If you want to learn how to speak Italian with confidence, you’ve come to the right place. Dante in Linea understands that getting to the heart of this romance language requires more than memorizing a few Italian vocabulary words and phrases.
Learning a new language requires a significant time commitment as well as a great deal of patience. You will fail frequently, and it will appear that you are making no progress… But don’t give up hope.
English speakers will be relieved to learn how to speak Italian, as the two languages share Latin roots and a plethora of common cognates. In fact, many Italian words are instantly familiar and simple to pronounce. Yes, mastering the accent and the language’s famous musicality takes time, but Italian has intuitive phonetics that can be learned quickly from written words.
Be Patient with Yourself. Unfortunately, you are not going to master the Italian language in 3 months like some language “gurus” will tell you. Learning Italian is a long journey that will test your patience at times.
So, now that you’ve decided you want to learn Italian, what’s the best way to get started?
There are numerous options available to you, depending on your goals, timeframes, and resources. Here are some of the most popular options and helpful hints:
Don’t be Afraid of Making Mistakes in Italian
We have all heard a child try to speak when they are little. Do they have perfect grammar? Do they use big words? Of course not and you shouldn’t expect that from yourself either. One of the most important things in learning Italian is to expect you will be making mistakes and realize that making them will help you actually learn the language.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. We can learn from children here. They aren’t afraid of making mistakes when they are learning a language. You shouldn’t be afraid either.
master italian like a native
Italian is one of the 24 official and working languages in the European Union. Learning the language is a great way for travelers to get a better understanding of Europe’s history. Surprisingly, nearly all Italian words end in a vowel. The Italian language is said to have a musical quality.
Get gesturing
You may have heard someone say that Italians speak with their hands. In general, Italians are very expressive with their gesturing while they speak. Thus, to help you become even more believable in your role, include large, open gestures.
Hold your hand so that the fingers point upward and touch your fingertips together. This is the “finger purse,” and it’s asking for clarification.
Give answers like an Italian
Surely you will have already noticed that there are some small answers that Italians use almost automatically, without thinking much about it, in any context. Here are some examples: “Ah sì?” (“Ah yes?”), “Davvero?/Ma va?” (“Really?”), “Sul serio?/Seriamente?” (“Seriously?”)
Read Italian Content
If time allows you to, it may be a good idea to take a class to learn the Italian language itself. Learning the language can help you hear and learn what it should sound like. But you will have someone who knows what the accent should sound like at your disposal to help you adjust accordingly.
A teacher can help you get used to and use inflections, patterns, and diphthongs common in the accents, properly.
Sign up for a class. Speak Italian with Dante in Linea
If time allows you to, it may be a good idea to take a class to learn the Italian language itself. Learning the language with a native teacher can help you hear and learn what it should sound like.
You will have someone who knows what the accent should sound like at your disposal to help you adjust accordingly.
A teacher can help you get used to and use inflections, patterns, and diphthongs common in the accents, properly.
With Dante in Linea you will method that combines the best of all of these options when learning how to speak Italian,
- Small lesson sizes, built around real-world situations
- Speech recognition technology for instant learner feedback
- High-quality Italian courses designed by experts
- Authentic italian accents allow you to speak and be understood anywhere
As soon as possible, jump in and start speaking Italian. You aren’t going to be perfect and you may sound silly at times but you have to get started speaking. Don’t make the mistake of saying “I need to completely finish all the levels of Duolingo before I would feel comfortable speaking Italian”.
