Learn Italian in Italy – Is it really necessary to travel?
Italy is a fabulous place to go on vacation. There is so much history, beautiful landscapes, and exciting cultural elements. It has been the world’s crossroad for more than 2,000 years. We highly encourage you to pack up your suitcases and enjoy this country in person.
But first, we need to get a question out of the way. Why travel? Do you want to learn Italian in Italy? If your main goal is to learn Italian, traveling to Italy may not be your only option. Please read this post to see if traveling should be your priority.
You may have many motives to go to Italy. And usually, it’s a combination of things that encourage you to travel. But if your main goal is to learn Italian, you should know that you can advance a lot, even before buying your plane tickets.
The Internet has so many resources to learn a language. You can begin to learn Italian from the comfort of your home.
Learning a language cannot be done quickly. It is necessary to have continuous training. But the good news is that it is possible to achieve a good level without living abroad.
We must be honest with you: nothing beats going directly to Italy. We don’t want to discourage you from getting on the plane (or train if you’re already in Europe). Traveling brings so many benefits. We could build a complete list, and learning a language would be only one of the points.
Although we recommend traveling, it is not essential to learn Italian. Please consider a couple of things before you hit the road.
Things you must know before traveling to learn Italian in Italy
a.) Just being in Italy will not make you automatically learn the language. You must be highly motivated and work hard to make the best of your stay there.
Surprise! You could get on the plane and arrive in Rome or Milan and spend a month exploring the country and learn very little, or even no Italian. So, please be aware of this!
b.) The more Italian you learn before your trip, the more enriching your experience will become.
Here at ItalianLg, there are tools and recommendations to take your Italian to the next level. And not only this site but the Internet as a whole can be helpful. All you need is your laptop or cellphone. Forget about traditional grammar lessons. Learning this romance language online can be fun!
Why should you start learning Italian before you travel?
Here are some reasons to learn Italian before your trip to Italy.
- There are aspects of the language that you can learn on your laptop. And there are other aspects you can only learn by traveling. Don’t leave those things you can learn at home to learn them on the road.
- It will build expectations towards your trip. Starting to learn Italian at home will prepare you in many ways for your trip to the Boot (or lo Stivale, which is the Italian peninsulas nickname due to its characteristic shape).
This preparation will make you pay attention to details you would otherwise overlook. Being sensitive to these small things will make your trip much more memorable and at the same time reward you with a higher understanding of the culture and language.
Things you must check out before you travel
So here are some of the things that will help you get your grip on the Italian language before you travel. If you want to dig deeper, you will find a link to an article on each point.
a.) Incorporate Italian into your daily life: we know it may sound challenging to all of a sudden start learning a language and stick to a routine. We suggest you approach this language-learning process gradually. Slowly incorporate Italian into your life. Studying every day is commendable. But you may not enjoy this from the start. So, surrounding yourself with the sounds of the language instead of studying can do the trick. And most importantly, this process must be appealing to you to guarantee continuity. We are all different. And you can learn Italian by exposing yourself to topics that are interesting to you. Click here to read how you could accomplish this.
b.) There is a free tool you could start using: who would not want to have access to a course of good quality and completely free? Click here to check it out.
c.) There is also a course that can help you as a starter. And it can take you a long way into an advanced intermediate level. It’s also free to sign up. So, please click here to check it out.
Wrapping up
I hope you find lots of interest-provoking materials that aid you in your language-learning process.
Learning a language is not only about knowing grammar and vocabulary. It is also necessary to understand the culture of the country. Traveling will give you first-person experience with this. But the Internet can introduce you to the language before you travel.
I wish you a happy trip to Italy! And if you can’t travel right now, don’t let that stop you from learning Italian.
Hi Henry
You are right. Learning even the very basics (how to greet, count, ask directions and a few basics like eat, restaurant, etc.) before a trip is indeed very helpful.
It is also much fun to try to speak the language with the locals and to practice our pronunciation that way. We have found that the locals are immediately intrigued and open to make conversation, even if the rest of the conversation is conducted in English. But those first few sentences in their language, makes a huge difference to our traveling experience.
Thank you for an enjoyable read, Henry!
Cheers to us flying to go learn our language of choice! 😉
Sharlee
Hello, Sharlee!
