Online Italian Club

Excuse me, but how exactly should I learn Italian?

by

Buondì.

Today is the first day of the summer, for me at least.

There’s no school, my most urgent current work project is more or less complete, and tomorrow we set off on our holidays, a couple of weeks in the UK.

So all I have to think about this morning is organising the kids to eat whatever’s left in the fridge, packing, and writing this article.

Oh, I also have a Swedish lesson, which I’m looking forward to.

Yesterday my Italian father-in-law and Swedish mother-in-law came for lunch (tagliatelle and ragù, since you ask, with a secondo of costolette di maiale, roast potatoes, and green beens grown by a neighbour’s father.)

Over a glass of rosé, I asked my mother-in-law, in Swedish, how she was and got the whole story of her recent medical proceedure and prognosis. Which I actually understood! Or at least enough to nod along and look sympathetic.

Anyway, this being, sort of, the first day of summer, I thought that today, instead of publishing some new listening material, I’d make a start on a project that has long been on my mind.

That is to say, a series of articles on ‘How to learn a foreign language’ – Italian in your case.

And who better to help me than you guys?

Many of you will be just starting out with Italian, or will have recently begun.

Others will be old hands, perhaps having been with the club since 2012, or 2013, or whenever it was that we started this (the club was also a summer holiday project!)

But whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, I’m sure that, one way or another, you’ll have plenty of ideas to share!

Please do that by commenting on this article, so everyone can read your contribution.

(I’ll tell you how to leave a comment further down the page…)

So, the question is:

“How should I learn Italian?”

Let’s all bear in mind, at least those of us who’ve done it, that people are different and so what works just great for one person may be a total waste of time for another.

That said, while there are many possible approaches, and masses of courses, apps and materials to choose from, successful learners are likely to have certain things in common…

What might they be?

OK, here’s what I came up with in five minutes of brainstorming:

HOW TO LEARN ITALIAN

  • Find a ‘syllabus’ and materials – a course, a website, a book, an app?
  • Define your time frame – weeks, months, years?
  • Define a realistic goal or goals – the CEFR level system is a good reference
  • Decide how you’ll study, what and when
  • Create a weekly study plan – plan out the work you’ll do
  • In your plan, aim for a balance of grammar, vocabulary and skills work (listening, reading, speaking, etc.) rather than just one type of activity
  • Begin!
  • As you go, focus on building effective study habits – i.e. reviewing regularly
  • Get used to using online dictionaries, accented characters and reference sites
  • While you study, make a point of learning, too, about Italy and Italians
  • As soon as possible, start to actually use your Italian
  • Get regular speaking practice – you won’t learn to speak unless you do it!
  • Listen to/read texts which are simplified for students at your level
  • Listen to/read authentic material as soon as you feel confident enough
  • Try different approaches to leaning Italian – if something isn’t working, find another way
  • Measure your progress every few months with a test or self-evaluation. Then…
  • Review your goals, materials, study plan and study habits. Make changes!

So, I’m sure you’ll have plenty to add to that.

To comment on this article, click here to view it on the club website.

Then scroll down to fill in the comments form at the bottom of the page.

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Looking forward to hearing your views!!

A mercoledì.

To comment on this article, click here to view it on the club website.

Comments

  1. I would go along with all of the actions in your list. Under the heading of using and practising I guess in most areas there are cafes where people meet at some particular time in the week to speak Italian (or French, German, or whatever). Such places probably don’t usually have websites so you may have to ask around to find one near you – e.g. ask the Italian Department at your local college or university – but they are great fun and very worthwhile. Apart from the general chat, if you are covering some particular topic in your study you can steer the conversation that way to practice exactly what you have been studying.

  2. In whatever situation I find myself, no matter how mundane, I try imagine how I might say something about it in italian. Using phrases with a touch of humour about them helps me to remember. Eg today I’m thinking about buying a new car for the first time in my life, so at the bank ” Sono in ginnochio! Per favore dammi un prestito! ” Now this is from Google translate and therefore possibly wayward but it’s a start.

  3. Agree of course and I would add, think about narrow situations where you would use Italian. Try to work on a situation until you are ready to try it out- for real, or at least with an Italian language partner/teacher.
    The confidence you gain from being able to DO something is such a motivator. – my first effort… finding the salt in a small Italian supermarket…. objective finally achieved… though by the time I left the shop the very helpful staff may have been crying with laughter… still, I haven’t forgotten the word for salt though. 🙂

    Thanks for your newsletters they always make me smile.

  4. Hi and thanks again for a great idea. I would like to start a thread for advanced students on which novels to read to advance studies. These are real texts, not easy readers although the easy readers where a great way to get into reading longer novels. I’ve read several books now and I read them for different reasons. Some on their own, others with audio and others with a TV film or series (RAI player through VPN). I read some books to push myself and others to develop fluency. I’m the second category I read books by Gianricco Carofiglio, well written straight forward courtroom dramas. In the first catagory I read for example, Maria Massina or Simonetta Agnello Hornby (cafe Amaro is a particular favourite). Io non ho paura is a great book for alternating between easy dialogue and more challenging descriptions. I could suggest more but I’m really after every one else’s suggestions. Many thanks

      • Looks interesting. I think it’s good to read a few by the same author as each author seems to use a number of words regularly and after the first few pages it gets a lot easier. Have you read any Ferrante?

