Whether it be an upcoming vacation, a desire to live in Italy, wanting to meet and converse with new people, or simply wanting to try something new, learning Italian is something that interests lots of people.
Fortunately, due to the demand for learning the language, there are plenty of resources available to help you do so. If you really want to do it, then the only thing holding you back is yourself.
So, what is the best way to get started? And what steps do you need to take? Well, significant progress will be made in a matter of weeks if these steps are followed…
1. There is no better place to start than a school that teaches Italian. The key to learning Italian begins with human interaction, which makes studying on your own unadvisable. Having a teacher explain to you about basic grammar, and having them there to correct your pronunciation errors, will stop you adopting bad habits early on which may be difficult to shake off later on.
2. Register at online Italian communities, or add Italian people to your instant messenger or social networking friend lists. The rapid development of the Internet means that we now live in a world you can communicate with people on the other side of the world on the same level as if they were sitting next you, and that is something that you should take advantage. You’ll be surprised at just how many people will be willing to chat to you and help you learn, especially if they have, or are currently, learning a language themselves.
3. Listening to music with Italian lyrics can be both rewarding and entertaining, and singing or reciting the lyrics will improve your pronunciation, grammar, and syntax. Again, the Internet is your friend here, as you can access a whole range of music online for free, and easily find the accompanying lyrics. If you’re not sure where to start, then ask the Italian friends that you made in step 2 for some recommendations.
4. Read articles in Italian. Whatever articles you like to read in English, whether it they be news, sport or entertainment, try reading the equivalent in Italian. All sorts of articles can be read for free online, so there’s not even any need to go out and but Italian newspapers or magazines. First read through and try to get a general idea of an article is about, then look up some of the words in a dictionary to try a give you a clearer idea, and then, finally, ask an Italian friend or your teacher to explain to you what it says, and see how close your understanding of it was.
5. If the opportunity is available, take a trip to Italy, as there is no substitute for total immersion into the Italian culture and language. Ideally, you will want to stay with an Italian family, maybe you could offer to do a temporary accommodation swap with one of your newly found Italian friends. It may take a little bit of saving up on your behalf but it is where you will make the most progress and consolidate yourself as an Italian language speaker.
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