Did you start from learning PinYin when you study Chinese Mandarin?

I always have this question in my mind ,How the foreigners start to learn Manderin ?Because I started learn English from the alphabet ，and when we were in kindergarten we learnd Chinese also start from our own alphabet,the PinYin.And I'm study in a foreign language school now,the foreign students who study Chinese also start from PinYin,so I'd like to know how much of you start from PinYin when you start to learn Chinese? If you didn't start with PinYin,how did you start to learn Mandarin?

I have this question because I want to teach my friends Mandarin and I also want you to help me check out the errors in my topic,because I'm also learning English now.