Pimsleur Czech Basic Course - Level 1 Lessons 1-10 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Czech with Pimsleur Language Programs (1) Audio CD – CD, January 1, 2006

In that learning to speak a foreign language is not an easy task, this course is a very good way to do it. It does proceed slowly and repeats itself, but that tends to reinforce what is learned. If you want to learn introductory Czech very quickly, this is not the course. But if you have some time, it works quite well. Of course, this is just the first ten lessons - it gets you through the basics of asking directions and numbers, and greetings, etc. The next twenty Pimsleur Czech lessons can be found on Amazon Audible.I use this in my car. The 25-30 minute lessons are perfect for the trip to some stores. I repeat each lesson at least twice, which gives me the practice I need. Sometimes the pronunciation is difficult to understand at first, but each phrase is initially broken into syllables and is repeated often enough over the next several lessons that everything can be mastered.I find the repetition to be very helpful in that Czech has so many sounds not found in English. This course is working well to train my mouth and tongue to actually speak and pronounce Czech well.

Nothing wrong with the CD and what is being taught. It's just hard to stay focused and learn what they are teaching you.

I have two of Pimsleur's CD programs; German and French and I found this one to fit quite nicely into the mix. It uses simple repetition and each CD builds on the next so that by the time you've spent some time on all of them you will have a basic working understanding of the Czech language. Will you feel like you can sit in a coffee shop in Prague and quote Kafka in his native language of have a meaningful philosophical discussion? Naw, but then I can't do that in English either. What it gave me and might give you is the ability to sit down in that same coffee shop and order something without coming across like too much of a tourist. It will also show the local folks you bump into that you're at least interested in their language and culture. Grab a book or two on the language and Czech history while you're at it and then enjoy your trip. Dekuji!

Pimsleurs Czech is getting a bit aggravating.I am on CD 3 and have spent nearly an hour learning how to ask a woman if she is Czech or telling her I am not Czech. I mean, come on, if I am going to the Czech republic, I am going to assume that a woman who is speaking this language is Czech and my lack of fluency in the language will reveal that I am not. Most people can spot an American a mile away without having to tell them.Another thing, all I require is to know how to say: "I understand a little Czech" I don't need an hour to memorize "I understand only a little Czech", then..."But I understand only a little Czech." It's a waste of valuable study time. Then we launch into how to say "speaking". To me, understand is good enough but Pimsluer wastes your valuable 30 minutes having you memorize how to say speak.I have yet to find out any basic greetings but I probably will be the time I reach CD lesson 10, if I have the patience to get that far.At any rate, I will have mastered telling a woman I am American and finding out if she is Czech.

I wanted a basic knowledge of Czech, so I purchased this product. I am so pleased with it! You hear native speakers, starting with basic words and phrases like "excuse me"',"do you/I speak....""thank you " etc. and then progress to longer phrases, with review of previously learned words and phrases, and building on those. The listener repeats out loud what the speakers say, so that you get better and better with each lesson. I have learned to speak four other languages in the traditional manner, and I think this method is fantastic! It can't be beat for getting the pronunciation and phrasing right, and it gives me so much more confidence to actually speak to native speakers. You can't get that from a phrase book. Great method! And people in other countries are always appreciative when English speakers make the attempt to communicate in their language...it makes the trip that much more pleasant and memorable.

First lesson repeated in 2nd and 3rd lesson; 2 lessons on each CD. Lesson not applicable to every day; meet and great stilted and formal. Hoped it would have - hello, goodbye, please, thank you, where is, what is, how much is, etc. Haven't gone on to 4th lesson yet because it's probably a repeat of the first several which are of little or no use to me. Very disappointed. Having recently returned from Chez Rep I can honestly say this was a waste of money and time.

Dr. Pimsleur (what, no first name?) has taken the most basic principle of language retention and turned it into an art form and...guess what, it works! For those of us who do not have a gift of learning languages, the most common stumbling block is trying to absorb too much too soon. We try to learn alphabets, days, times, numbers, and by the time we get to verb conjugations we're on the verge of mental block. Having a live teacher is the best remedy; repeating phrases over and over with Pimsleur may be the next best thing.Almost any language program would work just as well (even better with a textbook) if one would just focus on one phrase or sentence at a time, and let it take root before going on to the next topic. Pimsleur's stunt crew rewinds a short conversation over and over until you're hearing it come out of your mouth the way they're drilling it into your head. Face it, people, this is how dogs, cats and infants learn commands, and if it's good enough for them it's good enough for you. You may want to compare other language CD's to this one but you'll be surprised how quick you'll keep gravitating back to Pimsleur.This is DEFINITELY NOT worth the retail price, but if you can get a used one at a bargain basement price you're losing out by not taking advantage. It's a great shortcut that can help you avoid burnout before you even get on track.

It's O.K.

Easy to learn in the car. I found it more effective to break it down into 5 minute chunks instead of completing each lesson. Sometimes it seems a bit fast, but the phrases are repeated so often later on, that you eventually pick it up.

Lousy product

It's great as far as it goes but I would prefer a script of the CD lessons. It's not always easy to hear the correct endings. I thought there was a book with it when I ordered it - it wasn't obvious that there wasn't. I'm a little hard of hearing, but I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem. A look at the written word can help you listen for the endings. ,

Well presented. Nice holder for discs.On the whole really disappointed with this. Whilst I did learn some Czech if I was an American man wishing to 'chat up' a Czech girl for a date .. well this is the system for you but if you want to have some understanding of general useful language to get you through a holiday situation then look elsewhere.