Learning Italian in Italy? Some useful tips

Learning Italian in Italy (at least 5-6 months) is the easiest way to correctly study the language and learn the basis of the Italian culture. Living in Italy allows you to meet new people and it will give you the opportunity to talk with them and have a daily cultural exchange. Listening comprehension and oral production will improve more and more and you will understand Italian culture much better.

At this point, you are probably asking where you can start! Here you can find a list of simple tips to begin from scratch. The very first thing you should know is that you can also study the basis of grammar by yourself. You can buy an Italian grammar book to study the main rules and watch easy film or Youtube videos to listen to the sounds. After that, you should necessarily move out of home for a while and go to Italy. In fact, learning Italian in Italy is the best way to improve the communication and interaction with local citizens, but also the main tool that allows approaching to local culture. You should also remember that sometimes studying a foreign language could be boring and difficult, especially if you do not have a real support and a comfortable atmosphere.

The right way to study is choosing an institute where you can attend lessons and socialize with other students and people like you. At this point, you will be wondering how to choose the right Italian language school in Italy! One of the very first things you should verify is the teachers’ staff qualification: they must be mother tongue, qualified and experienced (or senior teachers should support at least young teachers). The question is: do the school’s teachers have a certification? What kind of qualification do they have? Before enrolling at a school, you should verify that they are officially recognized. For example, one of the most appreciated certifications is DITALS, officially recognized by MIUR, the Italian Education Ministery. Another important detail to consider is verifying the complete offer of the institute you have selected. If the organizers plan special cooking classes, courses of culture and art, afternoons out to see art exhibitions, happy hours and culture exchanges, it is the right school for you.

Following these simple tips, you will learn the language, but also habits, rhythms and many other things about daily life.

Ilaria Sabrini - teacher and blogger. I was born in the United States, but I've spend in Italy most of my life. I'm a language teacher and a travel blogger.