Pimsleur foreign language course. Learning English with Dr. Pimsler's Method: Principles, Pros and Cons

The course of learning foreign languages ​​according to the method of Dr. Pimsleur is known worldwide as the most popular among audio courses. It is aimed at a modern person who does not have the opportunity to spend a lot of time on books. However, it is great for learning languages ​​in different levels. Each course consists of 30 lessons of 30 minutes each. Dr. Paul Pimsler claims that the human brain takes in information most efficiently within 30 minutes.

All learning takes place in an interactive form, where you will be directly involved, so soon you will be able to ask, explain, communicate, i.e. to feel like a potential person in a foreign country, among foreign citizens.

Ultra-fast mastering of English by the method of Dr. Pimsleur

Pimsler method. Today it is the only method of learning English, based on the author's, patented and world-renowned memory training technique, the use of which gives a one hundred percent guarantee of deep memorization of everything that you study.

Audio course English from Dr. Paul Pimsleur

Ultra-fast English language learning - A course created specifically for Russian-speaking users who are already studying, or who have decided to start learning English on their own.
The annotation of the course, which you can listen to for free and without registration, states:
“Now, in order to master the English language, there is no need to study textbooks! All you have to do is just listen and repeat, listen and talk!”
Audio course English - super fast!

The entire audio course is designed for 45 hours of independent study sessions, consisting of 90 lessons of 30 minutes each. Your task is to listen carefully and do everything that the announcers say, carefully pronouncing the proposed sounds, words and sentences.
All English lessons are voiced by two speakers - a Russian speaker who explains and gives you tasks, and a native English speaker who pronounces all the learning sounds and dialogues in his native language.

Lessons of the second and third levels were not officially released for Russian-speaking users. The second and third levels were translated from Italian into Russian by Igor Serov, who taught English for 10 years at the Academy of the FSB of Russia, Psycholinguist and master of NLP.

For high-quality mastering of the English spoken language, it is recommended to complete no more than one lesson per day, but this lesson must be worked out one hundred percent. For more effective study, it is better to have one lesson twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. Only then can you move on to the next lesson.

Upon completion of the training, you will know and, absolutely without hesitation, use about 1500 words in your speech and easily compose several hundred conversational constructions of the English language.

Important! This is not an auditory course (only for listening), but audiolingual(for speaking)! To communicate with the speaker. Pimsleur Course it is forbidden listen in the car, bus, jogging, etc. To get the effect of learning, need to study at home! During pauses between the speaker's speech, which are specially timed, SPEAK LOUD AND CONFIDENTLY answering questions or repeating the speaker's speech. This course is not for relaxed listening, but for concentrated work!

To listen to the lessons, as well as read the text version of the lesson, click on one of the links below with the desired lesson number (opens in a new window):

There are many methods of learning English, and each has its own unique approach.

So, in our time, when processes have accelerated and it is sometimes difficult to devote time only to English, advanced teaching methods come to the rescue. So, you can combine business with pleasure - for example, a bike ride or a hike, a subway train while listening to various effective recordings.

From the article you will learn:

English by the method of Dr. Pimsleur

Pimsleur's English is quite popular and is one of the most advanced and effective methods studying of English language. So, the course below is designed for Russian speakers.

Everything is quite simple - classes are built in the form of a dialogue with questions and answers, which covers everyday household and not only aspects. So, in the first lessons, language constructions are given, that is, frequently used phrases in English that native speakers use in everyday communication.

It is suitable for both beginners and advanced learners of English. So, Dr. Pimsler, on the basis of research, revealed that the memorization and assimilation of this or that material by the brain occurs within no more than 30 minutes.

So, even if you have a zero level of English, in a couple of months you will be able to place an order in a cafe or restaurant without any problems, fill up your car, make purchases in a store, ask for the location of a particular object, and much more.

Purpose of the Pimsleur Method

The goal is to quickly learn spoken English, understand foreign everyday speech, the ability to enter into a dialogue on various topics with a native English speaker. Learn and apply more than 2000 words in the form of phrases, turns used in everyday speech.

Description of the learning process

As for the learning process, it is quite simple. It is necessary to devote no more than 30 minutes a day to studying and take 1-2 lessons. Thus, you can memorize 100 words. If you don’t understand something, you can always go through this or that lesson again, the main thing is to master the material so that as a result of your training you get the result you expected.

