Learning Italian
 

Does someone know of any programs for learning to speak Italian (at home) that have been effective?

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/mo...1/pageone.html Can you let me know if it works!!

I just returned last week from a 2 week trip to Italy, and I was very glad I had learned a little Italian. I used a wide range of materials for my studies, but the two things I recommend most are Pimsleur(various levels available) and a 2 tape video cassette set by The Standard Deviants. I started listening to tapes six months before my trip, and I found I could really make myself understood. I even successfully bought Eurostar tix in Florence for my trip to Venice, speaking only in Italian. Pronunciation is key; then master a few key verbs for requests: Where is, How much does it cost, I would like, I need, What time does, etc. Most of all, don't be afraid to try: while many, many people in Italy speak English, everyone that I spoke with using my limited knowledge of Italian was very gracious. I traveled with friends, and they felt my skills were a big help. If you log on to www.florence.net, you can sign up for a weekly Italian lesson by e-mail. Buona fortuna e buon viaggio!

The site I metioned previously is a full 2 month course to be done at your leisure and it's free. <BR> In solo due mese ti parle Italiano!

Barb, I couldn't find the link at the www.florence.net site for the Italian lessons. More info please.

Why does no one try the site I mentioned, it's how I learned Italian

In addition to Bella's suggestion, you might want to look at Barnes and Nobel University. They have a quickie course for Italain for Travelers.

Well, I thought I did pretty well in Italian, but I don't understand Bella's statement. What does "In solo due mese ti parle Italiano" mean, and what are these constructions? I think you're trying to say, "In only two months you speak Italian", but I think "ti" should be "tu" and "parle" should be "parli". If this is something other than second person singular subject pronoun and present indicative tense, then please enlighten me. Not trying to be sarcastic -- maybe you know something I don't, so please share.

Sorry! The link is www.firenze.net

No1 ti, tu + lei all mean "you"<BR>no2 parle or parli e lo stesso<BR> che cazzo c'e sempre qual'cuno!!<BR> Non rompere mi palle!!

Bella: I looked at the academic.brooklyn site as well. It looks really helpful and I have bookmarked it.

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Many cities have an Italian Cultural Center. Try the phone book and see if they have one and see if they have classes. We are about to take our third class in Washington DC and have been very happy.

I'm sure Bella's trying to be helpful, but unfortunately I don't think she's written a single thing in Italian correctly... not even her "name" (I'm assuming she means "ragazza?")

that better "testa di cazzo" I learned Italian in Sicily!!

Yes ti, tu and lei all mean "you" but that doesn't mean they're interchangeable. Tu is nominative (used for the subject), while ti is objective (used for the object). If you said "parli" or "tu parli" (emphatic) it would mean "you speak" or "you are speaking" but "ti parli" would be reflexive, "you speak to yourself" or "you're speaking to yourself."<BR><BR>And parli and parle aren't the same either. The second person indicative of parlare is parli. There is no word parle in standard Italian in any tense, voice, or mood.<BR><BR>I hate to be so pedantic, but it really istn't nice to call other people "testa di cazzo" when they're right.

Sorry, I know I made a typo for "isn't" but that doesn't mean I can't conjugate parlare.

Bella is NOT a very good advertisement for the course she's recommending. Her Italian is riddled with errors. And do not blame it on Sicily, by the way.