Pimsleur Swiss German Level 1 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Swiss German with Pimsleur Language Programs (1) (Compact)
Product ID: 14994969
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The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Swiss German Whether you want to travel, communicate with friends or colleagues, reconnect with family, or just understand more of what’s going on in the world around you, learning Swiss German will expand your horizons and immeasurably enrich your life. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be difficult or take years to master. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes, and we get you speaking right from the first day. Pimsleur courses use a scientifically-proven method that puts you in control of your learning. If you’ve tried other language learning methods but found they simply didn’t stick, then you owe it to yourself to give Pimsleur a try. Why Pimsleur? - Quick + Easy – Only 30 minutes a day. - Portable + Flexible – Core lessons can be done anytime, anywhere, and easily fit into your busy life. - Proven Method – Works when other methods fail. - Self-Paced – Go fast or go slow – it’s up to you. - Based in Science – Developed using proven research on memory and learning. - Cost-effective – Less expensive than classes or immersion, and features all native speakers. - Genius – Triggers your brain’s natural aptitude to learn. - Works for everyone – Recommended for ages 13 and above. What’s Included? - 10, 30-minute audio lessons - In total, 5 hours of audio, all featuring native speakers - a Notes Booklet and a User’s Guide What You’ll Learn In these 10 lessons, you’ll cover the basics: saying hello, asking for or giving information, scheduling a meal or a meeting, asking for or giving basic directions, and much more. You’ll be able to handle minimum courtesy requirements, understand much of what you hear, and be understood at a beginning level, but with near-native pronunciation skills. Notes are provided to give you further insight into the Swiss German language and culture. A Notes booklet is also included in PDF format. The Pimsleur Method We make no secret of what makes this powerful method work so well. Paul Pimsleur spent his career researching and perfecting the precise elements anyone can use to learn a language quickly and easily. Here are a few of his “secrets”: The Principle of Anticipation In the nanosecond between a cue and your response, your brain has to work to come up with the right word. Having to do this boosts retention, and cements the word in your mind. Core Vocabulary Words, phrases, and sentences are selected for their usefulness in everyday conversation. We don’t overwhelm you with too much, but steadily increase your ability with every lesson. Graduated Interval Recall Reminders of new words and structures come up at the exact interval for maximum retention and storage into your long-term memory. Organic Learning You work on multiple aspects of the language simultaneously. We integrate grammar, vocabulary, rhythm, melody, and intonation into every lesson, which allows you to experience the language as a living, expressive form of human culture. Learning in Context Research has shown that learning new words in context dramatically accelerates your ability to remember. Every scene in every Pimsleur lesson is set inside a conversation between two people. There are no drills, and no memorization necessary for success. Active Participation The Pimsleur Method + active learner participation = success. This method works with every language and every learner who follows it. You gain the power to recall and use what you know, and to add new words easily, exactly as you do in English. The Swiss German Language The Swiss federation is composed of 23 member states known as cantons. About 65% of the Swiss population speak Swiss German and it is spoken in 11 out of the 23 cantons. Pimsleur's Swiss German uses speakers with urban intonation and pronunciation spoken in cities such as St. Gallen, Zurich, and Basel. Tech Talk - CDs are formatted for playing in all CD players, including car players, and users can copy files for use in iTunes or Windows Media Player. Review: Worth every penny - I love this product! I am a Swiss American who unfortunately was not taught Swiss German by my mother. I learned standard German in school. I listen to the program in the car and I have also saved it to my itunes on my mac. It is so helpful: The repetition, broken down pronunciation, and build up. The fact is that Swiss German is almost nothing like German. Without this methodical method, I don't think I would be making the transition so well. I am actually retaining the information. I can't wait for my next visit! Review: It's a great start, and, honestly, there isn't anything else out there. - I am learning Switzerdeutsch for an upcoming trip to Switzerland. I am already rather fluent in German and I speak a few other languages as well, which I have learned mostly from Pimsleur products, college courses and the old but still absolutely excellent Berlitz/The Learning Company software. First of all, the positives: It's great that Pimsleur makes a program for Swiss German. I've looked and looked, and trust me, there really isn't much competition. This is because Swiss German is sort of a regional dialect of German, but, I also understand that the language varies considerably between regions in Switzerland as well, and maybe that discourages other big name language software