25 Sep Learn Italian
What is the fastest way to learn Italian?
“Buon giorno! Che bello conoscerti!” Huh? Dog concert? Or what is the friendly gentleman from the estate agency trying to tell me? Okay, I can’t avoid it, I have to learn Italian! But what’s the quickest way to learn Italian? Or rather: what’s the quickest way to learn the Italian that I need, at MY speed and according to MY interests?
Adult education center? Takes too long!
A one-week language course with lots of participants on site? Yes, that might be an option, but the focus there is on the vocabulary you need as a tourist. Too much useless stuff for me.
An online course? An app? A book? A private teacher?
My personal method
I have to say up front that I like languages, am not afraid of grammar and, in addition to a pretty good knowledge of English – which is not much use to me here – I can also dredge up some decent French. And so I ventured into this new challenge on my own (at the age of 61!).
I got myself a few trial language learning apps and ended up with Babbel. It’s super professional, absolutely uncomplicated and you can always pop in a few minutes on your cell phone or tablet.
The Babbel app
However, you shouldn’t be too confident: The app is very good at giving you the feeling that you already know a lot. There is a lot of repetition and independent vocabulary learning outside the app is not really necessary. BUT: Independent, free speaking is a completely different matter – I quickly realized that. That’s how I came across Babbel Live. These are live online courses with a maximum of six participants that last 55 minutes and always relate to a very narrow topic. The good thing is that you can take part in courses at almost any time of day and you are only offered courses that match the level you have already reached.
The teachers are of course native speakers, the other participants come from all over the world and so every lesson is a colorful bunch of people speaking Italian with each other. The teaching material is always structured in the same way and – in my opinion – really well done. If you have time before the lesson, you can prepare for the lesson with the material provided or repeat vocabulary. I really like that. Currently, the annual subscription with an unlimited number of courses costs 500 euros. I think that’s very fair. I do at least one course a week, which is 10,- per hour.
Variety is important!
As I wanted to talk to our tradespeople as quickly as possible and learn the vocabulary that fits in with my everyday life, I made myself some old-school vocabulary cards that I use to study hard. The advantage over a vocabulary book is that you can sort out the cards that you know well and keep pulling out the weird words that just won’t stick in your head.
Grammar is also a must at some point. If the painter comes in the morning and I want to say: “I’ve already bought paint”, but can only say “I’m buying paint”, then that’s stupid and he doesn’t start. So I bought two thick PONS books and a grammar poster.
And to keep things from getting too dry, I’ve been reading a children’s book about Otto the wild boar and Camilla the crazy singer for a while now. Very cute! I just went into a bookshop and bought the learning-to-read book that looked the funniest in the children’s section.
Nevertheless, everything was going too slowly for me. A miracle cure was needed!
My miracle cure is called Brigitte
“Italian teacher Laveno-Mombello” spit out “Brigitte Helm” on Google. Hmmm, sounds German. Maybe she can do both? So I wrote an e-mail (in German) and asked if we could meet. A very nice reply came back by return of post in German with a suggestion for a meeting place (a café) with a day and time.
Perfect! I make my way to the village on foot half an hour before my appointment (it’s a steep downhill walk and it really only takes 25 minutes down, but almost 45 minutes up). I order a bold acqua minerale gassata at the café indicated. And wait. I look expectantly at every female person who comes in, but nobody takes any notice of me. After half an hour, I order another water and check the email again. But yes, it’s there: 3 pm. After an hour, I go to pay, write a short message to say that it’s a shame that our meeting didn’t work out and that I’m now WALKING home (45 minutes up a steep hill – grmmppfff).
I receive an immediate reply: “Oh, I’m sorry, but we were supposed to meet tomorrow!” I check the email again: She’s right! Crap!
So the next day I wandered into the town again and met the best Italian teacher of all time. I liked her at first sight! And for me it was brilliant: Brigitte actually grew up bilingual and can quickly explain something to me in German if necessary.
Brigitte’s miracle weapon: Chiacchierare passeggiando – we invented the word, which is made up of passeggiare (walking) and chiacchierare (chatting). In fact, these walks in the countryside, where I talk about this and that and she shows me the surroundings at the same time, are the absolute ultimate for me. I’m always completely exhausted after such a walk because I have to concentrate so hard.
Of course, I still have to learn vocabulary and grammar and Babbel is still my (almost) daily companion, but I’m making mega fast progress with these walks.
I’ve been on it for a year now and I’m getting on quite well in everyday life. Brigitte and I now also meet in private and she regularly gives me great tips for this blog too.
Brigitte has given me permission to publish her e-mail address here: brigitte.helm@libero.it
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