No time to read this? Why not find something to study instead? A1 – Beginner/Elementary | A2 – Pre-Intermediate | B1 – Intermediate | B2 – Upper-Intermediate | C1 – Advanced | C2 – Proficiency | What’s my level? | Italian level test
+++
Buondì.
A few days back I had a long email from someone who explained that she was doing well with her A1 (= elementary) -level Italian studies, could read our materials, understand what she heard, and so on. But that she couldn’t speak. She was blocked.
Being blocked is common with a new language, also with one you know well but haven’t used for a while. A little practice and your brain unblocks itself. I’ve written about that often.
She never acknowleded the email I wrote her back, so I didn’t get the chance to ask permission to publish her words in this article.
But there’s no copyright on ideas. And I need no permission to quote myself, right?
From what I understood, the person wants to learn to speak Italian effortlessly ‘like an Italian’, but also properly. And she definitely doesn’t want to sound like Borat.
Don’t know who Borat is? Then you should definitely watch this trailer for his 2006 movie:
https://youtu.be/ZN-dGVbCjLI?si=wZasl5Q3keIbByrR
In the original email the writer also expressed doubt about what she understands to be my own approach to learning (and teaching) languages.
Again, I’m carefully avoiding quoting, so won’t repeat the prepositional verb she used, but here’s a dictionary defintion:
To “?????? ?????” means to manage a situation or succeed at a task despite a lack of skill, organization, or clear planning.
I lack skill, organisation, or clear planning? Au contraire!
I’ve been trying and failing to learn foreign languages for forty years, and taught English to foreigners for more than thirty. The suggestions I make in articles like this one absolutely do involve skill, organization and clear planning.
It’s simply that I believe learners typically neglect the ‘skills’ side of language-learning (listening, speaking, reading, writing) to the detriment of their progress and enjoyment, while prioritizing grammar study and memorization of vocabulary, both of which are demonstrably a waste of time and effort.
You have my permission to IGNORE GRAMMAR and to NEVER MEMORISE ANYTHING. Go in peace.
But don’t take it from me.
‘Everyone knows’ – and Italians repeat this to me all the time when trying to excuse their total ignorance of English or any other foreign language – ‘that if you move to the country where the language is spoken, it’s much easier to learn.’
The implication being that my prowess in italiano is merely a function of my geographic location.
That’s nonsense, of course. Plenty of people live permanently in other countries but can’t speak the language. And I learn Swedish each day, while living in Bologna, Italy.
However, what ‘everyone knows’ does reinforce the point that doing lots of speaking, listening and reading in the language you’re trying to acquire is likely to help rather than hinder.
Getting enough reading/listening/speaking practice and – most essentially – practice opportunities that are appropriate to your current level, goals, learning style, and so on, absolutely requires clear planning, organization, and skill.
My advice, by the way, is summarised here: How to learn Italian (or any language) And yes, of course it’s rather long. Everything I write is rather long (it’s a function of being my own editor, and the boss).
But then, so is the process of learning a foreign language. Lifelong.
Anyway, here’s what I replied to the A1 (elementary) woman:
As regards sounding like Borat, why is that a problem? Most people in the world would be more than happy to have the competence in a foreign language that that fictional character has in English. Other than bilingual kids of migrant families, and the increasingly few college modern language graduates, few people in Britain or America could do better than Borat.
Your problem is basically one of having inappropriate expectations. You write “I’m not sure if 1 or even 2 lessons a week would it be enough to make everything second nature as it does with native Italians.”
Well of course it won’t. But if you approach conversations with native speakers in a more positive light you might enjoy yourself anyway, make some friends, and perhaps stop worrying about being perfect, so not looking stupid.
I live in Italy and speak bad Italian every day. No one seems to care. I don’t. Language is a tool, that’s all. Today I made my doctor laugh out loud.
I don’t live in Sweden or Turkey (or France or Spain) but if I ever get the chance to chat with native speakers in their own language, people are unfailingly enthusiastic. It’s very gratifying, and again, no one cares if my speech is not perfect.
Hope that helps.
Alla prossima settimana!
2026 Back to School Sale! Italian self-study workbooks -25%
As part of the 2026 Back to School! promotion (see below for details), today we’re drawing your attention to our six ‘self-study workbooks‘.
Each has a substantial free sample, so you can take a look to see if this material might help you progress. There are links below to download the free samples.
And each/all can be discounted 25%, assuming you remember to use the Back to School! coupon code (details of how to do that are below, in the P.S.)
Here’s are the details from our ebooks catalog:
Italian Self-Study Workbooks
The Tenses You Need To Speak Italian £19.99 | Download FREE sample (.pdf)
Italian Workout! A1 £19.99 | Download FREE sample (.pdf)
Italian Workout! A2 £19.99 | Download FREE sample (.pdf)
Italian Workout! B1 £19.99 | Download FREE sample (.pdf)
Italian Workout! B2 £19.99 | Download FREE sample (.pdf)
Italian Workout! C1/2 £19.99 | Download FREE sample (.pdf)
Not that into studying?
So why not work on improving your reading/listening comprehension skills instead?
Browse the ‘easy readers’ in our ebooks catalog, where they’re organised by type and level, all with free sample chapters and free online audio!
P.S. Don’t forget, the Back to School! coupon code promotion!
Until Sunday September 13th 2026 everything in our online ebooks store (including the grammar workbooks!) is 25% cheaper, though only IF you remember to use this coupon code:
2026-Back-to-School-25%-Off
Make your selection from our range of ebooks, which have been especially written to keep you interested and making progress:
Or browse Italian ebooks by level: A1 | A1/A2 | A2 | A2/B1 | B1 | B1/B2 | B2 | B2/C1 | C1 | C1/C2 | C2
To get your discount, just copy and paste coupon code 2026-Back-to-School-25%-Off into your shopping cart, then scroll down to check the cart total has been reduced by 25%.
Coupon code 2026-Back-to-School-25%-Off also works on graded material for learning Spanish, French or German.
Apply coupon code 2026-Back-to-School-25%-Off in your shopping cart to reduce the cart total by 25%!
Stock up on online easy readers, parallel texts and grammar workbooks – at an unbeatable price!
Italian | French | Spanish | German
Here’s that coupon code again:
2026-Back-to-School-25%-Off
Don’t forget to use it when you order to save 25% on the price of everything in your cart!
P.S.
And here’s the usual Wednesday reminder to read/listen to Tuesday’s bulletin of news from EasyItalianNews.com.
Reading/listening practice will help you consolidate the Italian you’re studying, expand your vocabulary, and build vital comprehension skills.
EasyItalianNews.com is FREE to read/listen to.
Subscribing, and so receiving all three text + audio bulletins of ‘easy’ news via email each week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays – is also FREE.
Just enter your email address on this page and click the confirmation link that will be sent to you.
+++
OnlineItalianClub.com | EasyItalianNews.com | Shop (ebooks) | Shop (online lessons)
OnlineFrenchClub.com | OnlineSpanishClub.com | OnlineGermanClub.com
+++
No longer interested?
All bulk emails we send (including this one) contain an unsubscribe link, usually at the bottom. Scroll down to find it, click the link and select ‘unsubscribe’. That will permanently remove your email address from our mailing list.
Leave a Reply