        • No, I don’t read much in Italian as a rule as I am studying other languages. This trilogy was a birthday present from my father, who read it in English.

    • Thanks for these suggestions.I have difficulty finding the right books for my level.a couple I have read recently are:
      Il Bar Sotto il Mare by Stefan Benni.?It is the story of a set of characters so no plot as such and can be read in sections.
      Arandora Star by Maria Serena Balestracci: a long investigation into a tragedy in the Second World War.Has lots or personal stories and interviews.Definitely one to dip into.

  5. I agree that speaking is important, but for a lot of us this can be a problem. But for the more mature among us, why not see if your local U3A (University of the Third Age) has an Italian conversation group? I can’t give detail because the organisation is worldwide, and differs from country to country, but here in the UK it is open to anyone who has effectively retired (even if still working part-time). Sheffield has an Italian group, but it has a constant waiting list, so I started a group in my local Rotherham U3A. After 3 years, I have handed the group over to others, bub being in weekly contact and conversing with people (particularly those with much better Italian) has brought my language on in leaps and bounds. So I’m looking for the next steps into advanced language. But without the U3A group I would still be a very frustrated theoretical Italian learner.

  6. I am really looking forward to seeing what peoples’ thoughts are about this. I think the ‘how to go about it’ is actually the most difficult aspect. I’ve been learning Italian for about 5 years without much of a clear plan, and although it has all been a lot of fun, I am not sure I am getting much better.

    There are two things I am particularly interested in – the concept of ‘deliberate practice’, where you push yourself through structured practice just enough to make your brain make new connections – lots of stuff on the web, but this is one of guys who is credited with coming up with the concept
    http://uk.businessinsider.com/anders-ericsson-how-to-become-an-expert-at-anything-2016-6

    The other thing is how to integrate Italian into your life/daily routine, so that at least some of the learning comes without much additional time/effort. This is of course somewhat contrary to the concept of deliberate practice, but if you are based in the UK, it lets you at least live a little bit in Italian. For example I have lots of mp3 dialogues on my phone, and talk through them, act them out, play with them, when i am walking to work. I get some strange looks, but it good fun, and makes my commute go more quickly

    Andrew

  7. To build a learning habit, undertake a 30 day challenge. Challenge yourself to undertake a set amount of learning each day for 30 days. Set up a learning journal (a simple exercise book does the job nicely) and record what you do and how long for each day. After the 30 days are over continue to record your daily learning. It helps to maintain the habit and allows you to track your progress.
    Change the display language of your phone/tablet to Italian. This way you’re looking at the language each time you look at your device and learning just by something you do a million times a day anyway.

    • I love the idea of changing your phone’s language to Italian! It’s scary – but taking our every day and transforming it is the best way to internalize the language.

  8. I enjoy YouTube videos to practice listening comprehension, and I also ‘echo speak’, that is I listen to dialogue with online Italian club, pause the dialogue and repeat it. I do this without the transcript. You would be surprised at how many little sounds and words you miss when you go back to review. It helps with fluency because when I go to say something in conversation, I can draw upon this repertoire of things I have said before.

  9. Ciao Daniel: buonissimi gli consigli per studiare l’Italiano. Per me stessa chi è importante è studiarlo ogni giorno un po’. Altrimenti mi dimentico delle parole che ho imparato. Ogni giorno una nuova parola aumenta il vocabolario.

    Grazie tante per la vostra dedicazione a questa lingua.

  10. Technology surrounds us, informs us, and generally make our daily lives interesting and efficient. I use my computer, I-Phone, and I-Pad as well for learning and practicing Italian. Using technology to communicate in Italian allows us to instantly cut/paste (admittedly sometimes using Google Translate rather than a dictionary), delete, and use automatic spell-check. But let’s not overlook the extreme importance of picking up a pencil and writing on paper. This form of learning gives our brains a more in-depth grasp of concepts and skills. Writing by hand slows us down so we are forced to see these edits and use them to improve our ability to communicate effectively. For my students, I know that scratched out words, arrows pointing to where a text could be better used, inserting a more specific word, etc. means the students are are thinking critically and using all the stages of the writing process. In my daily Italian learning schedule I make sure to incorporate writing, perhaps using new vocabulary in sentences, conjugating verbs, writing to a friend, whatever seems fun for that day.
    And funny as this may seem, on daily walks with my dog, Ziggy. I only speak Italian. He thinks my Italian is fluent, rather than the advanced-beginner it actually is. This gives a positive start to every day!
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/23/reading-writing-on-paper-better-for-brain-concentration
    http://mentalfloss.com/article/33508/4-benefits-writing-hand
    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/12/writing-on-paper_n_5797506.html

    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/12/writing-on-paper_n_5797506.html

    • I agree with the writing idea. I have found writing a daily diary in Italian useful when learning the past tense. Like others have said it has enabled me to develop the vocabulary to explain my daily routine.

