Embarking on the journey to learn Japanese, the language and the fascinating culture that comes with it, requires real dedication, consistency, and having the right tools at your fingertips. For those of us who prefer the convenience of learning from home or just about anywhere, those tools often include an online Japanese course.
It’s no secret that Pimsleur is a popular and reputable website, offering online Japanese courses that many learners consider a potential path to fluency. But how many times have we heard people ask, “Does Pimsleur truly deliver on its promises?” and, more importantly, “Can I learn Japanese with Pimsleur?”
In this article, we’re going to peel back the layers and discuss the main pros and cons of learning Japanese with Pimsleur. On top of that, we'll introduce you to some superior alternatives, like Japademy, our own website, which offers Online Japanese Courses that might just fit your learning style and needs much better. So, if you're ready to find out the truth, let's dive in!
*Just a quick note: all prices and features mentioned here are accurate as of the time of writing, but keep in mind that things do change!
Advantages of Learning with Pimsleur
1. Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension
If Pimsleur is known for one thing, it’s their audio-based approach, which places a heavy focus on spoken conversation and understanding what you hear. Every Japanese lesson kicks off with a 30-minute guided audio exercise. An English-speaking moderator takes you through a lesson that's mostly centered on a simulated Japanese conversation. You get to listen to two fluent Japanese speakers chatting, and then the moderator pauses the conversation to go over key details and ask you questions.
This method is genuinely effective at boosting your ability to comprehend spoken Japanese. Finally, as the moderator has you repeat phrases, your Japanese pronunciation skills get put to the test and refined.
2. Spaced Repetition System
Pimsleur also utilizes a classic learning technique: the spaced repetition system. This is how they teach you new vocabulary and phrases: by having you review the new information at increasingly longer intervals.
For instance, when teaching a new phrase, the course will initially drill it for a couple of minutes, reintroduce it three minutes later, then seven minutes later, then fifteen minutes, and so on. After a while, that new vocabulary or phrase will only pop up in a few classes. This strategy is great because it mirrors the way you learned your mother tongue as a child, and it really helps you retain new vocabulary and sentences for future use.
3. Convenient and Hands-Free Learning
One of the biggest perks of Pimsleur’s audio-based teaching method is how easily lessons fit into a busy life. This is a huge benefit for anyone with an active lifestyle or a hectic schedule. You can simply listen to the lessons while doing chores, like cleaning, washing the dishes, or even while you’re at a café or working out.
Plus, Pimsleur’s mobile app even includes a special driving mode, which allows you to complete your Japanese lessons while you’re in the car or driving. This convenience means you can weave Japanese learning into your daily routine without having to set aside a specific, rigid timeframe, unlike, say, live online lessons on other websites or platforms.
Disadvantages of Learning with Pimsleur
1. Limited Reading and Writing Practice
Here’s where Pimsleur’s heavy reliance on audio lessons and its focus on verbal Japanese, specifically speaking and listening, starts to show a significant weakness. The course offers only limited Japanese reading and writing lessons. You'll get minimal exposure to Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana.
This is a major issue because mastering the ability to read and write in Japanese is absolutely crucial for achieving real fluency. Ultimately, if you use Pimsleur, you'll need to go hunting for extra materials or Japanese lessons to fill this significant gap in reading and writing practice.
2. Lack of Grammar Explanations
Yes, Pimsleur’s audio lessons will expose you to Japanese grammar through their repeated conversational patterns. However, one of the biggest drawbacks is that the lessons do not explicitly explain grammar rules. The entire philosophy is to immerse you in the language to improve speaking fluency, hoping you’ll naturally pick up grammar through exposure rather than being taught explicit rules.
I've seen many students struggle with this. Without a full explanation, some find it difficult to grasp sentence structure and even harder to confidently construct their own sentences to practice. For example, as learners advance, they can easily become confused by the lack of clear, full explanations for the nuances of Japanese verb conjugations and particles.
3. Minimal Cultural and Contextual Learning
If one of your big goals is to learn Japanese culture alongside the language, Pimsleur might not be your perfect match. While the courses do touch on Japanese culture, it’s mostly just "tidbits", small pieces of the comprehensive concepts you really need to learn.
Pimsleur doesn't delve deeply into Japanese culture, social etiquette, or customs. These elements, however, are critical for having truly meaningful conversations within Japanese society, which is something many traditional Japanese language schools with online courses prioritize. If your goal is effective communication and cultural immersion, this lack of in-depth cultural lessons can be quite disappointing.
The Truth About Learning Japanese with Pimsleur
To be fair, Pimsleur's courses can be a great starting point for certain students, perhaps those who just want to study alone or learn the basics of Japanese conversation to prepare for a quick trip.
However, if your true aspiration is to become fluent in the Japanese language and culture, maybe as preparation for moving to Japan or for work/study opportunities, you simply cannot rely on Pimsleur’s online Japanese courses as your only learning tool. To achieve fluency, you need to take a holistic approach, which means focusing on and enhancing all four essential areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
As we discussed, Pimsleur primarily focuses on speaking and listening. Therefore, it falls significantly short in the crucial areas of reading and writing. The takeaway? You'll definitely need to supplement your learning with additional resources to meet your objectives.
What Are the Best Alternatives to Pimsleur for Learning Japanese in 2026?
If you’ve read through the pros and cons of Pimsleur and feel its non-holistic approach isn't quite right for your long-term goals, you're in the right place! There are other quality options out there.
Here are what we consider the best alternatives to Pimsleur for learning Japanese:
1. Japademy (That's Us!)
If you're looking for an online Japanese learning website that offers courses that are high-quality and truly comprehensive, we honestly believe Japademy is the perfect fit.
