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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Friday, April 2, 2010

Where is Italian Spoken Besides Italy?

Learning Italian is definitly going to help you if you visit Italy, but where else could you speak it and have people understand you? There are quite a surprising amount of countries and regions that mostly speak Italian. This article answers the question 'where is Italian spoken?'.

Where is Italian Spoken? Just Italy?

Everyone knows that Italian is spoken in Italy. Many people learn Italian, insinuating it's a popular enough language that must be spoken in more than just Italy. Otherwise, why would so many people want to speak Italian if just one country spoke it? Right? So, where is Italian spoken? In some countries is has been declared a national language, but many other courtiers have a strong presence of Italian speakers, making it useful to know the language.

A "national language" usually refers to a language that has government recognition for being the country's official language. Some countries do declare more than one language to be the official language. Italian is the official language of

Italy
Switzerland
San Marino
Vatican City
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Croatia (Istria County)
Slovenia (Istria)

This doesn't mean Italian is the only language allowed in these countries. It just means the government sees Italian as a widely spoken language and should be recognized for it.

Where is Italian spoken besides where it is declared the official language?

There are noticeable immigrant communities (sometimes called 'little Italy') and descendants in Canada, United States, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil, Germany, France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg and Monaco that all speak Italian. Other countries that people are known to speak Italian in are Libya, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Greece.

Where is Italian spoken right around the country of Italy?

Some African nations have given official status to the Italian language, as they were once colonies of Italy, but hardly anyone speaks Italian in these countries. Italian never spread in Africa mostly due to the colonial period being too brief to have any real impact on the African culture. This is similar to how few Vietnamese speak French even though Vietnam is a colony of France.

Italian is spoken in the southern region of Switzerland, along the Italian border. Many Swiss learn Italian as a second language, but also be aware that there are many places in Switzerland where Albanian is more widely understood than Italian since many people emigrated from Albania.

As you can see, there a many other places besides Italy where people speak Italian. This goes to show how truly global the world is becoming. National languages could be a thing of past since some countries are so diverse that they haven't even declared one. One could even say asking where is Italian spoken today is a mute point because Italian speakers are virtually everywhere thanks to easily attainable overseas travel and the internet.

Now that you know where to speak Italian, why don't you learn how? The Rocket Italian language course is a very reasonable and thorough software program I have found. It teaches you various cultures from areas mentioned above, so you can understand possible surroundings where you would speak Italian in order to sound more authentic. Where is Italian spoken? How about your very own home? Read more on how this program helps you learn the language AND its cultures so you can speak Italian naturally.

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Italian vs. Spanish - How Does Italian Compare to Spanish

If you listen to Italian and Spanish you can here some similarities in the order of words and the words themselves. Spelling of words and how they are pronounced are very similar in Italian vs. Spanish. Let's look at other similarities and difference in more detail.

Italian vs. Spanish - Will Knowing Spanish Help You Learn Italian Faster?

Learning any foreign language is a challenge. If it wasn't, everyone would speak all languages easily. As for learning to speak Italian, Spanish speakers do have an advantage. The similarities, and even the differences, of Italian vs. Spanish in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation will give you a boost towards mastering Italian.

Round 1: Italian vs. Spanish - Both Are Romance Languages

Both of these languages are considered romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romantic languages, Latin languages or Neo-Latin languages), meaning they have Latin roots and linguistics. When reading the words in both these languages, you could figure out what is being said because the spellings are similar. For example:

My name is (English) = me llamo (Spanish) = mi chiamo (Italian)

The root of the word for 'name' is 'amo'. So, a Spanish speaking person could recognize that 'mi chiamo' means the same as 'me llamo' when used followed by a name. Many other phrases follow this same concept. That is also why Italian and Spanish, as well as, Portuguese, French, Romanian, and Catalan are all deemed romance languages.

Round 2: Italian vs. Spanish - Grammar is Similar

These two languages have nearly identical grammar rules. The nouns have gender and agreement with adjectives, but determining the word endings in Italian is more complex. Italian verb tenses are a little more complicated than Spanish. It looks like both languages try to avoid using passive voice under similar circumstances. Therefore, Italian may be more difficult to learn than Spanish, but if you know Spanish first, it significantly reduces the learning curve.

Round 3: Italian vs. Spanish - Accented Syllables Differ

Italian speakers usually accent the third to the last syllable of words, while Spanish speakers tend to accent the second to the last syllable. When listening to these two languages, the pronunciation is the biggest difference. That is why someone fluent in Spanish could understand reading Italian, but understanding someone speaking would be more difficult.

Knowing how to speak Spanish will definitely give you an advantage in learning to speak the national language of Italy. Being aware that both are romance languages that have similar grammar, but the pronunciation is slightly different is a good start. The goal of this article was to encourage you to learn Italian, especially if you know some Spanish. My hope is you will give this language a good chance. Adding the Italian culture to your world is well worth it.

