How To Learn Italian

Speaking Italian will seem very difficult if you are just starting out, but if you keep at it you will soon see results, and speaking Italian can be a valuable skill. You may have Italian relatives or business partners, wish to travel to Italy, or wish to learn for your own enjoyment. Learning Italian can be made easier, if you follow these four simple steps below. Of course, the best way to learn is to combine these basic steps with a language learning program. If you're looking for a good program, I recommend Rocket Italian from personal experience.

1. Determine why you want to learn Italian.  Are you interested in learning basic travel Italian in order to go on a vacation? Do you need to learn special vocabulary in order to converse with Italian-speaking people at your company? Or do you want to reach full proficiency in the language? Determine your Italian language needs before you start learning Italian, so that you can buy the appropriate materials.
2. Gather learning aids.  There are many resources out there to help you learn Italian. An Italian-English dictionary is a must for learning pronunciation and new vocabulary words. You can also look into textbooks, software programs like the aforementioned Rocket Italian, internet resources, audio tapes, and movies and books in Italian. Which you choose will depend on your level of fluency and specific needs. Often the audio skills are the hardest to learn, so you may want to save audio tapes or movies until you've gained some Italian language skills to avoid becoming frustrated.
3. Learn pronunciation and grammar.  Pronunciation and grammar will be the keys to actually using your Italian knowledge. If you can correctly pronounce the letters, you will be able to sound out unfamiliar words. Knowing the right grammar can help you form sentences from the new vocabulary you'll be learning. Lessons from textbooks and software programs can help, and Italian-English dictionaries will have pronunciation guides.
4. Add to your vocabulary and comfort level.  To learn more words and gain more fluency in Italian, you must expose yourself to it. All of your learning aids will be excellent ways to do this. Read every Italian-language publication you can get your hands on. Finding a conversation partner in your town can be a great way to practice your new Italian skills, in exchange for helping your partner learn either Italian or English. There is no substitute for actually speaking, hearing, and reading material in the Italian language. You may also consider a class at a local college or university. Many community colleges offer night or weekend classes in Italian language and culture.

   Practicing your Italian will help you remember new words and become more confident in speaking the language. If you run across words that you do not recognize, do not ignore them. Look them up in your dictionary, and try to use them in practice right away so that you won't forget them.

5. Got Euros?  Of course, traveling to Italy and immersing yourself in the language and culture is the best and most fun way to learn Italian, but it is also the most expensive, by far.

Learning Italian takes practice and dedication, but if you keep working on you'll be able to converse in Italian sooner than you realize.