So, the first level includes 30 lessons for self-study. There are second and third levels, but the first one lays the foundation, so pay special attention to it.

So, as you have already calculated, the course takes only 15 hours. With due diligence and desire, you will definitely improve your level of English.

It is necessary - people have understood this for a long time. And if earlier English was the most popular, now others, both European and rarer, have been added to it. In an effort to help everyone who wants to master knowledge faster, teachers and scientists come up with new ways of learning. For example, the study by the Pimsleur method has become extremely popular. Today we propose to find out what is remarkable about him.

Why learn foreign languages?

In the context of the rapid rapprochement of countries from economic, political, cultural and other points of view, knowing only the native dialect has become an unaffordable luxury. English is a necessary minimum that can be useful to any person at any time. Foreign online stores, instructions for use, some highly specialized articles, interesting books and films, travel - to access many of these benefits of humanity and realize their full potential, you need to know at least one foreign language.

It is not surprising that, realizing this, people began to develop various methods that allow them to assimilate new knowledge as quickly and efficiently as possible, in other words, to begin to speak and understand interlocutors from other countries. These methods are based on a variety of principles.

Basic principles of study

Polyglots and professionals say that if you wish, you can learn any language. For some it is easier to do this, for others it is more difficult, but it is extremely important to observe two principles: comprehensive practice and regularity. It is believed that learning foreign languages ​​is most effective from three main sides at once: reading, listening and speaking. As for the second principle, it is very simple - you can do it quite a bit, but every day. It is better if new information constantly arrives, as well as a repetition of the old. In the early stages, you can focus on vocabulary, but grammar will also be needed very soon, so it will not work to neglect it for a long time.

And yet, despite the fact that you will have to learn the same things, you can do it in completely different ways. Linguists, translators, philologists and just enthusiasts have developed a lot of ways over the years.

Modern techniques

If you do not mention each method specifically, conditionally they can all be divided into 6 large groups that involve certain memorization mechanisms. So, there are the following main methods of learning a foreign language:

  1. Traditional (lexico-grammatical). Everyone, without exception, is familiar with it, because in accordance with this methodology, training programs are built in most educational institutions. According to this method, language memorization is based on learning words and grammatical rules, compiling your own sentences and translating in both directions. Programs according to this technique can be built according to a variety of principles, but they all have one thing in common - constant active practice.
  2. Wednesday dive. As a rule, this method involves a temporary move to the country of the language being studied. However, without minimal knowledge, it is still useless - it is better to obtain relevant knowledge by applying it to known basic principles. The advantage of this approach in its purest form lies in the simultaneous understanding of the culture of the country, the characteristics of life in it, etc. On the other hand, some knowledge may be lost.
  3. communicative method. Today it is the second most popular after the traditional one. In this case, the goal is to learn not to read or make dry sentences that are not related to life, but to start interacting with people using your knowledge. This group of techniques is considered the most advanced and effective, so its popularity is not surprising. A well-designed program can produce truly brilliant results.
  4. Silence method. This approach assumes that the teacher does not "put pressure" on the student with his authority, does not influence his level of knowledge with his own, but simply guides. According to this technique, not a sound is pronounced in a foreign language until the study of transcriptions and reading rules is completed. This approach quickly fell out of favor, probably due to its time consuming and dubious effectiveness.
  5. Physical response method. This method is also quite unusual due to the fact that students have to literally "pass through" all knowledge. The first lessons are based on the study of verbs, to which each student begins to react over time. At the word "stand up" he performs the necessary action, thus, remembering not abstract lexemes, but using associative memory.
  6. audiolinguistic method. Often it is based on simple cramming according to the "hear - repeat" scheme. This is not suitable for everyone, since the perception of hearing is well developed in a few. It is to this group that the widely advertised method of Dr. Pimsleur belongs. But what makes him stand out from this group?

The Pimsleur method: the essence

This approach belongs to the last, audiolinguistic group. The standard course contains 90 lessons divided into three levels. The first one is for beginners and the other two are for advanced ones.

According to the creator of the methodology, the student does not need any textbooks, literally from the first lessons he will be able to start speaking. It is stated that this approach is patented and has been used by American intelligence services for several decades.

In fact, it all comes down to repeated listening and repeating certain conversational phrases, that is, certain communicative patterns are formed. It's valuable, but no language ends there.