Another advantageous way to learn Italian is using the Rocket Italian Language Course. If you know Spanish AND get this course, you will catch on to the Italian language in no time. It covers all the rounds of Italian vs. Spanish mentioned above and much, much more. Also, you can get the first 6 days of lessons for free.

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

What Is the Best Method on How to Study Italian?

Everyone learns differently. Finding the right method to teach you how to speak Italian can only be decided by you. It would be nice to have a list of techniques to pick from though. Oh wait, here's one now.

How to Study Italian - 5 Tried and True Methods

A dear friend of mine loves Italy. She and her husband started traveling there about 4 years ago and now she just can't stay away. The one thing that is preventing her from getting the absolute most out of all her trips is that she still has not learned to speak Italian. When she got back from her last trip to Italy, she decided to finally take on learning Italian. After making the decision, her very next step was researching how to study Italian. She wanted to find multiple options in order to find out the best method to fit her way of learning. I want to share with you the methods she found so you decide the best method for your learning preference and finally say you can speak Italian.


  1. Since my friend traveled to Italy a few times already, she realized she did pick up some of the language during her visits. By the way, Brazil has the second largest population of Italian speakers, so you could travel on down to South America to get exposure to the language too. Still not willing to travel long distances just to be around Italian speaking people? See if there is a 'little Italy' community near you. The point is, surrounding yourself with Italian speakers will force you to unconsciously learn Italian through constant exposure.


  2. One of the tour guides my friend met on one of her trips became a close friend of the family. She now talks on the phone with him at least once a month. He has heard she wants to learn Italian and has started to dedicate part of those conversations to teaching her to speak Italian. Therefore, another method on how to study Italian is to have an Italian speaking person teach you. One big benefit to this way is that person will have the knowledge of situations where a different phrase may be used over another or when to use more slang words as opposed to standard words. In other words, he or she can teach the culture that goes along with the Italian language so you sound more authentic.


  3. In between her trips to Italy and conversations with her tour guide, my friend studies books on learning Italian. Her tour guide also suggested getting an Italian grammar text book as well to help understand some of the basic rules used in the language. Any books you purchase or check out from the library should include an audio CD so you can hear how to pronounce words. Listening to spoken Italian is just as important as memorizing the words or rules of the Italian language. You should be aware of both when looking at how to study Italian.


  4. For a little enjoyment, my friend watches movies in Italian with subtitles. She tries to find movies she has already seen in English so she can follow the story, but listen to the Italian version of the script. The movie usually has to be watched a few times before she catches on to the words and phrases, but it's a nice change from the books and lessons mentioned above on how to study Italian.


  5. The techniques mentioned above all helped my friend figure out how to study Italian, but they were all taking longer than she planned. She had another trip to Italy coming up in a few months and wanted to really boost her fluency with the language. Her last method involved getting an accelerated Italian language learning program. The program included audio lessons, taught Italian culture, explained how to gain confidence and had fun games to learn vocabulary. This program completed her search on how to study Italian and helped her speed to her learning goals.


I would like to help you with this last method some more. The accelerated Italian language learning program is the Rocket Italian Language Course. It has all the features mentioned above, as well as 24-hour support from a live person. If my dear friend's story still has you wondering if this program is for you, try the first 6-days free. You can also read more about the program Here.

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Why Learn Italian? How About These Reasons?

The economy, travel and business worlds are definitely global in today's age. Every corner of the earth is reachable by land, air or sea. Those reasons alone justify learning new langauages. But this blog is only talking about learning Italian. So let's look at some very convincing reasons to learn it.

Why Learn Italian? 7 Excellent Reasons

Many students report that knowing how to speak Italian significantly enhanced their professional and academic opportunities. Italy has the 7th largest economy in the world. 55 million people in Italy and 62 million people throughout the world speak Italian. Italian majors achieve careers in a variety of fields. Let's explore how Italian is utilized to enhance traits that businesses and governments seek for in their associates or to simply enhance your personal well being.
  1. Travel
    Why learn Italian? To truly experience the essence of Italian culture when traveling to Italy. Tour guides show you what they think you should see and they only brush the surface of what you can experience while traveling in Italy. The absolute best way to visit Italy is to be your own guide by speaking the native language to the locals.

  2. Jobs in Government
    Why learn Italian? The federal government is always seeking qualified applicants with Italian language skills in the fields of trade and diplomacy. You better learn one or more languages now if you see international negotiations in your future.

  3. Jobs in Business
    6 of the 100 biggest global companies have their headquarters in Italy. The fifth largest industrial goods producer is in Italy. Jobs in Italian business are lucrative. More and more businesses are becoming global by opening offices around the world. Why learn Italian? Because you could get a job there someday or work for a company who has a presence there. If you knew Italian, you could have a leg up over other associates.

