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Archive for the 'Tips & Techniques' Category

Italian Business Language for Doing Business in Italy

Did you land the perfect job in an Italian design firm? Do you want to start expanding your business in Italy? Are you applying for a job in Rome and need to update your CV and interviewing skills with the proper Italian business language? We know that workplaces, job interviews, and starting a new job can be stressful. And what about talking on the phone with a client or boss? Not to mention the art of writing the perfect email or a convincing CV. Now imagine having to manage all of this in Italian...  If you want to succeed in any of these activities, you’ll need to master the basic Italian business phrases and vocabulary. Let’s do business with style! But don't worry! We’ve put together this practical guide on how to... Show more

Learn Italian: YouTube Channels to Improve Your Skills

The best way to learn a new language is by immersing oneself in that language and culture.  Have you already browsed through the huge library of audio and video lessons on ItalianPod101? We provide a variety of content that will help you learn Italian grammar and vocabulary, improve your comprehension skills, and discover new cultural insights.  But did you know that as you learn Italian, YouTube can be another great tool? Yes! And the ItalianPod101 YouTube channel is the best place to study Italian on YouTube. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s fun! Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate learner, or an advanced student, you’ll find many videos suited to your needs:  Live streamsVocabulary and grammar lessonsVideos that focus on... Show more

Is Italian Hard to Learn?

In this article, we’re going to dismantle some common misconceptions about learning a new language, with a focus on Italian. We’ll start with a big question: "Is Italian hard to learn?" Table of Contents Is Italian a Difficult Language to Learn? (Spoiler…the answer is "No") What are the Hardest and Easiest Parts of Learning Italian? This is Why Learning Italian is Easy! Here’s Why Italian is Hard to Learn I Want to Learn Italian. Where Should I Start? Why is ItalianPod101 Great for Learning Italian? Conclusion 1. Is Italian a Difficult Language to Learn? (Spoiler…the answer is "No") So, you’ve finally decided to jump into learning a new language, and your first choice is Italian (a great choice, by the... Show more

Most Common Questions in Italian And How to Answer Them

Conversation isn't a one way street. Hopefully, it is more like a tennis match: you ask something, get an answer and ask another question, you answer and ask something else, and so on. Questions are the fundamental building blocks to getting to know someone, establishing common ground, finding out something new or interesting and, simply, getting the flow of conversation going. Questions in Italian follow no particular pattern—no word order inversion, and no adding of extra words. You simply change your intonation and make it sound like a question. For example, Sei matto! ("You are crazy!") Sei matto? ("Are you crazy?") Just a little change in the punctuation (and in the intonation) here makes all the difference. And then, of... Show more

Our 2020 Guide to the CILS Italian Test

Maybe you’ve already thought about taking an Italian proficiency test, or maybe you have no idea what we’re talking about. In this article, we’ll explain why it’s important to take an Italian test like this one, and we’ll guide you through everything you’ll need to do to sign up and pass the most widely accepted proficiency test (CILS). By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be totally prepared for the big day—even if this is your first time hearing about the test. Spoiler alert: You need to get started six months beforehand! Table of Contents What is a Proficiency Test? Why Take a Proficiency Test? What is the CILS Certification? How to Get Started What to Expect on the Day of the Test The CILS DUE-B2 Test ... Show more

Italian Keyboard: How to Install and Type in Italian

You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Italian! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Italian keyboard. Table of Contents Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Italian Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Italian How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer How to Change the Language Settings to Italian on Your Computer Activating the Italian Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet Italian Keyboard Typing Tips How to Practice Typing Italian 1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Italian Learning a new language is made so much... Show more

Secret Revealed: The Best Way to Learn a Language on Your Own

Can You Really Learn Italian Alone? Learning a language on your own or without traditional classroom instruction may seem quite daunting at first. What if you run into questions? How do you stay motivated and on track to achieving goals? Don’t worry, not only is it possible to learn Italian or any language without traditional classroom instruction: ItalianPod101 has created the world’s most advanced and extensive online language learning system. Not only is ItalianPod101 specifically designed to help you with learning a language on your own, it’s actually faster, more convenient, and less expensive than traditional classroom options! Let’s look at some of the benefits of learning Italian or any language alone. Also, don't forget to... Show more

Language Learning Tips: How to Avoid Awkward Silences

Yes, even beginners can quickly learn conversational Italian well enough to carry on real conversations with native speakers. Of course, beginners won’t be able to carry a conversation the same way they could in their native language. But, just knowing a few tips like which questions to ask to keep a conversation going are all you need to speak and interact with real native speakers! But before we get to specific suggestions, let’s first take a closer look at how having real Italian conversations is so vital to your mastery of the language. Learning to Carry a Conversation is Vital to Mastery of Any Language Communicating with other people is the very point of language and conversation is almost second nature in our native tongue. For... Show more

How to Transform Your Daily Commute Into Learning a Language

Today, classrooms are no longer the only or even best place to learn a new language like Italian. More and more people are finding that they can easily learn a language just about anywhere they have a few minutes of spare time, including their daily commute to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends over 50 minutes a day commuting to and from work, or over 300 hours a year. Rethinking Your Daily Commute to Work But rather than simply sitting in traffic and wasting the time, you can instead use your daily commute to literally learn Italian in just a few short months! ItalianPod101 has developed specialized learning tools that you can use on your commute to work (and home again) to master the language in... Show more

How to Start Thinking in Italian

Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Going through lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of , but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in . This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons. We naturally translate in our heads because it's viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you're learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object... Show more