Building Lessons

Each lesson lasts no more than half an hour, since it is believed that a long duration tires the student and reduces his level of motivation. In addition, scientists believe that this is the period during which the brain assimilates new information most effectively. Training involves one lesson per day, so the entire course is designed for approximately 3 months.

The lessons according to the method of Dr. Pimsleur involve the constant repetition of the information received during the previous lessons, later there are also tasks that involve the translation of previously memorized phrases. Thus, memory is trained and persistent patterns are formed for certain situations.

Efficiency

As already mentioned, almost all audiolinguistic methods do not justify the efforts of the student. They are convenient as a support, additional practice, but not the main approach. By themselves, the lessons of the method of Dr. Pimsleur are not something innovative or breakthrough. However, the right move was to make the duration of the lesson no more than half an hour, because otherwise the students would quickly get tired and start to be frankly bored.

Of course, everyone wants to find a miraculous way that allows you to immediately begin to speak a foreign language and understand it, but, unfortunately, this does not happen. The acquisition of knowledge, and even more so in such a complex area, requires a lot. This is probably why polyglots are so admired.

In addition, Paul Pimsler studied the mechanisms of language learning mainly on the example of children, who in this sense are very different from adults.

For Russian speakers

You can learn a range of Chinese, Greek, Hindi, Arabic, French, Spanish, German) using the Pimsleur method. This is also slightly suggestive, because there can be no universal solution. True, such a large selection is available only to those who already know English, while the rest have to be content with much less. Whether this is due to the gradual fading of interest in the technique after the death of its creator or doubts about its effectiveness is unknown.

So, for example, the Pimsleur method for Russian speakers is limited to only the most popular language - English. However, there are many analogues that have a much larger set, but approximately the same effect. Few audio courses involve the study of grammar, and without it, the value of knowledge is reduced to almost nothing.

Advantages

Like any audiolinguistic approach, Dr. Pimsler's method immediately forms the correct pronunciation and teaches you to understand foreign speech by ear. In addition, memorizing not individual words, but phrases provides a certain advantage, which students are often deprived of in other approaches. In this case, a person does not have to form a phrase in their native language, and only then translate it into the desired one. Linguistic patterns allow you to react to certain situations immediately, without this delay, since constant practice produces an unambiguous reaction. However, this is also a disadvantage at the same time.

disadvantages

Of course, the student will be able to ask a foreigner a question and even start a dialogue with him, but any deviation from the "standard" will be a kind of shock, and the same thing can be said completely different words. Replacing any word in an existing phrase is incredibly difficult, and Pimsleur lessons do not prepare very well for this.

The second major drawback is the focus of the approach solely on colloquial speech. A rather limited vocabulary is formed, and grammar generally remains undeveloped. In addition, students subsequently find it difficult to correlate written and oral speech. So there is no need to talk about a thorough and comprehensive study if only the Pimsleur method is used.

Traditional methods of learning a foreign language have one common drawback - they do not allow the student to overcome the language barrier, which leads to sad consequences: it seems that a person has a sufficient amount of knowledge and is well versed in grammar, but does not understand the speech of the interlocutor. Yes, and a rally to express his thoughts with his voice is a serious problem for him. The Pimsleur technique breaks stereotypes and involves the development of conversational skills from the first lesson, which makes it so effective.

Who is Dr. Pimsler?

Paul Pimsler is an American linguist with French roots who has paid much attention to the psychology of the process of learning and mastering a foreign language. In his works, Pimsler proved the productivity of the organic way of teaching speaking, not providing mastering reading and writing skills. Pimsler found confirmation of the effectiveness of this method in the process of studying children's abilities: a preschooler does not experience difficulties in communicating with peers and demonstrates fluency in the language, although he has no idea about the structure of the language and is not burdened with knowledge of grammar.

While teaching at the University of California, Pimsleur showed a genuine interest in students with language problems. He developed a system for testing the ability / inability of a student to learn language, which is actively used at the present time to identify the student and the prospects for his learning.

Dr. Pimsleur has developed his own courses in French, Spanish, Greek, German, Italian and English, which have become widely circulated around the world and gained popularity.

