Attractions in Italy

Learning Italian is a fantastic opportunity. Speak Italian with people you meet while traveling, as well as those in your community. Communication opens doors to: work abroad, expand your business, expand a curiosity to full blown Italian fluency, discover your roots, find romance, a chance travel, and most importantly - expand your communication.

1. The Godfather Would Approve

Rent Italian classics. As Italian movie director Federico Fellini said, "A different language is a different vision of life". With all these reasons and more, in the following are a few ideas on how to incorporate learning Italian into your daily life.

Some great internationally successful flicks are: "La doce vita", "The Garden of the Finzi Contini", "Ladri di Biciclette" (Bicycle Thieves) and movies from the Taviani Brothers, Visconti, Antonioni and Fellini.

2. Go on a Mental Adventure

Head to your local library or bookstore and pick up a couple Italian books. Reading is essential to learning how language structure works. Check out travel guides, novels, and other books that describe Italy, to enrich the learning process. Learning more about the culture is a great motivating factor. Not only are you learning Italian, but also you're immersing yourself in a new culture and understanding a people.

3. TV Time

Watch TV. Yes, in the name of education, turn on your TV and veg out for a few hours; just make sure they're speaking in Italian. With all the choices of satellite and cable channels we have no excuse not to find programming in different languages. Just listening to the programs, the Italian will begin to subconsciously sneak into your brain . Soon you'll be sputtering out Italian in your sleep. If you don't find any programming you really dig, there is the option to rent popular TV shows in Italian versions. This way you'll still be able to enjoy your favorite programs and learn at the same time.

4. Italian Itinerary

Search out Italian music online, in your local music store, or library. Inside the liner, the lyrics of the songs should be included. Skim the words along with the music, and try to figure out what they're saying. Shortly you'll be singing along and perfecting the lofty vowels of the Italian language in minutes.

5. Have Fun

Learning a foreign language doesn't have to be a snore. You can easily spice it up by incorporating some of your favorite games and activities. Try playing Italian bingo, Italian family feud, Italian crosswords, basically anything that helps you learn vocabulary and forces you to practice Italian.

6. Creative Renaissance

Fuel your ingenious side and learn creatively. Create your own Michelangelo and label his body parts in Italian, draw a house and label all the rooms and furniture, post up your artwork where you can see it – on the refrigerator, your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car.

7. Self Teach

Try the Pimsleur Approach if you're just starting. Pimsleur is great for beginners to learn Italian. This program doesn't ask you to memorize lists of vocabulary or grammar. Basically, it teaches you the same way you learned your first language —audibly. Listen to the CDs in the car or on your lunch break. Repeat the phrases and soon you'll be speaking like a native.

8. Phrase Your Words Wisely

Express yourself by learning phrases in Italian. One big mistake beginners make is trying to learn everything at once. According to the Pareto principle, 20 percent of the input contributes to 80 percent of the output.

9. Explore Your City

Get online, check your local bulletin boards, and visit community centers to find out about Italian programs. Find Italian speaking residents in your community and join a conversation group or learn more about heritage societies. Speaking a new language helps you understand another culture and its people. Language and culture are interwoven; in many ways, language defines our reality. By learning Italian you are opening your mind to new ideas and ways of seeing the world.

10. Vacation in Italy

Wander the bella vineyards of Italy on a picturesque wine tour. Everything will be more enjoyable if you can understand Italian. Speaking their language illustrates a respect for Italian culture. In almost every country, people prefer it when tourists at least make an effort to speak their native tongue, even if it's just Per favore (Please) or Grazie (thank you)!

The fastest way to learn Italian is to be immersed. When you visit Italy, not only will you enjoy delicious food and beautiful sights, but you'll also absorb the Italian language so naturally you won't even notice it.Learning Italian is like learning a new way to think. You must immerse yourself into the culture; learn to speak and write a different way from your native tongue. Fall in love with the language. If you love the Italian language then everything will come easily to you.