How to Learn the Italian Language

Learn Italian and use it to order your favorite pizza.

Italian is the language of opera, Dante's poetry and film-director Fellini's controversial movies. Italian has its roots in Latin and the language has similarities to French and Spanish. Around 70 million people across the globe speak Italian. There are a number of ways to learn the language, including self-study and taking a course in Italy. The method you use to study Italian will depend on your budget and the skill level you desire.

Instructions

1. Sign up for a local Italian language class or a discussion group. Check out what is in your area. Your local college might offer a certificate course in Italian or a "holiday" course. You need to hear and speak Italian on a regular basis and a face-to-face course will help with your pronunciation. You will also get support from the other students. Another option is to have one-to-one instruction from a native speaker.

2. Supplement the course with self-study at home. This can be through a language book/CD course, or through computer-aided learning with CD-ROMs and DVDs. Another possibility is to sign up for an online course. Some offer voice chat and text chat, and even video conferencing. Choose a course that focuses on listening and speaking if you want to communicate on your vacation. Alternatively, if you want to learn Italian for business, opt for a more well-rounded course that includes reading and writing.

3. Subscribe to Italian radio stations and TV channels through the Internet or satellite TV once your language has reached intermediate level. Listen to radio programs and watch TV shows and movies as much as possible.

4. Visit Italy if and when you can afford it and try to practice Italian as much as possible. Speak Italian in shops, restaurants and hotels. Go to the theater if you can. Enroll on a short course while you are there if you have the budget.

5. Practice Italian at home by setting up a local discussion group. This informal group could eat Italian pizza, watch Italian movies and chat about the weekly news coming out of Italy.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn about the Italian culture to appreciate the language more. Read history books about Italy and learn about Italian cuisine.

• Do not underestimate the difficulty in learning Italian. Be prepared to tough it out when the grammar becomes tricky and the pronunciation problematic.

References

• Omniglot: What's the Best Way to Study
• University of California - College of Natural Resources: Learning Another Language