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Best way to learn Italian on your own

We’ve all heard the advice: to learn a foreign language, immerse yourself by listening to podcasts, watching movies, TV shows, and enjoying music. While these are all great suggestions, today we’re going to go beyond the usual tips and explore some unconventional ways to integrate Italian into your daily life—so you can learn it on your own. When I began learning Italian, I had no idea how far I’d come. Fast forward a decade, and I’ve become an intermediate speaker and an advanced listener. It’s been an incredible journey, and through my experiences, I’ve discovered three key strategies that could help you answer the burning question: What is the best way to learn Italian on your own?

Best way to learn Italian on your own

Studying a foreign language is a lifelong journey and if you’re ready to commit for life, this post will be both vital and telling. In bocca al lupo!

1. Record yourself speaking Italian

One of the best ways to learn Italian by yourself is to record yourself speaking in Italian. Do this exercise, not just once or twice but consistently and you will see a remarkable change in the way you approach the language.

You could either record an audio or a video of yourself speaking Italian! This exercise greatly helped me in understanding where I “lack” (hello grammar!), what my strong points are and ultimately the areas where I need to focus. Recording voice notes was one of my favorite exercises while I was preparing for the CILS B2 exam and I can vouch that thanks to it, I cleared the speaking section. You can read about the exam here.

2. Surround yourself with the Language

Surrounding yourself with the Italian language does not necessarily mean you have to watch 5 movies a month or listen to countless episodes of a podcast. Surrounding means having the language in your home. And I mean literally, especially if you don’t live in Italy like me.

My suggestion is to put little sticky notes everywhere around you in your home. For instance on your cupboard, refrigerator, study etc. Just anywhere you can to often see the language.

Download some Italian Quotes and get them framed for your home wall. Note down idiomatic expressions from “lingua parlata” in your language diary. Also start listening to Italian songs and podcasts even if you are doing mundane work. Passive learning goes a long way and once you make this a habit, you will see the difference!

Get Italian in your home for your brain to see it from time to time.

Believe that it has happened

3. Talk to yourself in Italian

Talk to yourself in Italian, YES- IN YOUR HEAD! 😉 As crazy as it sounds it is such a fabulous and underrated way to enhance vocabulary. Whenever I speak to myself in Italian, I almost always get stuck which then leads to searching for the right word and improving my vocabulary manifold! Make sure you keep doing this exercise often.

Believe that you’re the best Italian speaker out there.

Picture yourself speaking to native speakers and believe that you are the best language learner out there!

Imagine yourself speaking to a native

Conclusion

  • Have faith in your language learning process.
  • Progress will not happen immediately.
  • Everything takes time, that is the essence of life.
  • Just give yourself ample time and space to keep going.
  • Be kind to yourself
  • Be mindful of the time you’re putting in.

Share your progress in the comments below!

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5 Comments

  • Kathryn Occhipinti
    March 26, 2022 at 3:32 pm

    Pets are always easy to talk to in Italian. They never judge you and love the sing-song sound of Italian!

    Reply
  • KareninCalabria
    March 16, 2022 at 2:25 am

    Interesting. I definitely talk to myself…, but I haven’t ever recorded myself. I’ve found reading out loud very helpful.

    Reply
    • Italophilia
      March 22, 2022 at 11:59 am

      Ciao Karen! Thanks for your comment as always. Recording is such a useful exercise and so underrated. I’ll try reading out loud now. xx

      Reply
  • Kathy Gates
    March 15, 2022 at 4:38 pm

    Salve,

    Tanti auguri per la buona notizia del tuo esame — buon lavoro! Ho trovato un bel podcast che penso ti piacerebbe. Si chiama Scarrafoni in Cucina (The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine). Ci sono sei episodi, ogni episodio in italiano e anche in inglese. Sono molto interessanti, anche divertenti e un po’ grossolani, specialmente l’episodio del sanguinaccio.
    Ecco il link, buon divertimento! https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/podcast/scarrafoni-in-cucina

    Reply
    • Italophilia
      March 22, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      Buongiorno Kathy, grazie per il tuo messaggio e anche il link per vedere Scarrafoni in cucina 😉 Come stai??

      Reply

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