Drawbacks
There are a couple of drawbacks to the Pimsleur Mandarin course. One is the price: this is one of the most expensive courses on the market. There’s no need to pay the full list price, though. There are plenty of online sources that offer Pimsleur Mandarin at a discount.
Another drawback to the Pimsleur course is the lack of written material. Although I feel that this is a real advantage at the beginning, as you progress in your knowledge of Mandarin you will probably benefit from learning the written language.
I feel that by the end of Comprehensive One, students have learned enough to begin studying reading and writing. It’s best to use Pinyin as an aid when learning Chinese characters, so I recommend a separate grammar text (such asSchaum’s Outline of Chinese Grammar) and / or a dictionary (such as Tuttle Learner’s Chinese English Dictionary) to supplement your Pimsleur lessons.
Bottom Line
Pimsleur Mandarin Chinese provides an excellent base for learning tones and pronunciation. The aural method is ideal for learning languages, and is really the only way to achieve a natural cadence to your speaking. When supplemented with appropriate text books, Pimsleur Mandarin Chinese will provide a solid base for any student
