Score:
1 2 3 4 5 6 (7) 8 9 10
“Seven outta ten!”
Pros:
good way to sample the Pimsleur method; decent booklet accompanies the course; strong Portuguese audio lessons; coverage of the basics; MP3s and standard audio CDs for diverse ways of using the program
Cons:
Brazilian Portuguese only (a “con” for European Portuguese learners); these first eight lessons are especially basic; auditory learners should skip this and move up to the more complete Pimsleur courses
Pimsleur’s goPortuguese contains the first 8 lessons of the Pimsleur Comprehensive program for a lower price. These lessons lead you into the “full” version of the course. This short, very basic course is a good way to sample the Pimsleur method to see if it works for you. However, if you think Pimsleur does work for you, I recommend that you skip to the more robust Conversational
goPortuguese contains 4 CDs with the eight lessons, but also gives you the MP3s in case you find that more convenient. It also comes with a 160 page “audio-book” that covers some of the basics of Portuguese grammar, but this booklet doesn’t stand out in itself. The all audio lessons are the star here.