companies from even making the attempt. There have been some complaints that you will only learn Swiss German as spoken by a native of Zurich, but, oh well, at least it's a launching point--it's somewhere to begin. The standardized German spoken in Switzerland is Hochdeutsch. I'm also a big fan of the Pimsleur format mainly because I've learned most of the languages I speak in my car, which is very convenient. If I couldn't learn in my car, I don't think I could do it. I find that in my car, I can be very focused for a couple reasons. One, I am alone, so I won't be distracted. Two, I'm not self-conscious of driving other people in my house crazy while I repeat phrases over and over again in order to get the pronunciation just right. Three, it actually relaxes me while I drive, unlike radio--and music gets boring, so I'm much less prone to road rage because I don't really care whether people are cutting me off, cutting into my lane (while I'm in it!), or doing whatever other people do that piss me off. I'm learning a language! It's no wonder to me that I've learned so many languages. As long as I drive alone, I will be learning new languages. Now, the negatives. I can't really fault the program itself. If you're used to Pimsleur, the format is just the same as the others. If it works for you, it works for you. It works for me. The only real problem that I have with it is that it it stops at the 1/3 point compared to their other programs. So, I really feel like I'm just getting warmed up and started and the program is over already. Now, I'm back to scouring the internet to try to find out ways to learn more Swiss German. Why do I want to learn Swiss German if standard German is the language that every one there knows--besides English, French, Italian and Romansch? Well, because one of the joys of learning a new language is actually getting to use it. I'm hoping that my chances of actually speaking something besides English in Switzerland will increase. If you know German, it's a good thing because you will be able to read signs and get around, but the Swiss don't actually speak German on the street. They speak Switzerdeutsch, which sounds like German if your friend with the thickest Scottish brogue you've ever heard tried to speak it. Imagine if you weren't a native speaker of English, and then you learn standard English hoping to be able to speak to people in Scotland. You'd be lost. I'm a native speaker of English and when you get a few Scots together talking amongst themselves, it's impossible to understand them, even if they are speaking "English" as well--and what they're speaking isn't even considered to be a "dialect." Trust me, I'm in a bagpipe band and I've been around Scots from Scotland. I understand Germans much better, and they're not even speaking my native language. But, also, Swiss are so multilingual, they will be able to tell as soon as you open your mouth where you are from, no matter how good your German accent is, and they will just unconsciously start speaking your language. This is a WONDERFULLY nice thing to do for a tourist who wants information. But, if you want to practice German as a nonnative, who must have some sort of telltale English accent however slight, you won't get to do it. They must figure in about a tenth of a second that you have an English accent to your German, and they don't really want to speak German. They figure that since you aren't speaking Switzerdeutsch, or even trying, that you can't speak that at all, and so they will just start talking in English to you, and then they get to practice English and you don't get to practice anything. I'm hoping that I'll actually get to speak Switzerdeutsch while I'm there. But, I've completed this program and, while I now know how to introduce myself, say I understand Swiss German or ask someone is they understand Swiss German, greet people, ask their names, where they are from and where they work tell people that I am from New York or Boston (but not the USA)order coffee, mineral water, beer, veal cutlets and hashed brown potatoes, say good-bye and "good-bye all," "it was nice to be with you," "your welcome," and be able to say the numbers for two, ten, fifty and how to say 1:30, the program is over. There's a little more that you will know, but not much. I was done with the CD's in a week, but I also speak German, so that made it a lot easier for me in some ways--I didn't feel like I was starting from scratch. It is definitely worth it, and I consider the time and money I spent on the program well spent. I'm just ready to begin the second part of three parts and there isn't one. So now I'm hunting again for more resources.
| Best Sellers Rank | #3,872,809 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #8,309 in Foreign Language Instruction (Books) #16,217 in Books on CD #106,755 in Schools & Teaching (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 39 Reviews |
L**A
Worth every penny
I love this product! I am a Swiss American who unfortunately was not taught Swiss German by my mother. I learned standard German in school. I listen to the program in the car and I have also saved it to my itunes on my mac. It is so helpful: The repetition, broken down pronunciation, and build up. The fact is that Swiss German is almost nothing like German. Without this methodical method, I don't think I would be making the transition so well. I am actually retaining the information. I can't wait for my next visit!
J**G
It's a great start, and, honestly, there isn't anything else out there.
