Mamma mia, I want to learn Italian!
Why not study Italian in Italy? Click on the image to make it happen.
We all know it, Italian is a beautiful language. It's colorful. It has rhythm. It flows like a river. It's musical. Poetic. Derived primarily from Latin, the first written traces of what is referred to as "Italian" today date back 1,000 years, with earlier evidence of it in Vulgar Latin stretching back to ancient times (and no, Vulgar Latin doesn't refer to those linguistic treasures we call profanities! It refers to the language spoken by the vulgus, or the "people"). The Italian we hear today is primarily derived from the Florentine vernacular, which was first beautifully articulated by the "Tre Corone," the Three Crowns of Italian literature--Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca, and Giovanni Boccaccio--in their literary masterpieces. Of these three writers, Dante's Divina Commedia, in fact, is considered by many to be the greatest work of literature of all time. If you are interested in listening to short clips of the Divina Commedia recited online by the Harvard professor Lino Pertile, click here.
While Italian is the country's official language, Italy has always been filled with many languages, better referred to as dialects. These are distinct languages in their own right. Some of the most widely spoken dialects are Napoletano and Siciliano, but there are many more. Should you be curious, have a look here to view a map listing prominent dialects and where they are spoken.
Well, duh. Learning another language fluently is not easy, requiring years of hard work--but there are ways to gain basic linguistic competency relatively quickly (three or four months) on which you can later build your vocabulary. Ideally you'd be able to take some time to head over to Italy. If that's an option, I recommend ARCA, an Italian language school in Bologna. Bologna's an ideal city in which to learn Italian--few tourists and lots of opportunities to speak. If you can't do that, take a look at the courses offered by your local college(s) or perhaps search for a language institute in your area. Of course private tutors and language meet-ups are an option, but these require a bit more work to find--though it's certainly worth the effort. If all of these options are too difficult or too costly, then take advantage of the wealth of resources available to you online. For one, sign up for Parola del Giorno (see below) to receive an Italian word or phrase every day. Two, follow language lessons like those available on BBC.com. And certainly make use of the many dictionaries available, such as Word Reference.
If, however, in the end it's just too hard, then let me suggest one simple solution. Watch Nada's Italy's video (upper right). You'll learn all you ever need in just a few minutes, and you won't have to even say a word! "In bocca al lupo," good luck!
While Italian is the country's official language, Italy has always been filled with many languages, better referred to as dialects. These are distinct languages in their own right. Some of the most widely spoken dialects are Napoletano and Siciliano, but there are many more. Should you be curious, have a look here to view a map listing prominent dialects and where they are spoken.
Well, duh. Learning another language fluently is not easy, requiring years of hard work--but there are ways to gain basic linguistic competency relatively quickly (three or four months) on which you can later build your vocabulary. Ideally you'd be able to take some time to head over to Italy. If that's an option, I recommend ARCA, an Italian language school in Bologna. Bologna's an ideal city in which to learn Italian--few tourists and lots of opportunities to speak. If you can't do that, take a look at the courses offered by your local college(s) or perhaps search for a language institute in your area. Of course private tutors and language meet-ups are an option, but these require a bit more work to find--though it's certainly worth the effort. If all of these options are too difficult or too costly, then take advantage of the wealth of resources available to you online. For one, sign up for Parola del Giorno (see below) to receive an Italian word or phrase every day. Two, follow language lessons like those available on BBC.com. And certainly make use of the many dictionaries available, such as Word Reference.
If, however, in the end it's just too hard, then let me suggest one simple solution. Watch Nada's Italy's video (upper right). You'll learn all you ever need in just a few minutes, and you won't have to even say a word! "In bocca al lupo," good luck!
Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy, and one of the fathers of the Italian language
To the left we have a copy in Francesco Petrarca's own hand of his Canzoniere, which is housed in the Vatican Library in Rome. This is one of the earliest extant pieces of literature in the Italian language.
Since you want to learn Italian, why not start with PdG (Parola del Giorno)?
Receive a new Italian word or expression every day!
Receive a new Italian word or expression every day!
If you can't find a class near your home, or you just don't have the time, consider following this free online course, hosted by the BBC:
Italian Steps.
Italian Steps.