I know; practicing Italian alone doesn’t sound like much fun. The Italian language and culture should be shared, enjoyed, and celebrated with friends and family.
But in these days of social distancing, you can take advantage of the mandatory quiet solitude to really hunker down on your language skills. When travel opens up again (and it will), you’ll be able to visit Italy with a much better vocabulary!
Well, forgive me for being overly enthusiastic. It’s tough to find much that is positive amid a global pandemic.
POP QUIZ!
"Nell'economia mondiale è stato registrato un incremento del 60% di vendite di bottiglie vino. Se non possiamo sconfiggerlo il Covid, perlomeno possiamo dimenticarlo."
Practicing Italian Alone
Actually, I would say that - especially for the beginner - practicing Italian alone should make up the bulk of your study. You need to have some basic knowledge before you can even attempt conversation.
That said, there's more than one way to practice Italian alone. There are workbooks, flashcards, and podcasts (or tapes/CDs in the "old days," when I was first learning). But I feel that the best way to really get off to a fast start is with an online course.
I’ve long been an advocate of online learning, and specifically using a software program to accelerate the language acquisition process. I’ll go into a bit more detail, but in short, here’s why: There is a logical, progressive structure along with forced, programmed repetition. It drills it into your brain and it does so in an efficient, precise order.
Furthermore:
- Practice on your own schedule. Pick a time when you’re feeling motivated, and never worry about missing a lesson due to scheduling conflicts.
- Practice at your own speed. Not possible in a classroom, because all students learn at a different pace.
- Practice on the go. Your “classroom” is wherever you have a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. NO excuses for missing a lesson.
- Practice by yourself. In this time of social distancing, it’s the wise, responsible choice. In fact, it’s mandatory.
Why is it so effective? It's because it mimics the way we learned our first language; not by “studying” it, but by actually using it in real life scenarios.
And in case you’re worried about wasting your money, fear not, they have a 60-day no questions, no hassles guarantee. You can get your money back for ANY reason, even if you decide that you “just don’t have the time.” Although, who doesn't have time these days?
BUT, the other methods are good supplements; a way to put to the test what you've learned in the course. So if you enjoy watching, listening, and reading here are a few additional options. Click on the images below to learn more!
Classic Cinema
Podcasts
Literature
Nice article. Over the years I have spent learning Italian, I have realized that the two things that are most important are listening and repeating out loud. For this, I have found two websites very useful. LearnItalianpod.com (not the 101 version), where many opportunities are given in each dialogue to repeat the same phrases. Also, http://www.Learntravelitalian.com dialogues are good since there are many Italian voices to listen to and, again, each phrase is interactive and can be repeated by the student many times to make the words flow smoothly and easily!