Pimsleur Review: Russian Lessons

Pimsleur is an education program that develops and publishes language courses using the Pimsleur Method, which was developed by a professor of applied linguistics. This is a research-based method that puts speaking and listening skills first. Currently, you can learn more than 50 languages on Pimsleur. Russian lessons are just one of the many programs you can choose from - though it is also one of the most robust.

Detailed first lesson

Pimsleur's goals for your first Russian lessons are to get you speaking right away. The best part is that the audio and voice-based lessons help you develop your Russian speech to become fluent without an American accent. In our first trial lesson on the platform (which offers you one free lesson before you need to decide on a premium membership), we were able to access a 30-minute core lesson, an AI voice coach, plus flashcards, reading lessons, and more. Each lesson consists of listening to a real Russian conversation between two individuals. You can pause or rewind the lesson at any time to continue to review. You will have an English-speaking guide while you listen, who will explain the different parts of the audio. He will also guide you through pronunciation and repeating sections of the lesson aloud. After the listening exercise, you'll be able to move on to reading and writing based on the lesson you just finished. You will also get a direct explanation of the Cyrillic alphabet right away.

Research-based methods

Pimsleur's methodology was developed back in the 1960s, and it focuses on speaking and listening before worrying about reading and writing. It's based on research on applied linguistics and cognitive psychology. The program also uses "graduated-interval recall," which changes how long the spacing is between review of different terms across your Russian lessons. The idea is that you have a cumulative learning method where vocabulary is revisited at increasing intervals. Pimsleur is also based on the "principle of anticipation," where you are prompted to remember a phrase before hearing the correct version, which helps with active recall. However, the site notes that grammatical structures are "organically introduced" through usage, which means you may not get helpful grammar explanations in detail the way you would, say, with a college course or a live teacher.

Cumulative lessons from level to level

Pimsleur's language lessons are mostly audio-based, so you'll develop your speaking and listening skills over time. Each speaking lesson is around 30 minutes long, which will be a bit different when compared to the more gamified Russian lessons in our review that have lessons that are just minutes long at a time. Pimsleur's courses are organized into levels, which include 30 speaking lessons and 20 reading lessons on average, and are cumulative.

Translation to Latin alphabet and English only when needed

Pimsleur offers translations as part of the course, but the guided lessons recommend that you don't use them. The goal is to immerse yourself in the speech and audio of the Russian language during these lessons. You can check yourself any time if you need to, but Pimsleur's Russian lessons are meant to help you really hear and learn Russian like a native speaker, which is particularly helpful with the sound-based methodology.

Impressive journey toward fluency

Pimsleur is designed for true fluency, so this is an ideal site if you really want to dig into Russian lessons and be able to speak like a native speaker. The lessons are longer and more detailed, and are designed to help you with your pronunciation and avoid an accent. If you're looking to move to Russia or plan to speak with native speakers often, this is going to be a fantastic course to consider. It is also 100% beginner-friendly with guided lessons on Cyrillic that will help even students who have never looked at Russian before.

Pricing from $13.57 to $20.99 per month

Pimsleur only lets you take one Russian lesson for free. So, you'll have to subscribe to keep the learning going. When you subscribe, you get access to a 7-day free trial before you are charged either a monthly or annual fee, depending on your choice. Here's what your options look like:

• Monthly: $20.99 per month
• Annual: $13.57 per month (billed at $164.99 per year)

100% app-based learning

Pimsleur is an app-based learning program. At the time of our review, there was no way to access the Russian lessons on Pimsleur from your desktop. This is so that you can learn Russian from anywhere. Pimsleur states that you should be able to enjoy your practice when it's convenient for you, whether that's while cooking, commuting, exercising, or doing something else.

Great Russian lessons and even better with sales

Pimsleur currently holds a "C-" rating from the Better Business Bureau; however, since this is due to only 3 complaints that Pimsleur failed to respond to, we're not sure why the rating for this Russian lesson program is so low. If you look at third-party reviews, especially on the mobile app stores, you'll find that customers almost uniformly love their experiences with this language platform. For example, the Apple Store shows a 4.7-star average rating for Pimsleur. Customers love the level of detail in the lessons, and learners say that when compared to similar amounts of work on other language learning apps, "you will learn" with Pimsleur. Students particularly praised the value when they could get reduced costs on dates like Cyber Monday or temporary sales offered by Pimsleur.

Excellent cost vs. value for your lessons

Pimsleur is a top-notch choice for really getting fluent in your target language. So, if you're serious about Russian lessons and don't mind slightly longer sessions, you can build a strong vocabulary with Pimsleur using research-backed methodology. With competitive pricing (and options for sales), you can get a full course that can take you to fluency without breaking the bank. With the high reviews and trusted background of the Pimsleur Method, Pimsleur stands out from the pack.

Learn More  ➜

On the Pimsleur website