The Pimsleur method is the essence

Pimsler puts the formation of associative thinking at the forefront, consistent training of short and long-term memory, taking into account the specifics of operational memory. Four pillars of the Pimsler technique:
  • expectation principle, or the “request-response” principle, which activates the thought process before constructing a phrase in order to retrieve a dictionary structure from memory;
  • memorization through spaced repetition, which is based on features short-term and long memory;
  • core vocabulary: 100 words are enough to understand 50%, 500 words to understand 80%, 1200 words are enough to understand 90% of the language, while the grammar is “sewn up” into the vocabulary base and learned intuitively;
  • functional (organic) learning, which is more natural than learning a language in the classroom, because, according to the author, the student learns better with the ears than with the eyes.

English according to the method of Dr. Pimsler

Due to the fact that a student can concentrate and keep attention for no more than half an hour, according to the doctor, each of his lessons lasts 30 minutes. One level of study covers approximately 500 words.

Important ! stick rules: 1 day = 1 lesson. Don't force things. Study at home, because without active speaking, the Pimsleur course loses its meaning.

The student listens to enriched bilingual phrases performed by native speakers of the target language. At precise intervals, he is asked to repeat these phrases after the speaker. After that, a new cliche is introduced with an explanation of the meaning. After repeating a new phrase several times, the student returns to the previous construction and introduces new words into it. Further, the process of introducing new phrases is repeated, reproduction old designs occurs at lengthening time intervals.

Pimsler English for Russian speakers- nuances

English by the method of Dr. Pimsleur for Russian speakers was created directly professor only in the amount of 30 lessons ( first level), which implies a reserve of 500 words and mastering the initial skills. The second and third levels of the Pimsler course were translated from Italian by an experienced teacher of the Academy of the FSB.

Current page: 1 (the book has 14 pages in total)

From FB2 manufacturer.

- Let's talk in English.

Well, for practice.

Well, the son asked the task. I presented the situation. Two half (or a quarter) of literate people chat and diligently memorize erroneous language constructions. Yes, there will be many benefits...

What to do?

Aha! Here is the solution.

I take the lessons of Dr. Pimsler, and this, in my opinion, is the best of the methods ... (I have both audio and text files of the lessons downloaded in my backlog) I make a book and then: one reads the text, pauses in the right places, listens to the answers, and corrects the mistakes , then, so as not to be offended, you can change.

Two words about the method. The main thing is that the student is forced to work actively, he is constantly asked questions, first in Russian, and then ... well, you will see for yourself. repeated repetition the automatism of the language reaction is developed.

The question may arise, why do this file, take the audio recordings and listen - no, guys, there is a slight difference, communication with a living "teacher" is always better, he can skip places that are not very necessary, and vice versa return to the forgotten, yes and listen to audio, you can completely passively, but with the "teacher" the trick will not work.

Everything is clear, the goals are defined, the tasks are set! To work, comrades!

To the reader:

This file contains lessons from 1 to 30 (two lessons are missing - well, I don't have them, but it doesn't really matter, you will see that the material is presented very, very gradually with frequent repetitions (repetition is the mother of torment))

Places in the text marked with - * - imply waiting for the student's answer.

By the way, the first lessons may seem too primitive to many - everything is in your hands, start, well, I don’t know ... from the tenth.

Good luck w_cat!!

American English by Dr. Pimsleur.

Lesson #1

Listen to this conversation.

S-

M - Are you Russian?

S-Yes, Miss.

In a few minutes, you will not only understand the meaning of this conversation, but you yourself will be able to take part in it. Let's imagine a Russian man who came to America. He wants to speak to the American woman standing next to him. First he says:

Sorry.

The American announcer will repeat this phrase in parts, starting from the end. Repeat after him, trying to follow his pronunciation exactly. Be sure to speak out loud.

Excuse me Excuse me

How do you say "I'm sorry" in English?

Now he wants to ask if she understands Russian. Let's start with the word "in Russian". Listen and repeat.

Have you noticed that the English “r” sound at the beginning of this word is different from the Russian “r”? Now just listen.

Listen and repeat, trying to imitate the speaker's pronunciation.

Say sorry.

Repeat after the speaker, trying to accurately copy his pronunciation.

Say it again in Russian

Now he wants to ask, "Do you understand?" Here's how to say "understand", just listen:

Repeat after the speaker step by step:

Say "understand" again.

Here's how to say "you understand." Listen and repeat:

Say "you understand."