  4. Research
    Translations are not always correct or even available. Why learn Italian? It may be necessary for academic, business, or social research. In many areas of specialization, knowledge of Italian is extremely helpful to properly understand theories and concepts from Italian experts.

  5. Communication Skills
    It always pays to know the client's language. Therefore, if a company deals with any amount of Italian clients, then you would have the advantage over other candidates for a job in that company. Why learn Italian? Being fluent in Italian also encourages you to think about important details of language usage which may not have occurred to you before. These details can lead to improving your writing and speaking skills in English.

  6. Art and Culture
    Why learn Italian? There are many answers in this section. Knowledge of the Italian language is essential to fully appreciate the richness of Italian literature, theater, opera, and films. The true interpretation of these arts could get lost in translations, lessening the experience all together. The last answer could be answered by another question. How could you, savor a gourmet Italian meal in a Florence restaurant if you couldn't read the menu?

  7. Self-Fulfillment
    Immersion in a foreign culture can open whole new avenues of self-exploration and personal growth. Why learn Italian? It is a big accomplishment which brings added confidence and great satisfaction.

Open new doors... learn to speak Italian!

My name is Carrie Lynn Alluri and I want to help you learn Italian. If any of those reasons appealed to you, then you owe it to yourself to seek out a tried and true way to learn Italian well. The Rocket Italian Language Course can do just that. Plus, you can try the first 6 days for free. So if you want to become a government agent in Italy, visit the Vatican City or just talk to your Italian grandmother, Read More about this great program to learn Italian fluently and speak it confidently.


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Since we just answered "why learn Italian?", your next question should be "how do I learn Italian?". Check out the Rocket Italian course for you best chance of success.

Do You Want to Learn to Speak Italian Fluently?

More importantly, how hard is it to learn to speak Italian fluently? It could be a lot easier if you know a few pointers about how to say words and phrases in Italian. The following is a great summary of some unique features of Italian and how they can help you speak it easier.

Is it Easy to Learn to Speak Italian Fluently?

The easiest way to learn Italian would be to go to Italy and find a native resident to teach it to you. Since most of us don't have the luxury to spend that amount of time in Italy, we have to find different methods. This article is going to cover a few hints for people having to use alternative methods to learn to speak Italian fluently. Any alternative methods you consider using should cover these aspects of the Italian language.

Other romance languages, such as Spanish have similar sounding words to Italian. If you have already studied or can speak Spanish, then the Italian language will come more naturally to you. The vocabulary words are spelled and sound almost identically. Having a Spanish or Mexican background will absolutely make it easier to learn to speak Italian fluently. Not to mention, you could probably read Italian if you know already Spanish.

Italian is also similar to Spanish and French in grammar and the use of masculine and feminine nouns and definite articles (the, a, an). It is simple to know the gender of a word because most words ending in "o" are masculine and most words ending in "a" are feminine. For plural words, masculine words end in "i" and feminine words end in "e". It gets a little more complicated with the definite articles, but is still very organized. You would use "il" (singular) and "i" (plural) for the word "the" in front of masculine nouns. "La" (singular) and "le" (plural) is used for "the" in front of feminine nouns. Grammar is close to Spanish and French since the noun is said before the adjective (the wine red = il vino rosso). Once you understand and follow these rules regularly, you will be well on your way to learn to speak Italian fluently.

Even though Italian is pretty much pronounced as it is spelled, there are a few different pronunciations that will add to your authenticity of the language. The Italian sounds that don't exist in English are ''-gn-'' and ''-gli-'' which sound more or less like ''-ny-'' (as in caNYon) and ''-ly-'' (as in miLLion) respectively. You can still pronounce them as described above, but you should really learn these sounds from a native Italian if you want to truly learn to speak Italian fluently. Also learning the difference between 'e' and 'e' can be a challenge too unless you practice and duplicate the correct pronunciation.

The purpose of this article was to make you aware of some of the intricacies of the Italian language to make learning it easier. It is similar to Spanish and French because of similar words, grammar and feminine/masculine nouns. There are a few special pronunciations unique to Italian that, if learned properly, could boost how authentic you sound. You should go and learn to speak Italian fluently as it is a beautiful language. If you have the determination to master this beautiful language, you will be rewarded with even more access to the wonderful Italian culture than what you could ever learn about from a tour guide.

My name is Carrie Lynn Alluri and I want to help you learn to speak Italian fluently and easily. Aside from spending time with a native Italian, the next best teaching method to learn Italian would be a software program. The program you choose should have audio lessons and teach the culture as well as the language. The Rocket Italian language course does this and much more.


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