Grammar is something we study in school to help us refine our literacy (reading and writing) skills. This means that before actually learning how Italian works, you get some foundational conversation under your belt and start using it as soon as possible. Podcasts are a great way to learn the correct pronunciation of your target language, so they can help you improve your speaking abilities. They’re also useful to improve your understanding of the language and collect new vocabulary. One day, I go to the Casa Italiana at New York University to interview a famous Roman writer, a woman, who has won the Strega prize. I am in an overcrowded room, where everyone but me speaks an impeccable Italian. The director of the institute greets me. I tell him I would have liked to do the interview in Italian. That I studied the language years ago but I can’t speak well.

Based on all the above, we want to help you in your learning of Italian and avoid expenses that in the end may not give you good results, so we have made a collection of more than 25 books to learn Italian in PDF totally free. Years ago, Jhumpa Lahiri published an essay titled “Teach Yourself Italian” in The New Yorker. This essay too was written in Italian and later translated into English. You can read it here. It’s a good read if you want to have an inside view of the mind of a diasporic writer who does not have any language, even calls her mother tongue, a foreign language. It contains a mix of English and Italian and is appropriate even for absolute beginners. Most of the episodes are around 15 minutes long and feature unscripted conversations with Italians. This textbook covers grammar, nouns, verbs, pronouns, grammatical terms and much more. The goal is to help you understand concepts in English that you can apply to your Italian studies.

Italian news, TV & radio

The number one problem (in my experience) is that most people proceed to learn Italian with the wrong motivation.

Learning a new language isn’t just about using the right materials such as textbooks, dictionaries and apps: it’s also about making a long-term commitment to learning a new language. You really have no excuse if you live close to an Italian community not to be practicing regularly.You can also find Italian textbooks, dictionaries, phrasebooks and more in electronic format on VitalSource, where you can access books for a lower price using the convenient Bookshelf app. Step Three: Load Up on Apps

Whereas learning from textbooks and drills can feel like a lot of work sometimes, watching Italian TV and cinema is pure enjoyment! You won’t even realize how much new vocabulary and grammar you’re learning while you’re binge-watching great Italian tv shows and movies. This step for self-studying Italian ties in with the previous one: don’t run before you can crawl. In other words, don’t overwhelm yourself and begin a language learning regimen that’s impossible to maintain. While bits and pieces may still be relevant, it’s not an efficient use of your time. You should really be zeroing in on Italian course material that is directly relevant to your situation. Living Language Italian, Complete Edition” is the perfect textbook for beginners. It combines three course books, nine audio CDs and online support to give you a well-rounded Italian learning experience. With the course, you also get access to online flashcards, games and quizzes!

The best resources and tools for learning Italian

If you’re interested in losing rigid textbook formality and would rather opt for a more relaxed lingo lesson, then “Dirty Italian” is the book for you. 19. “Short Stories in Italian” How difficult Italian is to learn depends a lot on what languages you already know. If English is your first language, then learning Italian as a second language is roughly as hard as learning Spanish or French. And once your holidays have begun, in Rome or in Venice, you will be surprised how familiar and easy to understand it will seem. In fact, the focus of this textbook is business and employment in Italian, so this is a great choice for any learner who wants to work in Italy or travel there on business. 23. “Italian Grammar (Barron’s Grammar Series)”