Speed Learning Italian: Is it really possible? The 21st century has brought more than just new technology and globalization. It's also brought with it a more fast-paced and impatient society than ever before, a society that no longer has the time it once had to sit in a language class and study a textbook.
Learning a language like Italian has become increasingly important in our globalized world, but who really has the time it takes to learn it?
We want to learn Italian, and we want to learn it as quickly as possible. 90 days, 30 days, 10 days...
But is it really possible to speed learn Italian?
Today, we'll take a look at what it actually means to learn a language and whether or not you can really learn Italian in just a few weeks or days.
Resources for further reading:
Most of the "learn a language fast" advertisements seen online promise incredible results like "learn Italian in 1 month," "2 weeks" or even just "10 days." They typically don't go into great detail about how they'll actually help learners achieve this, which leaves most wondering, "Is it really possible?"
Yes and no.
First of all, anything is possible with the right method, motivation and dedication. Some language programs will definitely prepare you with practical language elements within the timeframe they promise, but you will definitely not be fluent. You won't be able to talk with anyone about absolutely anything in Italian, but you will know some of the basics that can help you survive in Italy without being completely lost.
Likewise, 2 months, 2 weeks, or 10 days isn't really indicative of the amount of time and work you need to put in to learn Italian. These timelines are merely attention-grabbers that aren't promising you "instant skills," but are rather promising the basics in as short a time as possible. This can be done through the use of learner-friendly teaching methods and by teaching you the most practical vocabulary and grammar first. It will, however, take much more time to be able to fully converse in Italian in a variety of different situations.
So how long does it really take to become fluent?
Well, that depends on your definition of "fluent."
Before asking yourself how long it takes to learn Italian, it's important to define what "learn," "speak," and "fluent" mean to you.
Let me give an example.
I have a friend who went to Florence for a few weeks and learned the basics to get around. She can successfully ask for directions, navigate her way through a train station, and order a glass of her favorite wine. According to her, she "speaks Italian," which, of course, she does. But she's far from fluent.
The moment a native Italian speaker starts to speak with her about something that isn't the way to the bathroom, how she's doing, or what she would like to order, she's stuck. She speaks enough to get by, but not enough to fluently communicate. While she may "speak Italian," I probably wouldn't recommend that she puts it on her resume just yet.
So what does it really mean to be fluent in a language?
It's all about the level. According to the European Common Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a guideline used to define language achievements, there are three basic language level groups broken down into two levels each.
While there is no level called "fluency," the description of each level can help to give you an idea of your current Italian ability, goals, and what you really consider to be fluent:
In this level, you can:
In this level, you can:
In this level, you can:
In this level, you can:
In this level, you can:
In this level, you can:
On average, many speakers are considered fluent in a language by the time they've reached a B2 level or higher. This is a level which allows them to comfortably interact in almost all social situations.
Many speed learning language programs, however, use the ambiguity of terms like "speak a language" to advertize A1 results in a short period of time.
Can you learn some of the Italian basics in 7 days?
Definitely.
Can you be fluent in 7 days?
Probably not.
So if speed learning Italian isn't all it's cracked up to be, how long does it really take to learn Italian?
This is where the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) language learning study and timeline comes in.
In their study, the Foreign Service Institute examined a group of native English speakers between the ages of 30 and 40 who were studying foreign languages at their school. The students' resulting levels were measured using the Interagency Language Roundtable Scale with the goal being to calculate how long it took students to reach "General professional proficiency" or higher.
According to the FSI, the closer a language is to your native language (in this case, probably English), the faster you will learn that language. They divided their findings into three basic language categories based on the languages' similarity to English, which determined how long it took learners to reach general professional proficiency or higher:
Therefore, according to FSI findings, it will take you between 575-600 hours to learn Italian.
It's important to note the conditions of the study, however. The students' schedule called for 25 hours of class per week plus 3 hours of daily independent study, and their classes were generally small, with no more than 6 students. In other words, these were almost ideal language-learning conditions, something that is important to keep in mind, since many of us don't have that kind of time to dedicate to learning Italian.
This study can be used to help you estimate how many hours it will take you to learn Italian and calculate how many weeks--or months, or years--based on how much time you want to dedicate per week.
Keep in mind, however, that the quality of your study is more important than the quantity.
If you really want to learn Italian as quickly as possible, here are a few things you can do.
Let's take a brief look at some of the top language hacks:
Your New Year's Resolution may be to "learn Italian," but what does that actually mean?
Try making some SMART goals to better define you language learning process. SMART goals, as advocated in world of management, are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Instead of simply saying "I want to learn Italian this year," set goals like "I want to be able to order in Italian at a nearby Italian restaurant by the end of the month," or "I want to have an A2 level of Italian by March." These are more specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound and realistic goals.