Yes, I totally agree with you! In fact, as I read your comment I can mentally travel to those moments in which connection with locals is made. And that first minute of interaction is so important. And as you say, locals are immediately intrigued and open to make conversation. It’s so rewarding.
But to achieve this, we must first learn the basics of that language before we travel.
Thank you so much for your comment! It has made me recall those special moments in which the eyes of locals sparkle with excitement hearing a foreigner talking to them in their own language! 🙂
I want to learn Italian. But going to Italy is to expensive for me. So I have been wondering if there were some cool alternatives such as courses and programs to learn the language.
I’m excited I have found your site because you promise to guide us through all these options we have to learn Italian online. I’ll start checking the suggestions you have mentioned here. Thank you very much!
Yes, there are plenty of options to learn Italian online.You can start checking the list of free options we have. I’m glad you liked my site.
Italy is an ancient city and it has always been on my mind for a summer holiday. I had wanted to learn the language long time ago and I think it’s high time I do the needful.
Actually I intend visiting Africa during my next vacation in the summer. I’ll have some additional days in my journey and have been making up my mind whether to visit Greece or Italy. Because of my long desire to go to Italy, that will be the one I choose. Based of that first experience I’ll further on plan a complete vacation trip to the country.
Do you have a good site for booking flights to Italy? Thanks.
Hi! I wish you a good time in your trip to Africa. And also a good journey those final days to Italy. I know you’ll definitely want to go back.
At the moment I don’t have a specific site for booking flights to recommend. I’m sorry.
Hello Henry!
I believe we can learn the basics, such as greetings and some simple words before traveling to Italy.
And after we’re there, interacting with locals, can take us to a much higher level.
But there are quite a few points I hadn’t thought of concerning learning some Italian before going to Italy. So now, after reading your post, I really think we can learn more from our trip experience and assimilate more of the flavors in its culture if we spend time online learning the basics. It will not only help us move around freely but it will also benefit us by enhancing our learning.
Hi Adamuts! Thank you very much for your comment. And you have explained it beautifully. There are so many benefits learning a bit of Italian before we travel to Italy. It really doesn’t take much and we gain a lot! Keep well!
Italy has a great history spanning thousands of years back. It is certainly one of my top 10 places to visit before I turn 40. I like the Italian seria A, and I’m planning a vacation to watch one of these matches live, pretty soon.
I would love to learn the basics of the language to make my trip more enjoyable. Personally, I’m familiar with Italian, and don’t have problem understanding it. My greatest challenge is speaking the language.
I remember once when I was speaking French, I mispronounced a word and it turned out to be a very obscene word. Ever since then, I became excessively cautious when trying to speak a foreign language. Now, I’ll try to motivate myself again to try out Italian.
Thanks for sharing those free resources. I will surely make out time to study with them. Even if it’s just learning the basics, I’ll be glad to interact with others when I’m finally able to make my trip.
Hi Pharanell! I’m happy to hear that you can easily learn the basics of foreign languages. It’s a pity you mispronounced that word, but it’s good you have been very careful from that point forward.
I’d be glad to have you here in my site taking advantage of all the resources available online.
I have always thought of going to Italy. It has so many interesting things. But I must be honest, I had never thought of learning Italian.
After reading your post, my perspective has slightly changed. I do see how this would further enhance my experience when I visit the country. So I’ll look further into this.
Hi Ricardo! Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you have considered the points I have mentioned here. And I wish you a good journey learning the language and a marvelous trip to Italy.
It’s very good to have an idea of the language of the place you’re going, it makes it easy for you to roll and communicate over there, though it depends on how long you have to prepare for the trip. Italy is really beautiful with lots of fun places to be, I’ve been there twice and it was a very nice experience both.
Yes, it’s not always possible to learn the language in advance. But whatever time we have, I think it would be a good investment trying to learn some before the trip.
Thank you very much for your comment.
I think that it would be best to learn some language before you go to Italy. That way you will be able to have some understanding and build from there.
Arriving with no language would probably result in you understanding nothing and reverting to English to get through. Which would defeat the whole purpose.
Thanks for your good advice.
Yes, exactly, reverting to English to get through would defeat the whole purpose. Thank you for your point.
I have been asking myself during this lockdown, Can I teach myself Italian? I’m used to learning things in class, in a school environment. But I would like to lean at least the Italian basics at home. And your post has encouraged me to give it a try. Thank you very much for that little push!