Remember how to say "in Russian"?

Say "you understand" again.

Now try to say "you understand Russian".

You understand English.

You understand English.

And this word is often used to ask a question in English. Listen and repeat:

IN English language a declarative sentence can often be turned into a question of everything - simply by putting this word at the beginning of a phrase. Say "you understand" again.

Try asking "do you understand?"

Do you understand?

Do you understand?

Say sorry.

Ask if I understand.

Do you understand?

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

The woman answers "no". Listen and repeat.

And now she answers more politely "no, sir." Listen and repeat.

This is a polite way of addressing a stranger. Say "sir" again. Pay attention to the sound at the end of the word.

Say a polite "no" to the man.

How do you say "sorry sir"?

How do you ask someone "does he understand"?

Do you understand?

Do you understand?

Do you understand Russian?

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

The man answers "I understand" at the beginning of the word "I". Listen and repeat:

And now the word "understand".

Have you noticed that “understand” and “understand” in English are denoted by the same word? Now say "I understand."

You hear that these two words are pronounced almost together. Try to say "I understand Russian".

I understand Russian.

I understand Russian.

Now say "you understand."

Say "I understand" again.

Do you remember how to ask a question in English? You understand?

Do you understand?

Ask the woman “do you understand Russian?”

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

She politely replies "no sir".

How to say "I understand"?

Now she wants to say "I don't understand". Listen and repeat.

I don't understand.

Don't understand

Don't understand

I don't understand.

What makes this phrase negative is "don't". Pay attention to pronunciation. Note that the "t" sound at the end of the word almost disappears. Listen and repeat.

I don't understand.

Say "I don't understand" again.

I don't understand.

There are many sounds in English that, like the sound "t", disappear at a fast pace of speech.

However, it is important to notice them, as they often change the meaning of the entire phrase. Say "I don't understand" again.

I don't understand.

Say "in Russian"

Remember the English "r" sound.

I don't understand English.

Ask "do you understand?"

Do you understand?

Do you understand?

Ask me if I understand Russian.

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

Try to answer "no, I don't understand".

No, I don't understand.

No, I don't understand.

Note that it is not customary in English to omit words like "I" and "you" even in short answers.

Now answer "I understand."

This is how the name of the English language sounds in English. Listen and repeat.

Say "in English"

This word has the sound "ing" one of those sounds of the English language that is not in Russian.

Listen and repeat to practice correct pronunciation.

Say "I understand."

I understand English.

I understand English.

Now tell me that you don't understand English.

I don't understand English.

Say "do you understand English".

You understand English.

You understand English.

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

Here's how to say "a little". For now, just listen.

Listen and repeat.

You noticed the "i" sound in the middle of this word. Say "a little" again.

Pay attention to the sound "a", which is at the beginning. Say "a little".

You want to say "I understand a little". Listen and repeat.

I understand a little.

I understand a little.

Pay attention to word order. Literally, you say "I understand a little." Say you understand a little.

I understand a little.

I understand a little.

Ask if I understand English.

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

Now say "I understand English".

I understand English.

I understand English.

Say "a little" again.

Listen and repeat "I understand a little English."

I understand English a little.

I understand English a little.

Tell me that you understand some English.

I understand English a little.

I understand English a little.

The woman wants to ask him "are you Russian?" Do you remember how to say "I understand Russian"?

I understand Russian.

The words "Russian" and "in Russian" in English correspond to the same word. Tell

"Russian".

Here's how to say "you are Russian". Listen and repeat.

You are Russian.

You are Russian.

The word "are" in the middle of this phrase corresponds to the word usually omitted in Russian

"eat". But in English this word is always used. So literally you say "you are Russian." Say it again.

You are Russian.

You are Russian.

Swap the first two words and now you can already ask: “are you Russian?”

Try to do it.

Are you Russian?

Are you Russian?

Ask "Do you understand English?"

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

Ask "Are you Russian"

Are you Russian?

Are you Russian?

Here's how to answer yes. Listen and repeat.

Say yes again.

In America, it is customary to call an unfamiliar young woman “Miss”. Listen and repeat.

Say yes miss.

Ask "are you Russian"

Are you Russian?

Are you Russian?

Answer "yes, miss"

Ask if I understand English.

Do you understand English?

Now say "Yes, I understand English"

Yes, I understand English.

