Learning basic Italian
May 23rd, 2005, 04:47 PM
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Learning basic Italian
I am interested in buying a product to help learn basic italian on a CD that I can use while in my car? I visited several bookstores and there are at least a dozen programs. What would be the easiest way to learn? I have 3 months till our trip to Italy and no knowlege of the language.
May 23rd, 2005, 05:00 PM
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My post on this thread is three years old...
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34373751
But the advice is as true as it is timeless...
Best wishes,
Rex
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34373751
But the advice is as true as it is timeless...
Best wishes,
Rex
May 23rd, 2005, 06:04 PM
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i highly recommend the pimsleur method. i have used this method for italian, german, and french, very happy with the results. there are approximately 90 recorded lessons, each about 25 or so minutes in length, which comprise the full course(s) and pimsleur offers a short course series as well. the pimsleur focus essentially is about learning language as one did as a child...by listening and repeating. there is no accompanying instruction book so it's a convenient system for use in car, train, etc., as well as at home. i understand many diplomats use pimsleur when they need an effective jump start in a particular language. btw...pimsleur are pretty expensive, however, can be found at public libraries. i hope that helps a bit...best, jfm.
May 23rd, 2005, 06:44 PM
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Mr. Go has been using an eight-disc Pimsleur overview course in the car. I'll let him answer...
I recommend it, if you're looking for a cost-effective solution. This is a bare-bones package, but it only cost $35 or $40, which is a lot less than the full-scale Pimsleur course. I use it in the car during my commute, and I'd say my spoken Italian has improved significantly over the past few weeks. I found it on Amazon.
I recommend it, if you're looking for a cost-effective solution. This is a bare-bones package, but it only cost $35 or $40, which is a lot less than the full-scale Pimsleur course. I use it in the car during my commute, and I'd say my spoken Italian has improved significantly over the past few weeks. I found it on Amazon.
May 23rd, 2005, 06:55 PM
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May 24th, 2005, 12:30 PM
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My wife and I have been sharng the Pimsleur tapes, from our small town library, to prepare for our trip to Italy in 2006. Using them during the morning commute is very convenient, and we can repeat any section over and over.
May 24th, 2005, 01:34 PM
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I bought the cheap Barrons "Now You're Talking! Italian in no time." It is not very good. I bought it cause it was only 2 cds. I didn't want a huge set. But there is so much stuff ont here that I'd never use.
I also took out of the library some set that was called "In flight Italian - learn before you land." Really bad. WAY too fast too.
I also took out of the library some set that was called "In flight Italian - learn before you land." Really bad. WAY too fast too.
May 24th, 2005, 01:45 PM
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I've looked at several, and have used a few, and I can highly recommend the "Living Language" Italian language series. I was able to learn enough from this LL on my own to test into the intermediate levels when I continued Italian language studies in Florence. A college roommate of mine who is based in Europe has used this series to teach himself Russian and Italian, which he needs for business purposes.
I noted recently in the bookstore while looking for another Italian dictionary that Fodor's has actually teamed up with Living Language for its own language series-as far as I'm concerned, Fodor's chose the right language company, because you can learn a great deal from LL, in a well-presented and easy to follow format, in a short period of time.
I noted recently in the bookstore while looking for another Italian dictionary that Fodor's has actually teamed up with Living Language for its own language series-as far as I'm concerned, Fodor's chose the right language company, because you can learn a great deal from LL, in a well-presented and easy to follow format, in a short period of time.
May 25th, 2005, 03:45 AM
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I think the problem is that they should make language tapes for two very separate reasons. One is if you're trying to actually learn the language. The second is if you're trying to just learn enough to get by - say, for a week or two vacation in large cities where English will be the fall back. If I were trying to ctually learn the language I'd sign up for a community ed course. We have several here that I think would be great to get started with. It helps to actually speak out loud to other people. Helps you get over the nervous part.
May 25th, 2005, 04:06 AM
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<<It helps to actually speak out loud to other people. Helps you get over the nervous part.>>
I think this is so important, and so under-emphasized.
And I'm not sure that I agree with...
<<I think the problem is that they should make language tapes for two very separate reasons. One is if you're trying to actually learn the language. The second is if you're trying to just learn enough to get by...>>
Surely, it's more like a spectrum of intent... even those who aspire to "just get by" span a considerable range of expectations. By the time you move on from 20-30 words or so - - to hundreds of words (which really is a realistic goal - - even with one month, and the right plan to succeed), you're well on your way to trying to "actually learn the language".
But speaking the language OUT LOUD is something you will want to do, if you have any real plan to communicate with others in a language. You really do need to get used to... (and get over it!) how (bad you <i>think</i
you sound. Way too many people either grimace or nervously laugh at the sound of their own voice in a foreign language. Or feel self-conscious at what they consider "mimicry" (I suppose some learn as children that this is "impolite" (?)... to mimic someone's accent, for example).
It's all about trying to sound like "those people".
Good luck with it.
I think this is so important, and so under-emphasized.
And I'm not sure that I agree with...
