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This is a great product, the comprehensive set is better. It's a real shame that there is only 1 volume of the comprehensive set - I would buy the others in a heartbeat (publisher please note).
In others words: keep it simple. With 30 lessons on CDs, plus a number of cultural lessons to boot, this is the easiest, most practical approach to becoming conversational in Cantonese, without learning the very difficult Chinese characters. I might write "mh" for "not" or "don't"; you may write "um". My only complaint is that there aren't more lessons. Using this system, each lesson is condensed to 10-15 cards which I carry with me. The reason Pimsleur works where others fall short is that an English-speaking moderator says everything in English, then two different native Cantonese speakers (one male, one female) translate the English into Cantonese and repeat the statement several times. To begin with, I listen to each lesson at home with a stack of 3" by 5" lined index cards, and I use a 0.9mm mechanical pencil (#2 and harder to break "lead" than 0.7mm or 0.5mm).
Since Cantonese is such a tonal language, the tones used for each sound are also explained as the lesson progresses so you are aware that tone changes can change the meaning of what seem to be similar sounds. Anyone listening at Pimsleur. Repeating after the native speakers allows you to imitate the tones. You can carry the iPod Nano and earphones, or you may just carry a stack of cards with you wherever you go.
Working to learn my wife's native language, Cantonese, without learning the written language, Pimsleur is the best program I've found so far. I use Yale Romanization (the phonetic sound) for each character and write each sentence on a card after hearing the Cantonese, then putting the iPod in pause mode. I am able to get five sentences/vocabulary items on each card, with the front side in English and the flip side in Cantonese Romanization. A rubber band around the cards keeps them together: As an example, the English on one side might be: 1."Do you want to go to my place to eat." The Romanized Cantonese on the other side will be something like: 1."Neih surng mh surng hoih ngoh doh sik ah." There are many variations of Yale Romanization; however, I have found that the easiest way is to simply write the Cantonese phonetically--the way it sounds to YOU--without adding tone marks. Any MP3 player can be used, but I find that the original iPod Nano is the ideal compact size for sticking in a pocket with small earphones. I find that by having small stacks of flash cards that I have made myself, I have put the necessary work into condensing the program into a useable form. Maybe a Part II, with 30 more lessons is in the works at Pimsleur. No matter, it's what works for you.
Anyhow, here's my learning system and it could be used with any Pimsleur language--not just Cantonese: I downloaded the CDs to a 4GB iPod Nano that I use ONLY for Cantonese learning. You simply listen to the English, then the Cantonese, press the pause button to allow time to repeat the Cantonese, then press play again. In summary: the success or failure of any program like Pimsleur Cantonese is a direct reflection of the work you are willing to put into it. Good luck.
I think this is perfect for the beginner. Look no further.
I have used other language programs in the past, and this was definitely the best I have used. I usually don't write reviews, but this is worthy of one:I was surprised with the instant results I got from using this.
This is it. I am almost done with it, and have really learned a lot within a month.
If you are looking to learn cantonese. I have some cantonese experience prior to this, and although there were some terms I already knew, this really helped me put everything together.
There is plenty of review in each lesson, so that it really sticks.5 stars.
I didn't expect Pimsleur to make me fluent, but rather I wanted to be able to understand simple phrases, vocab, and grammar. For an extremely complex language like Cantonese, Pimsleur does a great job at slowly immersing you into the language without overwhelming you.I am so far through 14 of the 30 lessons and I am feeling more confident with each one. I got the CD's because I am visiting my girlfriend's family in Guangdong and want to be able to communicate in some way, rather than look like a fool (mistake I made the first time). Pimsleur does well in teaching this in an organized, understandable manner. I recommend highly, especially since there is no Rosetta Stone or other program of this quality out there for learning Cantonese.
I'm half way through the program, and I'm able to speak/listen to some simple phrases that are commonly used by native speakers. I'm the kind of person who tries to find "free" solutions online, but everything I tracked down was very overwhelming. Prior to buying this, I was very interested in learning conversational Cantonese, but had zero previous experience. Thus far the vocabulary is very guided for an American travelling to Hong Kong.It has also helped to understand some simple grammatical structure, so I'm able to construct my own phrases not necessarily on the CDs. Someone suggested Pimsleur, so I decided to check it out. It was a bit pricy, but I think it has been worth it. My friends from Hong Kong are very impressed with how quickly I'm picking things up.Anyone considering this product should note that it is a set of 15 cds with 30 half hour audio lessons, where you repeat phrases and answer questions that the narrator has. There are no transcripts, so don't expect to learn how to read or write Cantonese.Highly reccomended.
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