vii reminder. Each time you are reminded, you remember the word longer than you did the time before. The intervals between reminders become longer and longer until you eventually remember the word without being reminded at all. This program is carefully designed to remind you of new information at just the exact intervals in which maximum retention takes place. Each time your memory begins to fade, you will be asked to recall the word. It is a powerful method through which you progress from short-term to long-term memory without even being aware of it. And it avoids the monotony of constant rote repetition that is used in traditional language courses. Core Vocabulary These two principles are the foundation of The Pimsleur Method, but there are still other aspects that contribute to its uniqueness. One of these involves vocabulary. We have all been intimidated, when approaching a new language, by the sheer immensity of the number of new words we must learn. But extensive research has shown that we actually need a comparatively limited number of words to be able to communicate in any language. That is because language is divided into grammatical structures (function) and concrete vocabulary (content words). There are very few content words which must be known and used every day. The essential “core” of a language involves function words, which tend to relate to human activities. “Organic Learning” The Pirnsleur System centers around teaching you, in the shortest time possible, this functional mastery in understanding and speaking a language. This is achieved through what Dr. Pimsleur called “organic learning,” which means simply that you’ll be learning on several fronts at once. Rather than being taught the conjugation of the verb “to give,” you will be taught a useful utterance, such as “Give me your phone number.” You will be working on your vocabulary, your grammar, and your pronunciation all at once, while also learning phrases that have practical use in daily life. It has been said that language is primarily speech. Dr. Pimsleur believed that, and he created the cassette language programs on tape because he knew that students of