There are plenty of language learning myths, especially for what concerns the most fascinating and exotic languages. For example, a lot of people say that Italian is a hard language to learn. This is one wrong generic statement. There is no need for special “mental gifts”, but it is only a matter of finding the right techniques, tips, and methods.
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Italian is a passionate language that can thoroughly seduce people: it is easy to be enthralled by its beauty, romance, and musicality. It is pronounced distinctly, vowels are pretty “rounded” and clear: it may sound as easy as if you are singing.
But is Italian really easy to learn, like singing a song?
Italian is more friendly than you think
The success you might have in learning this charming language depends first of all on your attitude, and possibly on the other languages that you already speak.
Being a French or Spanish native speaker gives you a huge advantage in learning Italian, due to the strong similarities between Romance languages.
But Italian is a language that is also closely related to English, as they both come from Latin: speakers of non-romance languages can often work out sentences or phrases from Italian, simply because many English words are etymologically-rooted in Italian and Latin. Therefore, it should be easy to learn Italian also for native English speakers. Italian grammar and sentence structure are different but simpler, and the two languages share thousands of words that sound the same and have the same meanings.
Last, but not least, Italian pronunciation is quite logical: there are only a few straightforward rules to follow.
But don’t fully trust your friend!
It is not correct to assume, for instance, that native French or Spanish speakers would find Italian an easy language to learn because similarities between languages can create confusion.
This may be an advantage for German language speakers because the differences help to keep the two languages separate. But what about grammar, the use of articles and prepositions, and tenses? One of the largest challenges for native English speakers, for example, is the task of acquiring tense: choosing between the perfect tense and the imperfect tense in Italian is one of the most difficult aspects of learning.
Italian summer courses in Tuscany
Going on holiday studying Italian language
And what about being able to correctly pronounce the Italian ‘r’? You also need to train yourself to roll your tongue.
However, these tricky parts of the language are not too difficult to master.
The truth of the matter: learning Italian is neither easy nor difficult
So, is Italian a hard language to learn?
All you need to reach your goal is motivation and the willingness to learn. Sometimes it might just all seem to be too difficult, but it is only a matter of more practice.
So, whatever your native language might be, the most difficult aspect is getting over the fact that learning Italian is hard. All you need is a real desire to learn it.
What is the easiest way to learn Italian? By having fun!
Winston Churchill said, “Personally I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught”. Most of us are feeling this way when thinking about studying at school or attending a course. Eventually, practicing a new language can also be intimidating.
So, what is the essential ingredient to make any training enjoyable? Well, having fun, for sure. There is a wide range of innovative methods to make learning engaging, accessible, and meaningful. In this article, we give you some tips on how easy is to learn Italian.
How to learn Italian language easily: an entire world of choices
If you are an absolute beginner and you wish to learn basic Italian before eventually moving to Italy, there are many resources to choose from.
A laptop and an internet connection
You can immediately start learning Italian from your home with an online Italian course, via Skype or Zoom, under the guidance of a native Italian teacher, that will lead you to move the first step in the language and help you build up your confidence to speak: the teacher lets you talk, without worrying about correction, which is the best way to overcome the embarrassment of speaking a new language and to become fluent. Any correction will remain in a chat so that you can check them out for later. Grammar exercises will be inserted in a real context and thanks to the sharing of the same screen, you can learn with interactive exercises.
Italian language online courses
Studying Italian via Skype or Zoom is easy with us
A trip to Venice: why not?
A trip to Italy is something you need to learn to express yourself in this beautiful language. You can immerse yourself in culture and art while attending a course at a language school in Italy, an excellent way of learning the language easily.
You can also avoid locking yourself up in a classroom by attending outdoor lessons, an interesting and practical solution where you can immediately practice what you learn. Teachers will accompany you on a tour discovering a less touristy side, and at the end of a lesson, you may be able to ask for the bill in a bar or even to take a short conversation! This is for sure an effective way to learn because the process is enjoyable and memorable.
If you love art, there is another opportunity to take Italian lessons “on move”. You can learn Italian in the wonderful museum of the Querini Stampalia Foundation, a few steps from San Marco square. This is a unique course in Italy: lessons are focused on what you can describe, and grammar rules are applied directly in context.
Two Easy ways to learn Italian
1 – Easy to learn, as singing a song
There is an old Chinese proverb that states: “Tell me, and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.”
There are alternative routes to acquire language skills and enjoying yourself at the same time.
Learning Italian can be easy like singing a song, thanks to an innovative method called Total Physical Singing Response (TPSR). Created by Michele Lenzerini, an Italian language teacher and director of Easy Italian Language & Art, this method comes from the famous Total Physical Response (TPR), which is built around the coordination of speech and actions.
TPSR is an alternative teaching system based on the coordination of singing and movements. The purpose is to enhance the memorization process: learning the Italian language is faster and easier thanks to this technique.
Italian courses in Venice
Small groups, maximum motivation
2 – Let’s play it together
One of the biggest myths about proper learning is the following statement: learning should be serious, and if one is having fun then he is not learning at all. Playing games provide a pleasurable and quick method to study a language.
TPSR is a kind of role-playing game. Your teacher starts to sing the sentences with verbs doing the actions. You try to write it down, even if it is incorrect, then you repeat the action and sing it too! At the end of your performance, your teacher gives you the correct sentence.
Games also provide a great opportunity to refine your skills with pronunciation, for example, but you can also improve spelling, grammar, or syntax. While playing, you engage with the language in several ways by speaking, writing, listening and understanding − which all help generate speech fluency.
Hands Eyes Feet (H.E.F) Method by E.I.L.A. is one of the most interesting and funniest language games, pushing you to enhance your speaking, writing, reading, and understanding of the Italian language. You cannot become bored with the game in a short period of time as it provides an enjoyable and entertaining way to learn.
Ready, steady, play it!
In short, the most difficult aspect of learning Italian is to forget that learning Italian is hard. An open mind, a good practice, and a real desire to learn is all you need to be able to learn Italian, whatever your native language might be.
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