Pimsleur Offers Free Japanese Language Course to Aid Relief and Recovery Efforts in Japan

NEW YORK, March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur Language Programs announced today that it is offering free downloads of 8 hours of its Japanese language learning program to support aid agencies and volunteers helping the millions affected by the devastating earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis in Japan.  

Pimsleur®, a leading publisher of foreign-language learning programs, has authorized their digital resellers, including iTunes, Audible, and Pimsleurdigital.com, to provide the Japanese downloads free until June 31, 2011.  

By providing these Japanese language learning programs, Pimsleur hopes to ease relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the crisis by giving aid workers an easy way to begin communicating in Japanese.  This is especially critical in more remote areas where English is not widely spoken.

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Pimsleur's Haitian Creole language course was downloaded over 6,000 times free of charge by individuals and organizations supporting relief efforts there.  

"Pimsleur is eager to help with the relief effort," said Chris Lynch, Executive Vice President & Publisher of Simon & Schuster Audio. "Our programs emphasize spoken communication from the first day, and in the aftermath of a disaster the ability to speak to one another is vitally important."

Pimsleur's audio-only courses have been at the forefront of foreign language instruction for over 45 years. The Basic, Compact, Conversational, and goPimsleur programs are available primarily at retail, and the Comprehensive Editions are available online.  In 2010 the entire Pimsleur library was made available in digital format, for use on computer, phones, iPods and other portable devices.

To date, Pimsleur publishes courses that teach 45 foreign languages to English speakers, and English courses in 14 different languages.  Pimsleur has more language courses and in more levels than any other company in the marketplace.  To learn more, please visit www.Pimsleur.com.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Pimsleur® is the ultimate resource for spoken language learning. Pimsleur's Comprehensive Programs are the most effective language-learning programs ever developed. The company's programs utilize proven methods of learning based on extensive research of how people master languages. The Pimsleur Method is a patented method developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur that allows users to learn a language the way native speakers do, integrating vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation into everyday conversations. Pimsleur's audio-only programs are completely portable and can be listened to anytime, anywhere. Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio; a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. PIMSLEUR® is a registered trademark of Beverly Pimsleur, used by Simon & Schuster under exclusive license.

Simon & Schuster Audio is a leading publisher of general interest audiobooks including bestselling fiction, nonfiction, business/finance, self-improvement, inspiration, language learning programs, original audiobook productions, and children's titles.  In addition to a list that includes such unparalleled authors as Mary Higgins Clark, Vince Flynn, Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, Michael Lewis, and David McCullough.  Simon & Schuster Audio has produced audiobooks that have won seven Grammy Awards and earned thirty-five Grammy nominations since 1989.  For more information about Simon & Schuster Audio, visit our website at www.audio.simonandschuster.com. 

Simon & Schuster, a part of CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com. 

SOURCE Simon & Schuster