Saturday, April 3, 2010

How Long Does it Take to Learn Italian, Really?

Learning a foreign language is much more difficult than learning your native language because you are usually not constantly surrounded by people speaking the other language. If you are fortunate enough to move to an Italian speaking region, then you will probably pick up on it quicker than someone learning from a book or class. This means there are quite a few variables that could affect the result of 'How Long Does it Take to Learn Italian?'. This article will help you see what I mean.

How Long Does it Take to Learn Italian?

To learn Italian well is no small task. And because it is such a big task, you are probably wondering how long does it take to learn Italian? Unfortunately the answer is not a definite time frame. The length of time to master the Italian language greatly depends on three main variables.

First and foremost, your level of dedication will contribute to how long it takes to learn Italian. It will take much longer to master the language if you can only dedicate one or two days a week (like a class). If you can dedicate a few hours each day, the time will be significantly reduced. So how long does it take to learn Italian given the time you dedicate to studying? The range is anywhere from one to six years.

A second factor to consider is the tools or teacher you are learning Italian from. Software programs can establish a good basis of the language. The ones with audio lessons in them help even more with pronunciation. Learning from a real human teacher could take more or less time than a software program, but mastering pronunciation is more guaranteed. The teacher can work with you in detail on how you say the words as well as what words to say. The software program usually just has you check off on a lesson if YOU think you mastered it.

Lastly, if you truly want to master Italian, you should spend a much time around Italian speakers as possible. The more time you spend around native speakers, the faster you will pick up the language. As for how long does it take to learn Italian when you spend time around people who speak it? The overall time could be reduced by a year or two. But the real benefit of surrounding yourself with these speakers is so you understand the culture and situations that the language is used in. No teacher or software program can help you experience the culture as well as being in it yourself.

As you can see, 'how long does it take to learn Italian' cannot be answered with a set amount of time. These three components combined could significantly reduce the time to learn Italian. You could also pick one and slowly incorporate the other two over time. Deciding to learn Italian is not enough if you want to master the language. Dedicating good solid effort behind each of these components will get you to your goal in a reasonable amount of time.

The Rocket Italian language course can help you with the second factor as it includes audio lessons AND 24 hour support.

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Enjoy Learning Italian With Italian Language Games!

What did Mary Poppins say? "A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down". She was really saying that if you make a tedious task fun, it will be much easier to tackle. This holds true for the sometimes tedious lessons used to teach Italian. To break up the monotony a little, Italian language games can help you learn Italian without even knowing it because you are having fun! The following games may be familiar to you in your native language. Why not use them to learn Italian too?

Want to Make Learning Italian Fun? Play Italian Language Games

If you want to learn Italian, why not have fun doing it? Italian language games are great tools to learn to speak, read and write the Italian language. The following are just a few common ones that have simple rules and are easy to play. I even threw in a rundown of some games that are part of a software learning program.

A great game to help you recognize Italian words is Word Seek or Word Search games. You know these. There is a bunch of letters arranged in rows and columns and you have to find the words either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Word search Italian language games are a simple, yet affective method to distinguish words and word spellings.

'Fill in the Blank' Italian language games can help you with practicing phrases. Sentences are shown with a word or two missing and you have to fill the blank or blanks. There is usually a small list of words to pick from. This is a great game to learn the meaning of words and the grammar rules. Italian uses masculine and feminine nouns and articles. So this game will help you remember when to use the masculine and/or feminine versions in each sentence.

Some similar Italian language games are Word Scrambles. This is where you have to rearrange words in a sentence so it makes sense. As you can imagine, this type of game also helps learn proper grammar and sentence structure. You could even learn some new vocabulary from this game if the scrambled phrases include some words you never seen before.

A classic game that helps with spelling is Hangman. An underscore is shown for every letter of a word or phrase. A person then picks a letter they think may be in the word or phrase. If the letter they pick is not in the phrase, then a part of the body of a stick man is drawn beneath a simple drawing of a hangman's noose. The goal is to spell out or guess the word or phrase before the entire stick man's body is drawn.

A relatively well known software program for learning Italian has some great Italian language games built right into it. Rocket Italian has games like MegaVocab, MegaVerbs and MegaAudio. MegaVocab covers vocabulary recognition by having you match one of 6 pictures to a word picked at random by the software. MegaVerbs has you select the correct verb conjugation for the correct person and tense. MegaAudio has you listen to audio of a word or phrase and guess which of the 4 pictures represent the audio.

All of these Italian language games are also easily accessible so you can fit them into your lessons with little additional work. You can look for workbooks that have the first three games mentioned in them. The Hangman game can be set up by anyone who knows Italian well enough to spell words and sentences.

The Rocket Italian language course is available online.

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Are You Looking For English-Italian Language Translation?

If you are not careful, a poor English-Italian language translation could cost your company a new account or get you on the wrong bus when traveling through Italy. Make sure what you say in English is properly converted to Italian and vice versa. Today's technology opens up new options for this type of service, but conventional methods still hold true. Read on to see what I mean.

Where to Find Quality English-Italian Language Translation

There are many reasons why people look for quality English-Italian language translations. It may be for a business that deals with Italian clients or suppliers. Maybe you met a native Italian on a trip somewhere and want to keep in touch with them by sending letters in Italian. Whatever the reason, here are a few good sources to find Italian translations.

