Learn To Speak Italian Fast!

You may or may not have heard some of the misconceptions about learning to speak Italian. It all comes down to how much you want to learn Italian or would you rather sit around and make excuses as to why you can't. Learning Italian is similar to going on a diet or starting an exercise regime. You can just jump in and get started, or you can come up with all the excuses as to why you can't do it. Many of these excuses can be very convincing, so if you want to learn Italian, don't listen to the excuses.

One of the most common misconceptions is that Italian is more difficult to learn than English. Actually research shows Italian is easier to learn than English. Ignoring the scientific facts, when you were a child learning English, you didn't know whether it was easy or difficult. You really didn't know any better, so you didn't think about it. When learning Italian to help you through those frustrating periods, you will need to remember that everyone was a beginner at some time in their life. Also it might help you to remember that making mistakes is how one learns how to do it right.

You may think you will not be able to roll your r's, but the fact is many Italians can not roll their r's either. In Italy what is known as the "soft r" is in many cases a result of a regional accent or dialect. It is also traditionally associated with the speech of the upper class. The Italians from the north of Italy, close to the French border, are famous for this type of speech variation because of the influence of the French language on the local dialect.

If you want to learn to roll your r's you should try placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth, close to the front and trill your tongue. If that doesn't work, then pretend you are revving up a car motor or repeat the following English words a several times; ladder, or butter. You might also remember that Rrrrrruffles have rrrrrridges from the TV commercial.

You may believe there aren't any schools close to your home. In this day and age of the Internet, a school being close at hand is no longer necessary. You can take courses online, listen to an Italian audio course, or even find an Italian pen pal. There are many ways you can learn Italian and the Internet can help you. Some of the online courses are free and you study on your own time. You are not set to a rigid schedule.

If you believe you will never use Italian, you might want to re-think that idea. There are many ways for you to utilize your Italian. In many cases opportunities will present themselves once you have learned some Italian. If all else fails, learn Italian and then write a book, or a letter to your Italian pen pal.

Thinking you are too old to learn Italian is just silly. You are never too old to learn something new. There is no age limit on learning Italian. If you live to be 100 years old you could learn Italian as long as you have the willingness and the commitment to the time it will take to learn Italian. Age does not count in this scenario.

If your close friends do not speak Italian, there are ways around that. No you don't have to make them learn just so you will have someone to converse and practice your Italian with. Instead you can contact the Italian department at your local college, or call the Italian American organization. They often sponsor wine tasting and other events where participants can meet and mingle to practice Italian. You can even join your local Italian Language Meetup group. They organize the Italian Language Meetup as a free gathering at a local venue for anyone interested in learning, practicing, or teaching Italian.

If you feel your time is limited, then there are ways to learn to speak Italian quickly. The fastest way to learn Italian is in a total immersion course. By spending two weeks at a language school in Italy you will learn Italian more effectively than in a full year in high school or college. It will cost you less than a vacation. The mornings are usually devoted to the classes, but in the afternoon you are at leisure to visit the churches, museums, and other sites.

If you are certain native Italians will never understand you, you might want to know that the more effort you put into it, the chances are good they will be able to manage to understand what you are saying. One of the most important aspects of learning Italian is building your self-esteem. The more you try to express yourself, the quicker you will learn the language.

If you are only planning a short visit to Italy, then you will need to know the Italian survival phrases, such as "Where is the bathroom?" Then of course there are some of the more mundane aspects of Italian, like learnig to decipher the Italian menu so that you can order your dinner, lunch, etc.

If you are one of those that needs a textbook to read to learn Italian, that is not a problem. If you can find a bookstore chances are you will be able to find the textbook you need. If you need workbooks to complete, you may have to sign up for a course. There are many ways to learn Italian and they all work. However, the shotgun approach is recommended to avoid becoming bored or frustrated.