Hey, yes you can learn Italian by yourself. I’m glad you have decided to give it a try!
Hi, I am glad that I came across your site. I traveled to Italy when I was in high school and it was one of the best trips of my life. I hope to go back again soon. But when I went in high school, I didn’t learn to speak their language (apart from a few phrases). This time I would like to learn Italian before going to Italy (at least a decent level).
Yes, that’s a good thing to plan in advance. Learning the language before we travel will make our trip much more enjoyable.
My advice has always been to determine the purpose behind learning a language. It is one thing to become proficient because you want to visit a country as a tourist. But learning a language to work and stay in the country is a different story. Each goal has specific demands.
And as you have explained, there is so much we can learn at home before even traveling. We can acquire the basics at home and polish them on our trip.
Hey, I like that phrase: “We acquire the basics at home and polish them on our trip.”
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Very helpful!
Hi there,
What a fantastic article. I enjoy reading it!
I have many dreams, but one of my biggest is traveling to Italy. I hope I will be able to do so soon. My best childhood friend was Italian, and she used to teach me sentences in Italian. I still remember them today. I do have a question. Wouldn’t it go faster to learn Italian in Italy? When I was in school, I had problems with English lessons. But then I traveled to the States I started speaking English like a real American 🙂 My first language is French, so I wondered if it wouldn’t be easier for me to learn Italian this way? I’ll check the free tool you have suggested in your article. It seems interesting.
Thank you very much, and I am looking forward to reading more in the future.
Hi Daniella,
I agree with you. There are aspects of learning the language in the country that the online scope can not meet. But there is so much that we can advance online that we should not wait until we travel to start learning.
Thank you for sharing your experience. And your first language is French. That means you will find Italian easier than most Americans because French and Italian are romance languages.
Great thought-provoking article, thank you. You have provided some excellent tips.
Although learning Italian is not on my priority list, I want to learn Tagalog, the most spoken language in the Philippines. I married a Filipina in 2019 and have been to the country five times. But I know very little Tagalog. Much to my detriment. I am learning the culture, which is crucial when visiting another country.
I still very much want to be fluent in this language. Many of my new relatives speak the language, and it will be easier for us to communicate.
So, in summary, thank you for this article. You have not only given me some great ideas but also have lit a fire under me to get moving. We’re planning to go to the Philippines for Christmas this year, and I would love to surprise everyone. As you have advised, I will practice at home before traveling.
Congrats on getting married. And it is worthy of commendation your interest in learning Tagalog. And I am grateful you found this post helpful. You can learn so much at home with your laptop. If you try hard, you can surprise everybody there this December.
Who doesn’t want to visit Rome or Milan? But knowing Italian before traveling can make the difference. Communicating with locals will enable us to learn more about the culture.
I had always thought I had to travel to learn the language. But your post has opened my eyes. Nowadays we can become proficient in the language to enjoy our trip!
Hi! Thank you very much for your comment. You have explained it beautifully! I can not say it in better words. Thank you!
Concerning learning Italian, my expectations are low. Some time ago, I gave up after two years of trying to learn French.
Italy has delicious food! They have some of the best comfort food in the world. Sadly, I have never been to Italy. But when I go, I will probably come back heavier.
Hi Michel! I understand what you mean by trying and not succeeding at learning a language. It may be the approach. I feel this article will help you. Click here to check it out.
I wish you all the best in your future trip to Italy!
I know Italy is a beautiful country even though I have never been there. Many of its sites are known worldwide. It is common to see movies, musicals, and posters with Italy in the background.
I like to travel. I plan to go there with my husband when the opportunity arises. I enjoy learning about the country’s history, meeting new people, and getting familiar with their culture.
I hope you may soon visit Italy. And the good news is that you could prepare for your trip by learning Italian from the comfort of your home. I wish you all the best in this regard!
I think it is not so hard to learn a few basic things to understand some everyday life conversations. And, surely it will help a lot when traveling. I cannot say I have seen Italy as a whole. I have only been to Ancona. But I would love to go to Venice one day. And being prepared is never wrong!
You’re right. Learning Italian from home can be a great tool to be prepared for when the occasion demands knowing some Italian. I hope you may soon be able to go to Venice!