A Holistic Approach:
We follow a holistic teaching method, making sure we focus on and enhance all four essential aspects of language learning: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. You won't have to find supplementary materials to cover the basics.
Interactive Live Lessons:
Unlike Pimsleur’s audio-only approach, we offer interactive live lessons where you can engage directly with our native Japanese teachers and get immediate, real-time feedback.
Expert, Native Japanese Teachers:
All our teachers are native Japanese speakers. They bring at least three years of experience teaching Japanese to students of varying levels, and they ensure you learn effectively by precisely explaining grammar and language rules. We also take pride in having teachers who are not only native but also fully certified as professional Japanese teachers, a detail that sets us apart.
Cultural Immersion:
Because our teachers are native speakers, they have first-hand knowledge of Japanese culture, customs, etiquette, and real-life scenarios that they enthusiastically share during lessons.
Customized Learning:
We understand everyone learns differently. That's why we provide personalized feedback based on each student's goals, difficulties, strengths, and weaknesses.
Affordable Quality:
Our 10-week Japanese online courses cost $229 USD (early-bird price) for ten weeks of instruction, which works out to just $14 per hour. This makes us a fantastic choice for affordable, native-speaker instruction.
Included Resources:
Beyond our online courses, enrolled students get free access to effective Japanese video courses, practice flashcards, study handouts in PDF, informative Japanese language blogs, and a free Japanese learning app. We also award a certificate of completion (via email, PDF with a certificate number for verification) for every level completed.
Please visit our website at japademy.com or email us at hello@japademy.com to learn more about our Japanese online courses. If you have any queries, we would be happy to answer them!
2. Akamonkai Japanese Language School
Akamonkai has a solid reputation for offering intensive, high-quality online Japanese courses.
Engaging Teachers:
Their online classes are led by well-trained and experienced Japanese teachers who make sure the learning experience is engaging and interactive. They even tailor lessons to each student's specific needs to promote effective learning.
Immediate Feedback:
Students receive immediate feedback, valuable recommendations, and useful guidance throughout the courses. This helps students monitor their development and allows the teachers to adjust their approach as needed.
Cost-Effective Option:
If you're looking for an affordable choice without compromising lesson quality, Akamonkai is worth considering. Their 16-week program, which includes three 1.5-hour weekly lessons, is priced at $910 USD (¥135,000). This translates to a reasonable hourly charge of $12.6 USD, making it one of the most cost-effective language schools known for excellent instruction.
Note: this price is for online group lessons only, not private lessons.
3. JapanesePod101
Like Pimsleur, JapanesePod101 also uses an audio-based approach and focuses on real-world conversations. However, there's a key difference that makes it a step up:
In-Depth Grammar:
JapanesePod101's lessons go into depth on grammar points. Each lesson provides clear explanations of different grammar rules and offers insights into Japanese culture.
Vast Content Library:
With a wide variety of topics and an extensive library of audio and video lessons, JapanesePod101 caters to students across different proficiency levels. The lessons are organized in an approachable way, allowing you to learn at your own pace.
Supplemental Tools:
In addition to their core lessons, they offer helpful supplemental resources, including spaced repetition flashcards and lesson vocabulary lists.
Pricing:
JapanesePod101 offers a range of subscription plans that vary in cost from $4 USD to $47 USD per month, depending on the plan and duration you choose. While they do offer a Free Plan with access to many tools like vocabulary lists and audio/video courses, you may find that accessing all lessons, features, or their entire learning system might involve subscription fees that are a bit higher compared to other alternatives, such as Japademy.
Final Words About Learning Japanese with Pimsleur
Pimsleur is a great, high-quality resource for learning Japanese and can be effective for reaching basic conversational goals. If you're mainly interested in conversational basics to get ready for a future trip to Japan, it's a solid place to start.
However, if your ambition is to master the entire Japanese language and culture, say, to prepare for a big move, work, or study opportunities in Japan, you'll absolutely need an online Japanese course that gives you that holistic approach, instead of just focusing on speaking and listening as Pimsleur does.
So, don't feel locked in! We strongly encourage you to explore other options for the best online Japanese courses like Japademy, Akamonkai Japanese Language School, and JapanesePod101. Ultimately, the best decision rests on your personal goals, learning preferences, and needs. Take the time to assess which website or platform will truly fit your overall journey. Happy learning!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Japademy's Online Japanese Lessons
Since we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive approach, here are some common questions we get about our structured 10-week online courses:
How do your 10-week Japanese online courses work?
Our courses run for 10 weeks and feature a single 105-minute weekly live lesson. Our native Japanese teachers follow a structured methodology where each live lesson introduces a new topic and grammar point, which students then practice and master throughout the lesson.
Do I need to know any Japanese to join a course?
Not at all! Our Beginner 1 course is perfect for people who have never studied Japanese or are just starting out. Plus, all students get free access to our pre-recorded video lessons, which allow you to start learning the basics before the course officially begins.
Will I learn with a native Japanese teacher?
Yes! All of our Japanese teachers are native speakers and are fully certified as professional Japanese teachers. This professional certification is a key detail that sets us apart from many other learning websites.
What is the cost of your 10-week Japanese online courses?
The general price for our courses is $249 USD, $329 CAD, or $359 AUD (tax-inclusive). If you enroll during our Early-bird period, the cost is reduced to just $229 USD, $299 CAD, or $329 AUD.
Are there any additional costs for books or materials?
Absolutely not! We provide you with exclusive Japanese learning material, including study handouts in PDF format. You won't need to purchase any books or pay for the materials we provide.
Japanese 10-week online course
Become a proficient speaker with the help of native Japanese teachers.
