Description

DescriptionIncludes 150 lessons, Notes and reading instruction as MP3 download (80 hrs), plus 4 Notes Booklets, one Reading Booklet and a User’s Guide.The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn MandarinDid you know that Mandarin is the world’s most widely spoken language with over one billion native speakers? Once you get the basics down, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’re able to begin speaking it. And even knowing a little bit of the language will make travel to China far easier, and much more fun. Whether your goal is to travel, communicate with friends or colleagues, reconnect with family, or just understand more of what’s going on around you, learning to speak Mandarin 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?- 150, 30-minute audio lessons- 3 and a half hours of Notes- 1 hour and 15 minutes of Hanyu Pinyin Reading Lessons- In total, over 80 hrs of audio, all featuring native speakers- 4 Notes Booklets and 1 Reading Booklet are also included with your downloadWhat You’ll LearnThis program includes the complete Pimsleur Chinese (Mandarin) Course; Levels 1-5With this program you start from zero, first learning survival phrases and vocabulary, and eventually progressing to a high-intermediate level of speaking and understanding Mandarin. Every lesson contains an introductory conversation and isolated vocabulary and structures, as well as full practice of all vocabulary introduced. The emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension to promote proficiency in spoken Mandarin. At the completion of this course, you’ll speak confidently using your wide-ranging vocabulary, and experience the language and culture with a deepening insight into a new world.Notes are included at the end of Lesson 30 for Levels 1-4. Totaling 3 and a half hours, these notes are designed to provide you with background information on the language and insight into the Chinese culture.Reading Lessons are included at the end of Level 5 Lesson 30. These lessons are designed to teach you to read Hanyu Pinyin (pinyin for short) the official phonetic system for transcribing pronunciations of Chinese characters into a Latin alphabet. Totaling one hour 15 minutes, the lessons will teach you to sound out written words with correct pronunciation and accent. A Reading Booklet to be used with the audio lessons is included in PDF format.The Pimsleur MethodWe 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 AnticipationIn 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 VocabularyWords, 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 RecallReminders of new words and structures come up at the exact interval for maximum retention and storage into your long-term memory.Organic LearningYou 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 ContextResearch 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 ParticipationThe 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 Mandarin LanguageOver one billion people speak Chinese. The two most common dialects are Mandarin and Cantonese. They are not mutually intelligible. Mandarin is the official language in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore. The Mandarin dialect is used in most Chinese schools, and in most TV programs, movies, and radio stations throughout the country, and even in Guangzhou (formerly Canton), where people speak Cantonese in their daily lives. Mandarin is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.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