The internet opens up endless possibilities for translation tools. Just doing a simple search on your favorite search engine site for English-Italian language translation will get you quite a few results. Some are free and some are subscription based. I would suggest looking for paid translators with free trials. They usually have more features and since there is no cost to try them, you can make sure they have the right features for you.

Human English-Italian language translation experts are a very reliable source. They can also be found on the internet or by word of mouth. Your Italian foreign embassy may be able to recommend a good person or company in your area that offers their services for a fee. Italian majors at local universities are also a good resource. They may even do it for free as long as they can use you as a reference for a future job or applying for a higher education program.

English-Italian language translation software programs are another possible option. The programs are a one-time fee. Some download from the internet and may come with a free trial just like the online tools. Some of these programs are actually mailed to you on a CD or DVD. Regardless of the format, they usually cost some money. Search for the program's name in a search engine to find reviews to help you decide which one best meets your needs.

If you are more the self-sufficient type, you could always learn Italian yourself. This would make YOU the English-Italian language translation service. Depending on how much money and time you expect to spend learning Italian will help you decide if this is the best option for a translator.

Each of these sources has a wide range of expertise and cost behind them. Make sure you decide what you are really looking for in an English-Italian language translation tool or service. This will help you compare all your options and select the perfect one for your purpose.

I would like to further help you out with the last option mentioned above, learning Italian yourself.

A great program to help you do this is the Rocket Italian language course.

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Learn Italian Phrases to Use in Everyday Life

What good is it to learn a foreign language if you don't learn how talk in everyday life? Make sure that any program that you use to learn Italian phrases covers common conversation in today's culture. Here is a very brief view of some phrases that you would probably use often.

How Do You Say WHAT? Learn Italian Phrases

So you want to learn Italian phrases for whatever reason. This article will review some often used words and sayings to help you speak Italian in various circumstances. Consider this a sampling that may persuade you to jump into learning more Italian through a more in depth program.

The first phrases you should learn in Italian are the polite ones. Native speakers will be much more forgiving of your less than perfect Italian if you are courteous. Try these:
  • Good morning/afternoon =Buongiorno/Buonpomeriggio

  • Thank you and goodbye= Grazie ed arrivederci

  • I'm learning Italian = Sto imparando l'italiano

  • Excuse me = Scusarsi

  • Pardon me = Prego

  • How do you say...? Come farla dice...?
Basic everyday conversation is always useful. Chances are you will be meeting new people after you try to learn Italian phrases either through business or pleasure. So you will probably tell others about yourself as part of the conversation. These could be some common statements:
  • My name is...= Mi chiamo...

  • I was born on the....,...,... = Ero nato sul (day) di (month)

  • I am... years old = Ho... anni

  • I am from the United States = Sono dagli Stati Uniti

  • I live in...= Vivo a...

  • My favourite sport is......= Il mio sport preferito è...

  • My favourite food is......= Il mio cibo preferito è

Since Italian is considered a Romance language, you could use it to turn on the charm to a significant other. If you learn Italian phrases about love, maybe you become the romantic that lucky someone has been looking for? Here are a few to get you started:
  • I love you = L'amo

  • I want to kiss you = Voglio baciarla

  • You are so beautiful = lei è così bello

  • I will love you forever = L'amerò per sempre

  • I really like you= Mi piaci molto tu

As you can see, Italian is a beautiful language with its own style and grammar behind it. If you are reading this article, it must mean you are interested in speaking Italian. If you learn Italian phrases from this article, you are just skimming the surface of this ancient European language. I strongly recommend you to consider expanding your knowledge and begin a formal program to learn Italian well.

One of the top rated formal software programs is the Rocket Italian language course.

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You Can Learn Italian Quick Once You Read This

Every little bit helps when trying to learn Italian quick. Adding a few extra exercises to your structured lesson plans will boost your fluency and get you to your goal before you know it. Check out some of these suggestions.

Do You Want to Learn Italian Quick? 4 Great Tips to Speed Things Up

The best way to learn Italian quick is to go live around a bunch of Italian speakers or purchase a software program designed to teach the Italian language. Without a doubt, you cannot go wrong using either of these two methods to speak it fluently. I would like to give you a few simple tips that enhance those two methods to help you learn Italian quick.

  • Tip 1: Participate in an online language exchange. Most exchanges will match you up with an Italian speaker who wants to learn English. Half the session is in Italian, while the other half is in English. This is a great way to trade skills for your goal of speaking Italian.

  • Tip 2: Listen to Italian radio. After conversing on the language exchange, find an Italian radio station (some are streamed online now). Listen for about 15 minutes. Write down any words you don't understand and look them up in an Italian dictionary later. This will help build your vocabulary.

  • Tip 3: Read Italian news articles. Following your radio time, look up an Italian newspaper. The articles may duplicate some of the new stories you heard on the radio making them easier to understand. Again, write down words you don't understand and look them up later.

  • Tip 4: Listen to Italian music. The songs are usually very understandable and have clear pronunciation. Try to learn a new word or ten every day. Just listen to one song a day to get that one word and experience beautiful music as well.

These 4 tips are great additives to your main Italian language education. They are simple to do and don't take a lot more time to incorporate into your schedule. Using these tips as well as an language software program or living with Italian speakers will definitely make you learn Italian quick.

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