<<I think the problem is that they should make language tapes for two very separate reasons. One is if you're trying to actually learn the language. The second is if you're trying to just learn enough to get by...>>
Surely, it's more like a spectrum of intent... even those who aspire to "just get by" span a considerable range of expectations. By the time you move on from 20-30 words or so - - to hundreds of words (which really is a realistic goal - - even with one month, and the right plan to succeed), you're well on your way to trying to "actually learn the language".
But speaking the language OUT LOUD is something you will want to do, if you have any real plan to communicate with others in a language. You really do need to get used to... (and get over it!) how (bad you <i>think</i
you sound. Way too many people either grimace or nervously laugh at the sound of their own voice in a foreign language. Or feel self-conscious at what they consider "mimicry" (I suppose some learn as children that this is "impolite" (?)... to mimic someone's accent, for example). It's all about trying to sound like "those people".
Good luck with it.
May 25th, 2005, 08:03 AM
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I too am a Living Language fan. I also believe that taking a course at the local community college is really beneficial.
When I decided to learn Italian, I borrowed many tapes from the local library. The Living Language series was so good, that after I checked out the beginning level LL tapes, and listened to them over and over for 6 weeks, I bought the advanced series.
The end result was that after listening to these tapes over and over and over, I received so many compliments from the Italians on how grammatically well I speak their language. Most of them thought I must be part Italian or that I studied there. It made me feel like I really accomplished something. Good luck to you. It's such a great language to learn.
When I decided to learn Italian, I borrowed many tapes from the local library. The Living Language series was so good, that after I checked out the beginning level LL tapes, and listened to them over and over for 6 weeks, I bought the advanced series.
The end result was that after listening to these tapes over and over and over, I received so many compliments from the Italians on how grammatically well I speak their language. Most of them thought I must be part Italian or that I studied there. It made me feel like I really accomplished something. Good luck to you. It's such a great language to learn.
May 25th, 2005, 09:00 AM
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I'm glad to read these good reviews of Living Language as I've seen them and thought they looked good from what I've read. I've had several types of language lessons on CD and some were not so good. I'm not a big Pimsleur fan myself, by contrast to others, but think they are as good as many of these programs. It's just hard to learn a language this way, but fine for hearing it and learning a few words.
And, having studied seriously two languages (meaning more than a couple years), and studied a bit several more -- I agree very much with wliwl's statement on programs and intent (and completely disagree with Rex's position that learning a language consists of memorizing a large number of words).
The purpose is very important to the structure of the lesson, as well as what is learned, and the vocabulary. One of the problems with Pimsleur is that when they were taken over by some other company (Simon and Shuster? something), they decided to created multiple products for different markets but did nothing to actually develop different products. It was solely the packaging. So, if you buy the Quick Start or Travelers set or whatever names they go by, they simply took the first 8 CDs or so out of the full set I and packaged it for travelers who want a few phrases.
And, having studied seriously two languages (meaning more than a couple years), and studied a bit several more -- I agree very much with wliwl's statement on programs and intent (and completely disagree with Rex's position that learning a language consists of memorizing a large number of words).
The purpose is very important to the structure of the lesson, as well as what is learned, and the vocabulary. One of the problems with Pimsleur is that when they were taken over by some other company (Simon and Shuster? something), they decided to created multiple products for different markets but did nothing to actually develop different products. It was solely the packaging. So, if you buy the Quick Start or Travelers set or whatever names they go by, they simply took the first 8 CDs or so out of the full set I and packaged it for travelers who want a few phrases.
May 25th, 2005, 09:26 AM
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<<completely disagree with Rex's position that learning a language consists of memorizing a large number of words...>>
I never suggested that I equate the two. But learning vocabulary IS essential, and it's a very measurable yardstick, useful in determining if you are sticking with your goals.
Show me someone who has gone to the trouble of making 300 flashcards in a month, and learning them - - and you can just about guarantee that they will <i>recognize</i> many times that number of words once they arrive in Italy. And flashcards make true new cognitive connections. No one even bothers to make a flashcard for words like "informazioni" or even "acqua" - - but learning words like "undici" (simple, once you see how it derives from <i>one</i> and <i>ten</i or "sinistra" or "comprare" - - that is real learning.
And that person will be a lot further along towards beginning to make and understand sentences, and have meaningful communication. If used in conjunction with <i>any</i> structured approach to learning the language in any broad sense... learning "words" ("memorizing", if you prefer that term, with its vaguely pejorative connotations)... is at the heart of it all.
I never suggested that I equate the two. But learning vocabulary IS essential, and it's a very measurable yardstick, useful in determining if you are sticking with your goals.
Show me someone who has gone to the trouble of making 300 flashcards in a month, and learning them - - and you can just about guarantee that they will <i>recognize</i> many times that number of words once they arrive in Italy. And flashcards make true new cognitive connections. No one even bothers to make a flashcard for words like "informazioni" or even "acqua" - - but learning words like "undici" (simple, once you see how it derives from <i>one</i> and <i>ten</i
or "sinistra" or "comprare" - - that is real learning.And that person will be a lot further along towards beginning to make and understand sentences, and have meaningful communication. If used in conjunction with <i>any</i> structured approach to learning the language in any broad sense... learning "words" ("memorizing", if you prefer that term, with its vaguely pejorative connotations)... is at the heart of it all.
