and structures and a closer approach to native speed and comprehension.

You’ll be able to communicate more in-depth about your personal life and emotional state, as well as construct complicated sentences with a variety of tenses and moods.

Pros and Cons of Pimsleur Japanese 

Pros of Pimsleur Japanese 

• Short And Convenient Lessons

Each course is 30 minutes or less in length and is entirely audio-based, allowing you to multitask while studying.

You can listen to the course whenever it suits you, whether you’re connected to your app or have acquired the podcast.

• Active Learning

All of the classes are taught by native Japanese speakers, and the course is based on how children are taught to talk through mimicking, repetitions, and situations while they are young.

You’ll be expected to speak up and recall topics learned in class regularly. This encourages you to pay closer attention in class and improves your memory.

• Fantastic Pronouncing Words

Words are broken down into syllables so that you can learn how to pronounce them correctly.

Pimsleur begins with extremely simple phrases and methodically shows how to pronounce each sound, unlike other language schools that expect you to take up foreign sounds quickly.

• Natural Setting To Learn Japanese Culture 

The material is taught through conversational interactions.

Pimsleur provides culture notes as well as survival vocabulary. As a result, this course may be beneficial to students who are considering a quick trip to Japan. 

Cons of Pimsleur Japanese. 

• Costly Lessons For Purchasing

Pimsleur is one of the more expensive language learning products on the market, owing to its ease.

However, discount codes and coupons are frequently available to assist with the pricey purchase.

• Taught Limited Grammer & Concepts

In terms of grammar, the lessons have a very little framework. Though this isn’t necessarily an issue, you could find yourself thinking why something is phrased a certain way or why words are arranged in a certain order at first.

The more advanced your Japanese skills get, the more in-depth grammatical explanations you may require.

• Very Little Reading & Writing Instruction

You won’t learn to write in Japanese with the Pimsleur Japanese Course. It teaches you the basic hiragana and katakana readings, as well as a few kanji.

Pimsleur Japanese Review: Conclusion

So, is Pimsleur good for Japanese lessons?

The Pimsleur Japanese Course is one of the best Japanese courses available and a wonderful place to start learning Japanese.

Mastering Japanese can be difficult due to the complexity of the grammar and written form.

You can get started immediately with Pimsleur Japanese and get a fundamental knowledge of the language.

However, ignoring some of the language’s most essential elements limits the course.