Now listen to the same conversation you listened to at the beginning of the lesson, just a few minutes ago.

S - Excuse me, Miss. Do you understand English?

M - No, sir. I don't understand English.

M - Are you Russian?

S-Yes, Miss.

Listen again.

S - Excuse me, Miss. Do you understand English?

M - No, sir. I don't understand English.

S - I understand English a little.

M - Are you Russian?

S-Yes, Miss.

Now imagine that a young American woman is sitting next to you, you want to talk to her. What will you start with?

Excuse me. Excuse me, miss.

She doesn't answer, try asking if she understands.

Do you understand? Do you understand?

Ask her if she understands English.

And again no answer. Ask if she understands Russian.

Do you understand English? Do you understand English?

How to tell her that she does not understand Russian?

I don't understand English. I don't understand English.

How does she ask if you understand English?

Do you understand English? Do you understand English, sir?

Tell her that you understand a little.

I understand a little. I understand a little.

How does she ask if you are Russian?

Are you Russian? Are you Russian?

Answer "yes, miss"

Yes, miss. Yes, miss.

Now she will ask you a question, try to answer it.

Do you understand English, sir?

Yes, I understand English.

Yes, miss, I understand English.

She will ask you one more question. Answer using the word a little.

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

A little. I understand English a little.

And indeed it is. Now you already understand a little English. Don't worry if you sometimes make mistakes. Everything you learned today will be repeated in the next lessons. If you have mastered the material by about 80%, then you can proceed to the next lesson. If not, take 30 minutes to repeat this lesson again.

Lesson number 3.

Listen to this conversation.

Hello Sir. How are you?

Are you Russian?

At the end of the conversation, you heard the word "but" which means "but". Listen to the conversation again.

Hello Sir. How are you?

Yes, ma'am. A little. Not very well.

Are you Russian?

But you understand English very well.

Do you remember how to say "in English"?

English

Say "I understand English".

I understand English. I understand English.

Are you able to pronounce the word "understand" like the announcer does?

Listen and repeat

Understand, understand

understand English.

I understand English.

Say "a little".

Now say "I understand a little". Don't forget word order.

I understand a little.

Say "I understand a little English"

I understand English a little.

I understand English a little.

Not very good.

If you notice the "w" sound, say "not very good" again. Watch for correct pronunciation.

Now tell her you don't understand.

I don't understand. I don't understand.

You can add "sorry".

Remember how to say "hello" in English?

Ask how I'm doing.

How are you, sir?

Great, thanks.

I'm fine, thanks.

Here's another slightly more formal way to thank someone. Listen and repeat.

Have you noticed how the end of the first word merges with the beginning of the second? Listen and repeat.

Literally, it means "thank you". Say it again.

Say it again "hello".

Hello madam.

Hello ma'am. Hello ma'am.

How do you say "goodbye"?

good bye. good bye.

Goodbye, madam.

Good-bye, ma'am. Good-bye, ma'am.

Now say "thank you".

Ask me again how I'm doing.

How are you? How are you?

Try to answer "not very good".

Not very well. Not very well.

How can I tell you that I don't understand English?

I don't understand English.

Do you speak English?

Do you understand English? Do you understand English?

I understand English a little.

You understand very well, sir.

How do you thank a woman?

Thank you ma'am.

Now ask if I'm Russian.

Are you Russian?

Are you Russian, sir?

How to answer "yes, I'm Russian."

Yes, I'm Russian.

Now try asking a woman if she is Russian.

Are you Russian, ma’am?

Ask her again if she is Russian.

Are you Russian, ma’am?

She replies "no, I'm American". Listen.

No, I'm American.

Listen and repeat the word "American".

Merican, merican

Say "American".

Say you are American.

Ask her if she understands Russian.

Do you understand English?

Do you understand English?

Remember how to say "a little"?

Now say "not very good".

Here's how to say "I'm not American".

I'm not American.

Repeat after the announcer "I'm not an American."

I'm not American.

not American, not American

I'm not American. I'm not American.

The word "not" makes this sentence negative. Say again "I'm not an American."

I'm not American.

I'm not American.

Suppose you want to ask "what about you?". Listen and repeat.

What is the English word for "a"?

Did you notice the "d" sound at the end of this word? Ask again "and you?". Watch for correct pronunciation.

