Michel Thomas’
Italian language lesson.
lesson for beginners.
You will never have been to an Italian language lesson like this one! This is our very, very favourite of all the many language books, CDs and DVDs we own - and trust us - we own a lot!
If you’re only going to buy one resource for learning Italian - let it be this one.
You either love Michel Thomas or he will irritate you immensely. The problem? He’s a Polish man who lived for many years in Austria, France and more recently America, so his accent is a little - how shall we put this? - strange!
His is an incredibly interesting history - he was a member of the French Resistance - and he spoke seven languages fluently. His celebrity students have included Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco, Mel Gibson, Donald Sutherland, Emma Thompson, Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand.
His method of learning Italian - a language lesson taught by Michel Thomas himself and shared by two pupils, with you as the third - has been proved extremely effective, not just in this but in many other languages.
As a way of learning, this one is very different. It doesn’t start with ‘how to say hello’, but with making you realise there are already dozens of Italian words you already know. And that knowledge gives you the confidence to think - “hey, I can do this!”.
The process is simple. There are ten CDs. You start with disc one and work your way through to disc ten. There is no need for pens and paper, no dictionaries, no grammar books - he even advises you not to try to memorise words or phrases.
His premise is that the mind learns best when it’s relaxed and that if you have to make any big effort, he has failed as a teacher.
He teaches by repetition and by using each little bit as a building block for the next. Before you know it, you’re able to piece together full sentences, then phrases, then entire conversations!
Who will this book suit?
From beginnners to advanced, from those who speak no Italian to those who speak a little, to those who are fairly well able to hold a simple conversation. The method builds on what you already know.
The best thing is you don’t have to sit down and ‘study’. You can learn while doing everyday tasks. We use the CDs in the car driving to and from work; downloaded to our i-pods so we can listen on the train, while we’re gardening, walking the dogs - you name it!
It takes time, but you’ll feel like you’re learning with each lesson. And suddenly, you’ll find yourself speaking Italian!
If you want to take your language a step further, a book about Italian verbs is a must. Find the best at this link.
And use this link for some basic phrases to practice.
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