  11. Non avrei potuto lo dire meglio di così! Il tuo elenco è perfetto!!

    Ma nella mia vita reale, non posso fare come questo……
    Di solito tempo è il mio più grande ostacolo –
    Recentemente ho provato a cambiare la routine un po’ e stavo ascoltando ai tuoi dialoghi.

    Sto andando alla velocità della tartaruga ma è ancora la mia passione e continuerò!!!
    Sono fortunata che qui, in Baltimore, c’è un evento ogni mese, si chiama World Language Cafe e c’è un tavolo per italiano lì.

    Dopo facendo Duolingo per tre mese, (con altri libri), un ora ogni sera, ho potuto scrivere and leggere ok ma sono determinata di parlare quindi, torno al lavoro 🙂

  12. Commit to a certain amount of time each day – I would say a minimum of 1/2 hour. I find that choosing a particular time it helpful. I personally find that setting the time immediately after something you always do (right after breakfast, lunch, dinner, for example) makes it easier to keep that commitment. Try different apps, books, etc., but when you find one that works for you keep at that one until you’ve finished it or feel it’s no longer working. You can waste a lot of time hunting for the RIGHT book, etc. In the US there are meetup groups everywhere (I’m not sure if that is true in other countries). Just type meetup your city and the topic and you’ll see if there is a meetup group for the language you are studying nearby. That is a definite help with speaking. I pretty much agree that you need a little of everything: grammar, reading, writing, listening.

  13. Hi Daniel
    As you say everyone has different reasons for learning. For me I just want to be able to have a conversation, as this is what i enjoy Rote learning all the verbs etc is not fun at all and even though I know a fair few conjugations it never seems to improve my Italian conversation, in fact I make most gains when I go to Sicily where i made friends with an old Sicilian couple who speak no English at all so we just chat and although it is not fluent on my part, after 3 weeks I am speaking and understanding much better. I have heard the Phrase Chunking a lot lately in regards to mastering conversation so I am trying to work on that along with Easy readers, listening, duo lingo, verb trainer etc, plus the occasional formal private lesson. I also remember that at the age of 5 I could speak pretty good English and I had not been taught verbs at all by then in any formal way, therefore do I really need to memorize all the different verbs and tenses when I probably do not know all of the English ones ?

  14. Some interesting ideas here. I would add talking to yourself – either out loud or just in your head. I started doing it when I started learning French 50 years ago and it has stood me in good stead!

  15. I am learning Mandarin and I find websites that allow on to practice single words very useful.

  16. Thank you for the indepth article and your beautiful writing. Ever since I started learning Italian. I’ve turned on the radio on italia.fm and listened to it whenever I had time. , In the beginning I didn’t understand anything and slowly I was able to understand the commercials, the news / weather reports and slowly the dialogues.

  17. Great conversation, thank you everyone! I wish I knew enough Italian to write this IN Italian, but alas, I am a beginner! However, I learned and retained a startling amount of Spanish thirty years ago (!!) so I can speak about language learning from that perspective.

    Two things that are helping me:

    (1) Incorporate your new language into your mundane, every day life to make it real. Write down the things you do every day, or say everyday, and learn how to say them in Italian. For example, talking to your kids (Pick up your room, please. Come to dinner! Let’s go shopping.). Start replacing your every day words, commands and conversations with Italian. I can practice nouns and verbs by saying “I have a snake in my shoe” (thank you for that nightmare, Duolingo!), but it’s more helpful to learn to say, “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Please set the table.” (Your kids might get a kick out of it too!)

    (2) I am reading a great book “The Power of Moments” by Chip and Dan Heath, They list the difficulty of having the nebulous “I want to learn Italian” as a goal, and instead stress the value of using smaller, bite-sized milestones that you can attain in a week or two to keep you motivated and show genuine progress in your language learning. A sample list – modified from the book – suggests goals such as:

    Goal 1: order a meal in Italian
    Goal 2: Count through a flight of steps in Italian
    Goal 3: Have a simple conversation in Italian
    Goal 4: Talk yourself through setting the table in Italian
    Goal 3: Glance at an Italian newspaper and understand at least one headline

    …and so on. Of course, an added bonus would be to attach a small reward to reaching each goal -“gamifying” the learning process is another topic I am particularly interested in right now.

  18. Ciao, If you are fortunate enough to live near an international chapter of the Dante Aligheri society they offer formal ,language lessons as well as a calendar of cultural & social events themed around ” Il IMondo in Italiano.”. I’ve taken curriculum based classes with them for five years. Prior to that I took classes at the American Italian Association – both orgs are in the Detroit metropolitan region.

    In addition to Daniel’s valuable thrice weekly infusions, reading Italian newspapers, TV, radio & using public library resources (Italian films, workbooks, language CDs for the car) augment daily exposure both visual & aural. A visit to Italy periodically adds total immersion & enjoyment of Italian life – which is so much more than just its language …. Buona fortuna tutti!

  19. Anyone who tried DuoLingo and gave it up should try again as it has improved. Also I find the laptop/PC version better than the phone app.

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