Giving the Gift of Language

With the holiday season barreling down upon us, a few gift recommendations if someone you know is planning to travel (or has a paramour who speaks another language, etc.):

Pimsleur:
For getting comfortable saying some everyday travel phrases, Pimsleur can't be beat. Every lesson starts with a conversation. Over the next thirty minutes, you learn to participate in the conversation, as well as getting some preparation for the next lesson. It doesn't teach as many phrases as, say, Learn In Your Car, but what it teaches you learn.

Michel Thomas:
A cranky old man and two students! What could be more fun? By the time the lessons were recorded, Michel Thomas was getting on in years and was maybe less patient than in earlier days. But his lessons are still excellent for getting a handle on basic vocabulary and grammar. Be forewarned, his accent isn't perfect. But the two-disc "Getting Started" programs teach an astonishing amount in a very short time.

Oxford Take Off In...
The "Take Off In..." series does not have the oomph of the Pimsleur and Michel Thomas methods. But it does have something else: reading. Unlike the usual text-audio course, the audio contains actual instructions for how to use the course and get the most out of the exercises, not just readings of the dialogs. Pop in the CD, open the book and follow the directions. Soon, you'll be getting the basics of the language in both spoken and written forms. I prefer Pimsleur, but if you need to see what you're learning written down, this is a good course to look at.

I should mention that if you are looking for the old school, read through a text style course, the Berlitz in 30 Days series is actually pretty good. The CD doesn't offer a whole lot more than how to pronounce what's in the book, but the lessons are nicely put together and there are neatly organized quizzes every so often to make sure you're up to speed. I do prefer them to the Teach Yourself packages for the amount of language you get and for the more natural, less grammar driven presentation.

The Pods:
For the language enthusiast in your family, check out ChinesePod, SpanishPod, FrenchPod and ItalianPod. Learn or improve a language in 10-15 minute lessons for four levels, with new lessons coming all the time. The shows start with a dialog, often with fun sound effects. Then the hosts explain what just happened, and what you can learn about the language and culture from what you've just heard. Fun stuff. And there are supplemental exercises in PDF. They're located in Shanghai, and do not appear to have caught on to market the gift of language for this holiday season, but surely there's a way if you follow the sign-up instructions.