The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn 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 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' - 30, 30-minute audio lessons - 60 minutes of reading instruction to provide you practice reading German - in total, 16 hours of audio, all featuring native speakers - a Reading Booklet and User's Guide What You'll Learn Builds upon skills taught in Pimsleur's German Level 1. In the first 10 lessons you'll begin using the past tense. Structures become more complex and informal speech is introduced. Soon you'll take part in conversations about ordering meals, shopping, and local tourist attractions. As you progress, your fluency will increase as your vocabulary expands. The next 10 lessons will allow you to further combine and build upon known elements, and produce longer and more complex sentences. You'll be discussing business and social activities, expressing your interests, and talking about the weather. In the final 10 lessons you'll double your vocabulary and have several hundred structures to draw upon. You'll learn to express yourself with relative structures - faster, slower, etc. You'll be able to ask for assistance in many situations and to ask for directions to various locations. You'll explore sports and leisure activities, manage changing money and banking, and discuss travel plans. By the end of the program, you'll be speaking at a mid-intermediate level with near-native pronunciation, and you'll be comfortable meeting most social demands and limited job requirements. Reading Lessons are included at the end of Lesson 30. These lessons, which total about one hour, are designed to give you practice reading German, and to provide you with some insight into German culture with proverbs, common expressions, and a broad look at things you'll experience when visiting a German-speaking country. 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 German Language German is the official language of Germany and Austria and is one of the official languages of Switzerland. It is also an official language in Belgium, Lichtenstein, and Luxembourg. Nearly 100 million people speak German as their first language: about 77 million in Germany, 8 million in Austria, and 4.5 million in Switzerland. Tech Talk - Lessons can be downloaded using the Pimsleur Course Manager App for iPad, iPhone and Android devices, and Mac or Windows computers, or - Lessons can be downloaded as a zip file for use in iTunes or Windows Media Player. - All purchased courses are backed up in your Pimsleur.com cloud-based digital library account. - Lessons can be played on your iPod or any MP3 player. - The Pimsleur Course Manager App can be installed on several devices for personal use only. - Lessons are non-DRM (Digital Rights Management) MP3 files and can be copied onto a CD or DVD for playing in a CD/DVD player.