Three Fun Ways to Learn Italian

Who says that learning a language has to imply thick glasses, more than 1000 page books and a teacher who punishes you with loads of homework? Well, I believe learning can be fun! You might say “who are you to say that?” well, let’s just say I’m really smart and also lazy: I want maximum results with minimum effort. Trust me; you will WANT to read about these easy, fun methods of learning Italian!

1. Sing, sing, sing

What’s funnier than seeing all your friends goof around and try to keep up to both music and the lyrics? Well, your learning process has a lot to gain if you make a special Italian karaoke night! Great Italian singers like Laura Pausini, Tiziano Ferro, Biagio Antonacci, all have very inspired, clear lyrics that are easy to understand and to reproduce – they’re great for your pronunciation and vocabulary! Plus, in karaoke you also get to read the lyrics - improves you reading & writing skills! So, all in all, the Italian karaoke night will be a success both as a party and as a learning lesson.

2. Label everything in your way!

We feel more comfortable around the house, so we assimilate with more ease what we want to learn. Around the house – that’s where we have all the stuff we use on a daily basis. So why not take a pack of post-it notes and a dictionary and write the Italian word for things and label them? For example write “armadio” on a note and stick it on your closet, stick a “frigorifero” note on your fridge or even a “scarpe” note on the shoes you don’t wear as often. And also try to read the notes any time you see them – your family might consider you a loony, but soon enough, they will be proud of you being the only one in the family who speaks the language of DaVinci!

3. Pasta, anyone?

Have you ever considered taking up cooking as a way of getting familiar with a new language? Well, you can start now! Who doesn’t love a good lasagna, some freshly made spaghetti carbonara and of course, the Italian superstar: a ten topping pizza? The Italian kitchen is one of the richest and flavored of all. So, buy a dual-language recipe book or simply buy one in Italian (you will find loads on the internet) and a dictionary, and translate each recipe from Italian into your native language, as you cook it.

This helps you get familiar with the names of fruits, veggies and all sort of groceries and activities (cutting, baking, seasoning etc). Plus you have your belly filled with the world’s most exquisite meals. If you are a man and you’re reading this, trust me: your fiancé will be impressed by the pizza quarto stagioni you prepared for her! It gets your language learning juices flowing and stops your stomach from aching!

These 3 easy and fun steps are just the beginning of your “learning Italian odyssey”, but they will help you remember usual and common words and phrases, taking just a few minutes every day to do it. Once you know the basics, going to an Italian class will give you the professional teaching you need. Your teacher will see to your pronunciation being accurate, and your writing and grammar being close to perfection. But remember, the three methods I showed you above can be paired with your classes, so that you will speak fluent Italian in no time! Tanta fortuna, amico! (Good luck, buddy!)