Pimsleur Language Programs () is an American language learning company that develops and publishes courses based on the Pimsleur method. It is a division of publishing company

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...

. Pimsleur offers courses for 50 languages with English as the source language, and 14 ESL courses.

History

Dr. Paul Pimsleur, a professor and expert in applied linguistics and a founding member of the

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) is an organization aiming to improve and expand the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction. ACTFL is an individual membership organization of more than ...

(ACTFL), wrote the original five courses: Speak & Read Essential Greek (1963), Speak & Read Essential French (1964), Speak & Read Essential Spanish (1966), German Compact (1967), and Twi developed for the Peace Corps (1971). The programs were originally called "A Tapeway Program". Starting in 1969–1970, having tried unsuccessfully to market the programs, Pimsleur gave them to Charles A.S. and Beverly Heinle at The Center for Curriculum Development in Philadelphia. The courses were repackaged and marketed as "CCD/Tapeway Programs". In 1974, Charles Heinle bought the rights to Pimsleur and set up Heinle & Heinle Enterprises. In the 1980s, Heinle opened the Cassette Learning Centers, a stand in the Harvard Coop, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Prospective users were invited to sit down and experience "The Pimsleur Tape". "The Pimsleur Tapes" were published by Heinle & Heinle Enterprises based in Concord, Massachusetts. In 1983, Charles Heinle introduced SyberVision Systems founder Steven DeVore to the Pimsleur Russian program. DeVore, who had used a similar method to learn Finnish, exclusively licensed the Pimsleur programs. DeVore sold the programs in the SyberVision catalogs that were placed in the backseat pockets of major international air carriers and also mailed to 3 million SyberVision customers every month. SyberVision also produced and successfully sold Pimsleur programs via an infomercial that featured Beverly Pimsleur. In 1995,

took on distribution of Pimsleur courses to bookstores while SyberVision continued marketing them through other channels. Before selling Pimsleur to Simon & Schuster in 1997, Heinle & Heinle Enterprises expanded the catalog by adding 27 new languages. Since the acquisition, Simon & Schuster Audio has further expanded the catalog, which currently includes 59 languages and over 200 courses. The courses continue to be produced in Concord, Massachusetts, and are available as digital downloads, CDs, and in interactive software formats for select languages. In 2005, digital editions of some languages were made available through various resellers. In 2008, Pimsleur's first children's line, Speak Spanish with Dora & Diego, was released in coordination with Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. In 2008,

Playaway Playaway is a brand of portable media players designed for circulation in libraries by Playaway Products, LLC, based in Solon, Ohio. The format is used in institutional lending, such as in public and school libraries. Playaway's library Web si ...

was licensed to distribute the entire Pimsleur line to the military on pre-loaded players. In 2010, Pimsleur donated its

Haitian Creole Haitian Creole (; , ; , ), or simply Creole (), is a French-based creole languages, French-based creole language spoken by 10 to 12million people worldwide, and is one of the two official languages of Haiti (the other being French), where it ...

course for free to relief and charity workers after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. In 2010, Pimsleur partnered with the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

The Boston Foundation The Boston Foundation is a community foundation established in 1915. Serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and environs, it is made up of nearly 1,100 separate charitable funds established by donors over more than 100 years. Funds are set u ...

and Playaway to produce Pashto and Dari courses for U.S. troops serving in and being deployed to Afghanistan. This course is available for free to all military personnel. Operation Speak Easy was funded by a Boston-area philanthropist and Pimsleur-enthusiast. In 2010, Pimsleur Digital line was relaunched in DRM-free format and at a new low price. In 2011, Pimsleur donated eight hours of its

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

course to support aid agencies and volunteers in the wake of the tsunami disaster. In 2012, Pimsleur released a new interactive software version of their Spanish, German, French, and Italian courses called Pimsleur Unlimited. In 2013, Pimsleur celebrated its 50th anniversary with the launch of a new blog Pimsleur Speaks: On Language, Learning, and Culture. In 2013, Pimsleur donated 15 lessons of its Tagalog course to support aid agencies and volunteers in the wake of

Typhoon Haiyan Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was an extremely powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone that is among List of the most intense tropical cyclones, the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. Upon ...

