Why Pimsleur is Better for Travelers
You’ve booked your dream trip to Peru and want to be able to connect with locals and communicate basics at restaurants and hotels. In the world of language learning apps and programs, two variations stand out – the app based gamified programs like Duolingo and the audiobook “listen and repeat” types of programs, like Pimsleur. But which is better for travelers who need conversational skills fast?
Duolingo is the colorful, gamified app that makes learning a new language fun through bite-sized lessons, points, and leveling up. It’s free, easy to use, and great for vocabulary building. The app makes it feel like you’re playing a game rather than studying. And boy were we addicted to Duolingo! I didn’t miss a day, staying in Diamond league for weeks on end. Competition was fierce! But was I learning much for how much effort I put in?
Duolingo has some shortcomings when it comes to travel preparation. The focus is heavily on written vocabulary and translation. There is very little opportunity to practice conversational speaking. While Duolingo is captivating and helps you read menus, you’ll struggle to actually converse. I also found that the foundational lessons didn’t necessarily focus on what would be most useful on Day One of your trip. My Indonesian lessons in preparation for Bali was teaching me colors – black, red, and white mostly– not what I needed the most – Hello. Thank You. How much? Goodbye! Which meant Goodbye to Duolingo after a 400 day streak!
That’s where Pimsleur excels. Pimsleur audio lessons focus completely on conversational skills. The programs immerse you in realistic conversations full of natural speech patterns. You speak out loud and translate conversations on the fly, preparing your mouth and mind for real interactions. Thirty minutes a day with Pimsleur can make you “travel conversational” in just a month.
Yes, Pimsleur lacks Duolingo’s fun gamification. The audio-only method isn’t visually stimulating, there’s no hook to keep you coming back. But that’s precisely why it works so well – it forces you to listen and speak conversationally. For travelers on a deadline who need to arrive prepared to chat with locals, Pimsleur is the clear winner. My biggest drawback with Pimselur is that some of the languages use the formal vs informal approach, even though I have found that for traveling the informal friendly is more effective and most locals won’t find the familiar offensive. If I was looking to become fluent in a language I would learn the different modalities of formal and familiar, but then I wouldn’t be using Pimsleur, I would be going to more rigorous live classes and practicing with a local speaker. If you can do this in the country you’re traveling to, even better!
A special MVP shoutout to Google Translate, that is the highest ROI language tool. It is the #1 app to use (after Google Maps) in a foreign country. It will live translate menus and signs, help translate what you want to communicate live as well. GAME CHANGER.
