Positive
Confidence Boost
It does give you an immediate confidence boost as you quickly learn words and at the end of each half hour lesson are able to understand the conversation from the start. Each lesson makes you use words you learnt in a previous lesson which helps cement them in your memory.
Listening Comprehension
It really helps understanding actual conversation at normal talking speed, they don't slow it for you so you are forced to focus.
Fun Repetition
It's very much all about repetition. However, it is delivered ina manner that makes it fun.
Quick
You progress very quickly.
Negative
Not Quite Portable
It advertises itself as something you can take anywhere and do while doing anything but I say no absolutely not. Every lesson has you speaking allowed which isn't something you can do unless you're alone without looking like you've gone cookoo. Secondly, each lesson requires focus. I couldn't even draw and do the course at the same time because it divided my attention and made words harder to learn. I made a habit of going to bed half an hour early and doing the lesson there.
No Written Work
With a language like Japanese that has three alphabets, I'm sure you can understand why not having any lessons on writing hurts.
Limited
It doesn't really cover every situation and I know it can't but I really wish I'd learnt how to ask where the bathroom is in the first lesson. Also, I'm not American but it is assumed you are in the course.
Verdict?
It would be entirely possible to rig this up yourself using smiletalk but for the sake of ease having it all preplanned is nice. I recommend practicing this in bed as part of a learning japanese diet. Crunch a few kanji before, learn your alphabets and experiment writing the sentences you learnt in pimsleur.
