"My son showed interest in Spanish while watching Dora so I bought this video to take him one step further when he was almost 3. I was amazed to see that not only he sat there watching with interest but he also repeated words and small dialogues in Spanish. He would never talk Spanish with us (we don't really speak anyways) but when we met a couple of Mexican friends this summer he could exchange greeting with them and answer simple questions such as what color is your shirt or what do you want to eat. They were amazed at his accent and said he did not sound American at all (however it did not work on me who is trying to learn with him, I'm probably too old to get the native's accent).
On a technical point of view, the program is very well done, A succession of short sequences keep the interest and attention of the young viewer alive. A little gap after each word or sentence enable the child to repeat or internalize the vocabulary. The same words are presented in different scenes. I guess I don't really need to develop on this with all the awards it received.
In short I really recommend it and I'm delighted that I have discovered it."
The Pimsleur technique works!
Jill O'Neal | Los Angeles, CA | 03/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I learned that there was a foreign language learning DVD with the Pimsleur name attached, I bought the 3 pack set without blinking an eye. I wasn't disappointed!
Little Pim is designed specifically for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their parents. It uses immersion and interaction in a fun and engaging way with a cute little animated panda, named Pim, as the main character who guides the learning. Each learning section starts with Pim in a short animated skit, then transitions to real children going through everyday activities that are narrated by Pim. The voice of Pim is crisp and clear and the quality of the video is superb.
I've bought a lot of French language learning DVDs, and none come close to Little Pim. My (almost) three year old really likes the little panda and his bamboo soup, or should I say, "soupe de bamboo" :-), and just this morning at breakfast, used a phrase from one of the DVDs.
I would highly recommend this DVD set to anyone interested in teaching their toddlers and preschoolers a foreign language.
"
Another Way to Say "MILK"!
Angela Enyart | Finger, TN USA | 05/16/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I recently heard my three-year-old daughter telling my younger daughter, "I know another way to say 'milk'. You say 'leche'." That was after watching the first DVD about four or five times. My children just love Little Pim! They seem to learn from him so quickly. He is cute, funny, and informative; he does a great job keeping them riveted. I like that he is the only one that talks because then the accent and pronounciation are uniform for the child to copy. The immersion idea is great, though I've been very thankful for the English subtitles when watching them for the first time. My only complaints are that on one occasion, Little Pim acts like a dog in a crude effort to be funny, and that sometimes the mothers' necklines are a bit too low for viewing-comfort, but I would highly recommend these videos as the best thing I've seen for children learning Spanish. I wish they would make a follow-up set for the next age-group. This set of videos was well-worth my money."
Excellent program
mathildea | USA | 09/23/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm amazed by the quality of this program and it's ability to sustain children's interest. There is an alternation of scene with a cartoon character, Little Pim a friendly Panda, and scenes made with real people. A succession of little scenes, mostly played by children or babies and some close adults are narrated in a very clear and and friendly voice. A little gap after each word or sentence enable the child to repeat it or keep the sound resonating in her hear. Bright colors and friendly babies and children faces or pet catch their interest.
I'm so thrilled this program exists for such a hard language as Chinese. I've Majored in Chinese in college and spent over a year in China and I'm fluent. But when I ear my kids repeating after Little Pim or exchanging a couple of words with my Chinese friends, I have to admit that they already master this hard pronunciation and the tones better than me after so many years of hard work."
Fun and lively
J. Richards | NYC, NY | 05/16/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We are trying to teach our toddler son French and have found this DVD set so helpful. He has been listening to French children's songs since he was six months and truly appears to have an interest in it. Seeing it on a screen with other children and the animation has heightened that interest. He will stop what he is doing and watch the DVDs. We watch one a day with him and participate along with Pim in saying each word, not just with the DVD but also around the house.
My mother now uses some of the phrases from the DVD with our son and she normally dislikes learning languages, but from the first viewing was speaking to our son in French!
Pim offers introductory French words through immersion. You hear a word, which appears on the screen, and then it is played out. For instance, Pim will say "une pomme" and then you will see an apple. Pim will say "Elle mange une pomme" and you will see a girl eating an apple and so forth. While not fluent, I am able to understand (or guesstimate, on the occasion) the words and relate them to the actions of the children. There are also English subtitles.
I think this set is the perfect compliment to other French language material for both children and adults when learning to speak French."