I am learning Switzerdeutsch for an upcoming trip to Switzerland. I am already rather fluent in German and I speak a few other languages as well, which I have learned mostly from Pimsleur products, college courses and the old but still absolutely excellent Berlitz/The Learning Company software. First of all, the positives: It's great that Pimsleur makes a program for Swiss German. I've looked and looked, and trust me, there really isn't much competition. This is because Swiss German is sort of a regional dialect of German, but, I also understand that the language varies considerably between regions in Switzerland as well, and maybe that discourages other big name language software companies from even making the attempt. There have been some complaints that you will only learn Swiss German as spoken by a native of Zurich, but, oh well, at least it's a launching point--it's somewhere to begin. The standardized German spoken in Switzerland is Hochdeutsch. I'm also a big fan of the Pimsleur format mainly because I've learned most of the languages I speak in my car, which is very convenient. If I couldn't learn in my car, I don't think I could do it. I find that in my car, I can be very focused for a couple reasons. One, I am alone, so I won't be distracted. Two, I'm not self-conscious of driving other people in my house crazy while I repeat phrases over and over again in order to get the pronunciation just right. Three, it actually relaxes me while I drive, unlike radio--and music gets boring, so I'm much less prone to road rage because I don't really care whether people are cutting me off, cutting into my lane (while I'm in it!), or doing whatever other people do that piss me off. I'm learning a language! It's no wonder to me that I've learned so many languages. As long as I drive alone, I will be learning new languages. Now, the negatives. I can't really fault the program itself. If you're used to Pimsleur, the format is just the same as the others. If it works for you, it works for you. It works for me. The only real problem that I have with it is that it it stops at the 1/3 point compared to their other programs. So, I really feel like I'm just getting warmed up and started and the program is over already. Now, I'm back to scouring the internet to try to find out ways to learn more Swiss German. Why do I want to learn Swiss German if standard German is the language that every one there knows--besides English, French, Italian and Romansch? Well, because one of the joys of learning a new language is actually getting to use it. I'm hoping that my chances of actually speaking something besides English in Switzerland will increase. If you know German, it's a good thing because you will be able to read signs and get around, but the Swiss don't actually speak German on the street. They speak Switzerdeutsch, which sounds like German if your friend with the thickest Scottish brogue you've ever heard tried to speak it. Imagine if you weren't a native speaker of English, and then you learn standard English hoping to be able to speak to people in Scotland. You'd be lost. I'm a native speaker of English and when you get a few Scots together talking amongst themselves, it's impossible to understand them, even if they are speaking "English" as well--and what they're speaking isn't even considered to be a "dialect." Trust me, I'm in a bagpipe band and I've been around Scots from Scotland. I understand Germans much better, and they're not even speaking my native language. But, also, Swiss are so multilingual, they will be able to tell as soon as you open your mouth where you are from, no matter how good your German accent is, and they will just unconsciously start speaking your language. This is a WONDERFULLY nice thing to do for a tourist who wants information. But, if you want to practice German as a nonnative, who must have some sort of telltale English accent however slight, you won't get to do it. They must figure in about a tenth of a second that you have an English accent to your German, and they don't really want to speak German. They figure that since you aren't speaking Switzerdeutsch, or even trying, that you can't speak that at all, and so they will just start talking in English to you, and then they get to practice English and you don't get to practice anything. I'm hoping that I'll actually get to speak Switzerdeutsch while I'm there. But, I've completed this program and, while I now know how to introduce myself, say I understand Swiss German or ask someone is they understand Swiss German, greet people, ask their names, where they are from and where they work tell people that I am from New York or Boston (but not the USA)order coffee, mineral water, beer, veal cutlets and hashed brown potatoes, say good-bye and "good-bye all," "it was nice to be with you," "your welcome," and be able to say the numbers for two, ten, fifty and how to say 1:30, the program is over. There's a little more that you will know, but not much. I was done with the CD's in a week, but I also speak German, so that made it a lot easier for me in some ways--I didn't feel like I was starting from scratch. It is definitely worth it, and I consider the time and money I spent on the program well spent. I'm just ready to begin the second part of three parts and there isn't one. So now I'm hunting again for more resources.
