Advice on the difficulties you face when learning Italian
When learning any language there will always be moments when you want to give up, throw your text book in the bin, punch your teacher and go and take up karate instead. This usually happens after the initial excitement has worn off and you start to realise that it’s not quite as simple as they made out during that first lesson! It’s at this point that a lot of people do in fact concede defeat and those piles of books you splashed out on find their way either into the attic or onto a trestle table at your nearest jumble sale.
The secret is…. don’t give up! Take on board the fact that you are trying to do something that native speakers have spent the first 8-10 years of their life doing - and that’s full-time! You, however, probably dedicate just a few hours a week.
The trick is to find a way of studying that you can do in small doses, but everyday. Spend 15 minutes reading news sites in that language. Make it part of your daily routine, like having a shower. Choose 10 words a week to learn and stick them, with their translation, onto a place you look at hundreds of times a day like your computer monitor or the fridge door. Every time you see them they’ll slowly be absorbed into your brain. After watching a dvd, go back to a favourite scene and watch it again in the language you are studying (preferably with subtitles). It’s a slow process but in time you’ll see the benefits.
Another problem students face is the feeling of inadequacy. “I’m just not cut out for languages”, many say to themselves. Well remember that everyone is capable of learning a language - you didn’t have any problems with your own, did you!
Finally, remember that nothing good comes easily. But with hard work and constancy, anything can be achieved. Buon lavoro e buona fortuna!
