Pimsleur Haitian Creole Basic Course - Level 1 Lessons 1-10 CD: Learn to Speak and Understand Haitian Creole with Pimsleur Language Programs (1)

I bought this 10 lesson basic introduction in preparation for a 3 week missions trip to Haiti. It was good, but when I got done, I didn't know a lot of Creole. I ended up buying the next 20 of the full 30 lesson Creole series and downloaded them from Pimsleur's web site. If you download them as MP3 files they are a lot cheaper than buying the CDs. The full CD set is about $200. The full set downloaded is around $80. It is good for a basic conversational understanding of creole. The only negative comment I have is that without the written text, it is sometimes difficult to know exactly what the native speaker is pronouncing. For example, I was frustrated to learn the Creole for "now, currently". One speaker sounded like he was saying 'koulye a' and another would sound like 'kounye a'. I listened to it numerous times, backed it up and turned up the volume and could not tell from the speakers which was correct. Then I looked it up in a Creole dictionary to discover that both are correct and are synonyms! Can't get those frustrating minutes of my life back! So, this 10 lesson set is okay, but you won't learn much. You will be able to say "I don't understand", "I know a little of Haitian Creole", "I am American", and a couple other simple sentences. Bite the bullet and get the 30 lesson set up front and save money. The incremental cost of adding the 20 extra lessons plus this initial 10 lesson CD set is more expensive than getting the 30 lessons downloaded from the start. Even then, this course will be most useful if your intent is to learn to ask a Haitian girl out and go buy some wine to drink. They spend a excessive portion of the course time on different ways to ask that over and over.

The box contains five (5) discs with two lessons on each disc. For some reason, I expected more (a book etc.). However, the program explains why it only uses verbal learning. And once I starting listening to the lessons, I found them very helpful. I am familiar with Creole (speak/understand a little) and the words and phrases in the lessons are in common usage. This is information that would be useful for a new learner/beginner. I have been able to practice what i already know and build on it.

I loved learning Creole with these CDs. I felt that I was able to get a solid grasp on the basics of the language, and since it's all oral, I was able to understand the accent and timing of the speaking as well. One thing I wished was that I had more time to learn more CDs. The first few CDs seemed to go on and on with very basic lessons. But all in all, for only 10 lessons in Creole, this was definitely very helpful. I learned how to say: I do/do not understand I would like to eat/drink something Where is ____ What time is it What is this Like I said, if you're only going to have five hours to spend learning Creole, this is definitely the way to go. Thanks Pimsleur!

This is a wonderful way to learn Haitian Creole and also how to learn the correct pronounciation so that you have little or no accent! It builds slowly with each lesson and I am a very poor "memorizer," but this method is amazing and I can "think" Creole in my head now with little or no effort. I just want a Part II to go further in the lesson! I highly recommend this to those who might be traveling to Haiti in missions. Knowing the language certainly helps you create a more meaningful relationship with the people.

Useful and user-friendly! The PImsleur method is the most effective language-learning technique I've every experienced.

There were no reviews when I purchased this item, so I wasn't sure what I would get. I want to include a description of what you will learn in each lesson so you have a better idea if this product is right for you. At first, I was disappointed because the lessons were so slow and repetitive. By the end, I did find the lessons helpful. I strongly disagree with Pimsleur's insitance that you should not see the words as you say them. I am a visual learner, so I picture the words as I pronounce them. Also, since Creole is a phonetic language, you should be able to pronouce every word by sounding out the letters. I had to look up words in a phrase book I had also purchased to be able to understand what sounds were being spoken. It's hard to distinguish between "r" and "l" for example. Here is what you will learn with the basic lessons. There is a reason Pimsleur wants you to buy the next two CD sets! I wonder how far they will really take you. Lesson 1: Excuse me, do you understand English/Haitian Creole? A little, not too well. Lesson 2: How are you? Fine, not too bad Lesson 3: but, yourself, and, hello, goodbye, please, I'm American/Haitian. Lesson 4: You are/are not Haitian/American, you speak well, street, boulevard, where, it's here, over there, Saint Joseph, Jean Jacques. Lesson 5: I don't know, cobblestone street, I want, I would like to eat/drink something Lesson 6: My place, too, now, later, when Lesson 7: alright (agreed), restaurant, hotel,not a problem, in/at, what, wine/soda. Lesson 8: Lunch, 2, or, do, hotel, buy, with whom. Lesson 9: tell me, at what time, 1 o'clock, 9, 8, 2 o'clock, I'm sorry Lesson 10: absolutley (certainly) not, what time is it, it is 5, 3, 4 o'clock, I'm going to (as in, do something in the future) My take on this: It is geared towards tourist staying in the city. I think we should learn more in 10 lessons. The conversations were absurd, and I got caught up in that, but they really did teach and reteach these basics. I think I will purchase Creole Made Easy, Wally Turnbull's pronunciation guide to see if it will take me further.

I only got through the first disc but so far it is actually very easy to learn. Of course if you can then be around people speaking the language, it will deepen your understanding.

Just what I was looking for. I can play it in the car on the way to school and work. I am Haitian by decent but have poor mastery of the language. I was hoping to reinforce the things that I do know and learn more in order to effectively communicate with others. Especially at work where knowing 2 languages really comes in handy.