There are a lot of materials around that can help you learn Italian. You just have to find them and then make use of what is available. Regardless of what these are called, they are all language courses. There are traditional ones audio, CD and those offered online.
When we refer to traditional language courses, we are talking about textbooks that have different types of exercises and dialogues that people can read and practice. This is what is being used in a few language centers. If you prefer to study this on your own, this is usually accompanied by cassettes and CD’s.
A good example is the linguaphone which teaches students various languages. This and others focus on conversational language and at the same time introduce you to their version of the alphabet and other writing systems if it is needed.
As mentioned before, this is sometimes accompanied with a tape or CD but you can also buy this separately which helps you learn how to talk since there are instructions, exercises and explanations which all help you understand and speak the language.
Another way to study Italian comes in the form of CD’s or DVD’s. Once you buy it, you can upload this to your MP3 player which is easier to carry rather than your notebook.
There are also online language courses that can teach students Italian. Some of these sites charge students a fee while others are free. If you are not sure about paying for it, ask friends who have tried it in the past, work with the free ones first or just try your luck. Which one is better is hard to say because some free and paid sites are somewhat lacking in both accuracy and organization.
A cheaper way to learn Italian is with the help of phrase books and flash cards. The ideal phrase books to get are those that come with recordings of phrases as there are hints to help you how to pronounce them properly. If you want to use flash cards, make sure they say it in a conversational tone. If you can’t find one, you can make it yourself by copying what is written in the phrase book.
It is also possible to learn the Italian language by subscribing to a magazine. Some are published monthly and comes with a CD inside that talk about various topics that could help improve your vocabulary.
Some people forget what they learn using these mediums which is why it pays to carry a dictionary wherever you go. Between the pocket versions and the bigger ones, it is advisable to get the larger dictionaries because it has more definitions, has examples of usage and information about grammar, pronunciation and even etymology.
Since carrying the larger dictionary could be difficult, why not settle for the electronic dictionary? They carry the same amount of information and even more. The only downside is that they are rather expensive.
Similar to the electronic dictionary is the electronic translator. Since it is programmed already to translate English to Italian and vice versa, you will find it very useful when you can’t seem to find the right word.
There are a lot of materials available that can help you learn Italian. You just have to choose which one is the most convenient to use as this will put you on the right track to become conversant in this language.