C**J
Swiss German Review
I purchased this item as a refresher for a relative who actually spoke Swiss German for 10 years many years ago. It was very helpful to bring back the sounds, pronunciations and vocabulary. For anyone wishing to speak Swiss German, it is probably much easier if you already understand and speak some German. As with most languages, spoken aspects are best learned in an environment where the language is spoken.
D**R
A curiosity, but not their best offering
First, I love the Pimsleur method. I find this method works very well for me. I’ve used about a dozen Pimsleur courses, from the short “quick and simple” to the full 32 lesson sets. Generally I would give them each 4 or 5 stars. However, this course is by far my least favorite. There are many dialects of German, from the Baltic Sea down to the Swiss-Italian border. Incredibly there are quite a few distinct dialects in the short distances across German speaking Switzerland. This series attempts to teach you to speak and to hear a specific dialect of Swiss German. For linguistic purposes, this is admirable. Unfortunately they don’t tell you from which area or Canton. I lived in the Zurich area and encountered speakers from Zurich, Appenzell, Bern, Lucerne, Basel, etc. None sounded very much like this. The grammar and vocabulary presented here is quite limited. The voice actors are generally annoying, especially the cartoonishly cloying female actress. This is not how real people speak. I am a second language speaker of German, and linguaphile. I find the treatment here to be somewhat annoying, and not so useful. On the plus side, the dialogs do demonstrate the peppering of borrowed French vocab, the fairly predictable vowel shifts, as well as regular shortening of word endings, as compared to high German. Although somewhat interesting, a traveler would be better served learning standard high German.
A**X
Pimselur Swiss German
I like that it is easy to use and there is a good amount of time to repeat the material and that the process is broken down into little pieces. The drawback is that there are many dialects to the Swiss German language which Pimsleur does not include. Otherwise, the Pimsleur program is next to perfect in being effective and user friendly.
O**E
Swiss German is not your high school German
Like my most Americans, I assumed the German spoken in Switzerland was pretty much the same as my high school and college German. Not so. I have run through the offered lessons once and am going back to the first lesson to improve my grasp of this language. The program is easy and well done. The ONLY shortcoming is there are only ten lessons. It gets you through all the basics and a fairly large vocabulary. You will be able to introduce yourself, get a meal, lodging and find directions and understand the answers. Don't look for much more beyond the basics. A pity but there are really alternatives without moving to Switzerland as the language is a spoken only language.
J**R
Pimsleur is a class act
I had to replace my cassettes with CDs - it was time. This is a great set that my kids and I enjoy listening to. The accent is Zurideutsch.
S**Y
Good intro to Swiss German
I've always had an interest in learning a foreign language, so I chose this CD set to start off with. Right from the beginning of the first CD, I began to feel comfortable with the Swiss German language. This program introduces the listener to Swiss German using the conversational approach, which I found more comfortable than a didactic rules-based approach. Introducing the listener to common conversational phrases such as how to state one's name, nationality, language, how to ask for directions, and common greetings just to name a few, one quickly develops an intuitive feel for listening to, and speaking Swiss German. I also found the mock Swiss German conversations between two people to be helpful in understanding the language. Particular attention is paid toward pronunciation, with the narrator breaking words down into their individual syllables so that the listener develops proper pronunciation and diction. I'm currently on the fifth lesson, and I've already developed a minimal comfort level with the basics of the Swiss German language. If you're looking for a good intro to Swiss German, this CD set is a good choice.
S**E
Three Stars
I will let you know if I can speak basic swiss German in 6 month from now.
M**X
No writing anything
This is an excellent course. There is no confusion, no writing anything down and after just 1/2 hour I could respond in this language. You can go back and do the level again if you feel you need to. The voices are very clear and headset I think is best to listen with. They explain at the start the science behind their method. I already feel I am familiar with everything on Disc 1. It’s 1/2 hour then on to the next level. The voices have clarity and so it’s easy to get the sound of each word. I will do another course once I am fluent in this language. Other courses I have tried and they haven’t worked well. I speak this language with ease and familiarity after only starting it a couple of days ago. I recommend. Buy a cd player so you can listen without distraction. :)
M**S
My new challenge
Very pleased to have found Swiss German "teach yourself".....wonderful Amazon... One niggle only...it's aimed at the American market....that said, I'm delighted that I made this purchase. Thank you.
A**W
Very pleased
Very good & easy to use. many thanks to the seller, I will be buying from then again
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