Once you have a realistic, smart plan for approaching your Italian studies, it's time to dig in and start to get your hands dirty.
But where should you even start?
The answer is simple: sounds. Learning how to hear, pronounce and spell the sounds of your target language is a great place to get started even before you start memorizing words and their meanings.
Spend some time just focusing on sound and spelling so that the words and sounds in your target language are no longer foreign to you. Study the alphabet. Listen to pronunciation guides on YouTube, watch movies or series with subtitles in your target language, or use Rocket Language's Hear It Say It audio recognition to learn to recognize and repeat sounds.
Learning a new language requires learning a lot of new words. There's no way around it. However, we have some comforting news for you: you don't need to know all--or even the majority--of the words in a language to be able to speak it well. In fact, you don't even need to know half!
According to the Pareto principle or the 80-20 rule, you can use 20% of the effort spent on learning new vocabulary for 80% comprehension in the language. That means that by learning the most frequently used vocabulary first, you are able to understand and communicate in a language much faster.
Once again, the internet is your friend here, and there are countless sources that provide lists of the most frequently used words in each language that can help you start your learning the practical way.
Believe it or not, you actually already know some Italian words before you even begin studying it. While a foreign language may seem like "Greek" to you, the majority of foreign languages actually share some words or roots of words. These words that look or sound like words in your language and have the same meaning are called cognates.
Discover the Italian cognates. These cognates are your friends and can make your language learning much easier and faster. Once again, simply research a list of all of the cognates (a Google search of Italian cognates" or "Italian English loan words" usually does the trick). Take advantage of the vocabulary that you already know!
Sometimes, pure vocabulary repetition just isn't enough. Our brains need a little extra jump start to remember words that always seem to slip our minds.
That's where mnemonics come in. Basically, mnemonics involve telling yourself a fun, goofy or memorable story, song, or rhyme to associate with a particular word. For example, one trick for memorizing the difference between "pèsca" and "pésca" could be: If you're taking a huge bite out of a peach, that’s “pèsca” with a wide “e” sound. If you’re gritting your teeth to yank a huge fish out of the water, that’s “pésca”, fishing, with a narrow “e” sound.
It may sound like a lot of extra effort, but you'd be amazed at how effective mnemonic devices are in making your learning faster. They're also fun!
Keep a journal, document, or book with all of the vocabulary you learn in one place. If you're a member of Rocket Languages, the "My Vocab" feature, which lets you save vocabulary and compile a list for future study, is fantastic for this.
First, keeping a vocabulary journal help you keep all the practical words you've learned in one place. In addition, just the process of writing down a word and whatever translation, notes, image or mnemonic device can be used to memorize this word helps you to memorize it! It's also a fantastic future reference for studying and can be used anywhere and anytime you have a few minutes free.
Grammar provides the rules for the game in a language. It helps us tell a story. While grammar may seem complex, it can actually be broken down into three basic operations:
That's it. Suddenly, grammar doesn't seem so bad, does it?
Keeping this in mind, you can use the grammar explanations you learn to help you break down the rules into easily memorized chunks.
Movies, music, television series, books, newspapers, magazines and anything you can read, watch, or listen to are unbelievably useful for learning.
Reading, watching and listening has a remarkable effect on your brain. Simply by being exposed to Italian, your brain is put to work. It starts trying to understand new words by making connections to previously learned words and seeks to make sense of any new structures. Basically, you're learning without knowing that you're learning.
After a while, you'll find yourself using words and constructions that you didn't even study thanks to your brain's ability to soak up vocabulary and grammar while reading a book or watching a series.
Try to interact in Italian on a daily basis. Speaking as much as possible is one of the best tricks to learn a language fast. This can involve:
Unlike other academic subjects, learning a language is a continuous, never-ending adventure that requires constant practice. Don't treat it the same way you would treat learning another academic subject and live in fear of making mistakes.
In the language learning world, mistakes are a sign of progress. Mistakes help you to learn faster. Don't worry about upsetting native Italian speakers for being too "bold" and trying to speak with them in their native language. Just go for it! Odds are, they'll love it and want to help you. Don't let fear get in your way. Interact in Italian as much as possible, and you'll be amazed how fast you can learn it.
Check out our Top 10 Italian hacks for even more ideas on improving the effectiveness of your study time!
While it may not be possible to become fluent in Italian in just 10 days, it IS possible to learn the basics in a short period of time and move on to becoming fluent.
Don't be discouraged. You can and will learn Italian much faster than you expect. There are even cases (as the internet will surely tell you) of people who learn it in less than three months!
In the end, YOU decide how quickly you become fluent in Italian. With the right attitude, dedication, situation, and motivation, any language is within your reach.
In bocca al lupo!