As a family we are trying to learn Italian and hope the by the time we get to Italy (2.3 years off) we will be able to speak well enough to get along.

My wifes grandmother speaks fluent Italian so we have someone to practice with.

We are starting small, we purchased a learn Italian in 10 minutes a day c/d workbook and will do this every night at dinner. We are going to work on phrases and objects as much as possible in day to day.

I personally have ripped a audio set by Michele Thomas purchased at Walden Books and I listen to it in the background everywhere I go, at my desk, in my car, on my bike, even if I am not concentrating on it I am hoping subliminally it will sink in.

As the weeks/months pass we hope to amp up the learning eventually getting to the point where we will only communicate in Italian in our home. The 4.5 year old is already picking up random words and I hope the 15 y/o can do it easy too, its us old folks I am worried about.

I swallowed hard and ordered the Rosetta Stone software I am hoping all 4 of us can use one copy of it. Otherwise its just too expensive and whichever of us 3 older ones in the house needs it the most will use it if its a single user deal.

We just started this last night, I thought of this thread and read through for pointers. I might look into the Pimsleur if other methods are not working.

My wife is leaving for Italy on Sat, she is doing this Regent Criuise w a girlfriend.
Venice, Korcula, Sarande, Sicily, Sorrento, Rome then Monte carlo.
We have been doing Pimsluer for 4 months, 6 days a week for an hour a day.
We are up to Italian II, lesson 5. Very happy with Pimsluer. It makes it much easier to learn w a partner. I should be pretty good by October 2009 when we plan to go together. We have friends there who own a bed and breakfast in Tuscany. They want us to help run the place for a month. WE will be able to immerse ourselves in the language.

Very cool!!

I just located family in the Naples region, we have enough starwood points for 10 nights in Italy and want to go in 2 or 3 years. I hope to have the language learned enough to communicate well. I understand dialects will make it tricky. I hope my wifes grandmother can help us with that.


I want to go this summer but its not practical, possible next summer. I want to go now. :D

Yes Dialects can be difficult, also they talk so fast. Parla lentamente per favore. Speak slowly please.

It seems I may be going about this wrong. Peter has it all figured out. First I need to grow a mustache.

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9JhuOicPFZY&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9JhuOicPFZY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Funny. I am going to San Francisco sunday for a few days to visit my daughter. I plan on hanging out in North Beach,(lots of Italians) and practicing my Italian.