Did you notice how the "d" sound at the end of the first word connects to the "y" sound at the beginning of the second? This often happens at a fast pace of speech.

Listen and repeat.

Now say "I'm Russian, and you?"

I'm Russian. And you?

Tell the man "you are Russian."

You are Russian.

Now try to say "you are not Russian".

You are not Russian.

You are not Russian.

Ask "and you?".

Say "I'm not American".

I'm not American.

I'm not American.

Now you want to add "but I understand English". Listen and repeat the word that means "but".

Now say "but" yourself

Try saying "but I understand."

But I understand.

But I understand.

But I understand English.

The last sound in the words "but, not, don't" often merges with the first sound in the next word.

Say "but I understand English" again.

But I understand English.

But I understand

But I understand English.

I understand a little English.

I understand English a little.

I understand English a little.

Ask "and you?"

Ask the woman if she is American.

Are you American?

Are you American, ma'am?

Ask "are you Russian?"

Are you Russian?

Ask her "do you understand Russian?"

Do you understand English?

Listen to her answer.

To soften the "no" in English, "sorry" is often added.

No, I'm sorry. I don't understand English.

Here's how to say sorry. Listen and repeat.

Sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

Have you noticed the English "r" sound? Say "no, I'm sorry."

No, I'm sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

Say "I don't understand Russian".

I don't understand English.

And how to say "no, I'm sorry, I don't understand Russian."

No, I'm sorry. I don't understand English.

No, I'm sorry. I don't understand English.

How to say "thank you"?

Now we will try to ask for something in English. Let's start with the word "please".

Listen.

Listen and repeat.

How to say "please"?

Say sorry.

Say "you are American".

You're American.

Say "I'm Russian"

Say "but I understand English."

But I understand English.

But I understand English.

Now say "no madam".

Say "I don't understand English."

I don't understand English.

Sorry.

I'm sorry, I don't understand English.

I'm sorry, I don't understand English.

I don't understand English.

Say "I'm not Russian".

I'm not Russian.

Say "you don't understand Russian".

You don't understand English.

You don't understand English.

Tell the girl that she is not Russian.

You are not Russian, miss.

You are not Russian, miss.

Tell the man he's not American.

You are not American, sir.

Now say "I'm Russian, and you?".

I'm Russian. And you?

I'm Russian. And you?

Ask "Are you American?"

Are you American?

Say "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

Remember how to ask "how are you?".

Answer "great, thanks."

I'm fine, thanks.

Do you remember the first sound of the English word thank you? Listen again.

Say "Fine, thank you" again.

I'm fine, thanks.

Try saying it more politely.

fine, thank you.

I'm fine, thank you.

Remember how to say "sorry"?

Now say thank you.

Are you able to pronounce the sound "th" in the same way as the announcer does?

Now say "thank you" using both options you are familiar with.

thank you. thanks.

thank you. thanks.

Now say "I'm sorry sir".

You are Russian?

Are you Russian?

Are you Russian?

Say yes.

Say "I don't understand Russian".

I don't understand English.

How do you say "I understand a little Russian"?

I understand Russian a little.

Say "please sir".

How can you say "thank you" more politely?

Say goodbye.

Now imagine walking down the street and you meet a girl who works in a store near your hotel. She walks ahead of you, so you want to call out to her. How would you do it.

Say hello to her.

Ask her how she's doing.

I'm fine thanks. And you, sir?

Ask if she understands Russian.

Do you understand English?

How will she say that she does not understand Russian?

I don't understand English.

I'm sorry, I don't understand Russian.

And now she's going to ask you a question. Answer her.

Are you Russian?

Yes, miss. I'm Russian.

Yes, miss. I'm Russian.

Add "but I understand English".

But I understand English.

But I understand English.

You'd be better off saying "a little".

Say "I understand a little English."

I understand English a little.

I understand English a little.

Maybe it would be better to say "not very good".

Listen to her answer and, as you respond, thank her.

You understand English very well.

Thank you miss.

Thank you miss.

Now she is going to tell you something. If you don't understand, tell her so.

I think that you speak English very well.

I don't understand.

I'm sorry, I don't understand.

She told you "you speak very well".

Now say "please, miss."

But at this time, she notices her friend, who is also walking down the street. Hurrying to him, she says to you "goodbye." Answer her.