Are you curious about learning Italian but worried that it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning Italian depend on factors like your prior language experience, your natural aptitude for learning language, the learning resources available to you, how much time you spend practicing, and your immersion in spoken and written Italian. No matter your current schedule or comfort level with Italian, there are plenty of tools available to help make learning easier than you might think.
What is Italian?
The Italian language originated in Italy, where it is known as “italiano.” Italian is spoken by around 70 million people worldwide and is the official language of Italy, San Marino, and Vatican City, and one of the official languages of Switzerland. There are multiple regional dialects within its home country of Italy. As one of the Romance languages derived from Latin, Italian shares similarities with Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian. Italian uses 21 letters of the Latin alphabet, omitting j, k, w, X, and y, and includes some additional diacritical marks. It has been influenced by not just Latin, but also French, Spanish, and Greek.
Known for its musicality, elegance, and expressive nature, Italian is the native language of a world rich in culture, history, and art. When you learn the language you can immerse yourself in Italian opera, the cuisine of Italy, or the art and architecture of Rome. Learning Italian can help you travel and communicate within Italy and may even open doors to a new career. Italian gives you entry to the heart of Italian culture and captures the beauty and passion of the Italian people and their way of life.
Benefits of Learning Italian?
Learning Italian opens the door to a captivating world of art, culture, and cuisine. You’ll better understand the culture of Italy and appreciate its literature, films, and traditions. If you are planning a trip to Italy, learning Italian will help you experience the authentic local lifestyle. You’ll be able to talk with the Italian natives and navigate the country with ease. Imagine conversing with a winemaker, or discussing the finer points of a fresh-pressed olive oil. It is a country full of wonders; Italy is home to 51 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than any other country in the world.
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Italy has set the standard for higher education from its earliest days. Founded in 1088, the oldest university in the world is Italy’s University of Bologna. Italy offers some of the most affordable options for study-abroad students and features travel connections to almost every big city on the European continent. You can even boost your career prospects when you speak Italian, as more companies than ever do business globally. Plus, learning a new language gives your brain a healthy boost by building your cognitive skills and creativity.
Taking Italian language classes is a fun way to meet others who share your passion for the language and culture. You may find companions for dinner at the trattoria and a flick at il cinema. Plus, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when you speak your first full sentence in Italian. Learning Italian will fill your time with a challenging and rewarding new hobby.
Many communities have an Italian American club which is open to anyone and organizes events, meals, and even trips to Italy. Over 700,000 people speak Italian at home in the U.S. Meetup lists 347 Italian groups hosting over 350,000 events around the United States. Organizations like Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, Unico, and National Italian American Foundation advocate for Italian American people and culture. The Italian Language Foundation is dedicated to promoting and sustaining Italian language education in the U.S..
What Are the Hardest Parts of Learning Italian?
Despite its relative ease of learning compared to many languages, learning to speak Italian can present a few challenges. Here are some of the areas you might find most difficult.
Pronunciation and Intonation
Italian has vowel sounds, consonant clusters, and accentuation patterns that are different from English and can be hard to pronounce when you don’t have that sound in your own language. For example, learning the rolling ‘r’ takes a lot of practice when you are new to it. Mastering these nuances so you can speak natural-sounding Italian takes a lot of practice and attention to detail. Italian is also spoken with a particular cadence, so even if you speak the right words with the right pronunciation, your spoken Italian won’t sound authentic without also absorbing this melody.
Articles and Verbs
Italian has many articles and prepositions – six, to be exact, compared to one in English (the) and four in Spanish. To make it even more tricky, these articles combine with prepositions to form new words, and the final form of the preposition is determined by the article of the noun that follows after it. The possible combinations may seem almost endless.
Italian verbs are conjugated based on tense, mood, and subject. Memorizing these patterns, including irregular verbs that don’t follow the patterns, can be difficult. Italian frequently uses the subjunctive form of verbs, which refers to situations like doubt, desire, or opinion. The subjunctive is a completely different word from the original indicative form of the verb, effectively doubling the vocabulary for the same word, and adding a tricky component of knowing when to use it. This is one of the most difficult aspects of learning Italian.
Word Order and Sentence Structure
Italian sentence structure is often different from English so many people find it challenging to arrange words and phrases. For example, Italian has confusing pronoun rules. Italian has more pronouns than English, so there is a lot to memorize. To make it even more challenging, the placement of pronouns, well, just depends. Sometimes they come before a verb, sometimes they come after the verb, and sometimes they’re tacked onto the end of the verb. This can be very overwhelming at first.
The Italian language has a lot of exceptions to the rules. There are irregular verbs where the conjugations don’t follow set rules and just have to be memorized, and there are common ways of phrasing ideas that don’t align with the rules.
Idiomatic Expressions and Colloquialisms
Like any language, Italian has its own set of idiomatic expressions and colloquial phrases. These native ways of speaking may not have a direct translation in English and may sound like nonsense when you translate them literally. Exposure to authentic Italian conversations and familiarity with Italian culture will help you grasp the meaning, usage, and cultural context of these expressions.
Listening Comprehension
Native Italians speak very fast. It’s a challenge to formulate your own sentence in a conversation, but trying to understand spoken Italian can be even more difficult. The language can flow so fast that words blend together and it’s hard to differentiate each word to translate what was said. One way of coping with this is a method called scaling. Start by trying to understand two or three words in each Italian sentence. This may be enough for you to catch the gist of what is being said. Once this becomes easier, try to understand four, or even five, words. Gradually build up your comprehension in this way so your brain gets quicker at processing and translating words.
Key Takeaways
- The difficulty of learning Italian depends on whether you have prior language experience, your learning resources, the time you spend practicing, and your immersion in Italian.
- It is difficult to learn to pronounce new sounds and cadences of Italian.
- Italian uses six articles, compared to one in English or four in Spanish.
- Memorizing verb conjugations and the irregular forms of verbs is the most difficult part of learning Italian.
- Italian has idiomatic expressions and colloquial phrases which may not have a direct translation in English.
- Native Italians speak very fast so that words blend together, and it can be hard to differentiate each word.
- You can contact CourseHorse to find options for online or in-person training, including private group sessions.