. In 2015, Pimsleur released three additional Unlimited languages (Mandarin, Portuguese, and Russian) in its interactive software format. In 2016, Pimsleur made its Unlimited product line available as digital downloads worldwide. In 2018, Pimsleur released its new Pimsleur app for iOS and Android devices and compatible with Amazon Echo devices. Pimsleur replaced the Unlimited product line with Pimsleur Premium available via in-app purchases or through their website. In 2020, Pimsleur added bonus content to its Premium courses accessible via the Pimsleur web and mobile apps. In the same year, Pimsleur started selling its courses via a subscription model on its website for the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. The subscription model is also available worldwide via in-app purchase in the Pimsleur mobile app. In 2021, Pimsleur introduced an All Access subscription plan containing all 51 languages. In 2022, Pimsleur offered its Ukrainian Premium course to support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. In 2022, Pimsleur released Voice Coach, a voice recognition tool with instant feedback.

Course structure

Pimsleur courses are audio based with supplemental reading and study materials that accompany the recordings. The audio lessons are generally 25 to 30 minutes in length. Courses are generally divided into "Levels" comprising 30 lessons. Some languages' courses offer more levels than others, ranging from one to five levels. French, for example, currently offers five levels, each comprising 30 lessons, for a total of 150 lessons and roughly 75 hours of total instruction. Since the 2010s Pimsleur has expanded the number of levels available for certain languages. Previously Pimsleur offered a maximum of 3 levels for their most comprehensively developed courses for a total of 90 lessons. Some languages are now offered with up to 5 levels. Prior to this expansion of course levels, a terminating "Plus" Level was offered for select languages. These "Plus" levels contained 10 lessons which were published as additional material to be used by learners after completing Levels 1 to 3. The "Plus" levels are now discontinued and considered out of print, although they remain available for sale on the used market and in some public libraries. Some languages offered by Pimsleur contain fewer than the standard 30 lessons in a level. Pimsleur also offers beginner courses and truncated courses under the series titles: "Basic" "Instant Conversation", or "go".

Lesson structure

Each 25-30 minute lesson begins with a brief conversation in the target language. An English speaking instructor then presents the conversation (or the relevant new material after the first lesson) in English. The new material is then presented gradually within the context previous taught words and phrases. Long words or phrases may be repeated using back-chaining, where the instructor repeats the end, tacks on the preceding portions, and eventually says the entire phrase as the learner repeats. The lessons often conclude with a brief conversation in the target language to review the new material covered in the lesson. Learners are instructed to continue to the next lesson the following day if they feel they have reached 80% proficiency with the material covered.

Course content

The most comprehensively developed Pimsleur Language Programs (those with three or more levels) cover a wide range of material relevant to learners traveling or living in a place where the target language is spoken: * Courtesies * Verification of understanding * Travel essentials * Communication * Use of formal & informal address * Directions & locations * Transportation * Numbers & counting * Food & drink * Time & date * Money * Work & Business * Leisure & sport * Family life * Education * Personal health * Weather & temperature * Cities, states, & countries Learners who complete a course with 3-5 levels should expect to be presented with 1500-2500 vocabulary words.

Course updates

Some of Pimsleur's most popular courses have been updated to reflect cultural and societal changes, such as more casual phrasing, changes in currency, and by updating scenarios to reflect more current situations and sensibilities.

Languages

Pimsleur Language Programs offers courses for 50 different languages other than English. 14 ESL courses are offered. Pimsleur also teaches

English as a second or foreign language English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), Engli ...

(ESL) in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, French, Vietnamese, Persian, Korean, Cantonese Chinese, Haitian, German, and Hindi.

Corporate structure

Pimsleur Language Programs is owned by Simon & Schuster Audio, a division of

, which is part of

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts KKR & Co. Inc., also known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., is an American global private-equity and investment company. , the firm had completed private-equity investments in portfolio companies with approximately $710 billion of total ...

Offices

Corporate headquarters Corporate headquarters is the part of a corporate structure that deals with tasks such as strategic planning, corporate communications, taxes, law, books of record, marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology. Corporate headqu ...

are in

New York, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

. *Editorial offices are in

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. In the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is n ...

. All courses are developed, produced, and recorded at this location.

References

External links

Official website

Pimsleur Android App

Pimsleur iOS App
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pimsleur Language Programs (Company) Learning methods Language education materials Language acquisition Proprietary language learning software American companies established in 1963 Simon & Schuster Publishing companies of the United States Companies based in Middlesex County, Massachusetts 1963 establishments in Massachusetts Android (operating system) software Language education publishing companies