Learn Italian Fast!

Can We Really Have You Speaking Italian in Just Ten Days?

Hard to believe, isn't it? Till you ask yourself one simple question: How did you learn English as a child? Did you wade through text books? Did you struggle with grammar? Did you drive yourself crazy trying to get the accent right?

No. You just "picked it up." You heard adults speak, and you uttered your first word. Well, that's how the Pimsleur method works. It's the natural way to learn Italian.

In easy half hour "bites" on CD, our scientifically sequenced lessons will have you speaking Italian the way the Italians do–or you pay nothing. Guaranteed. Just give it a try.

Why it's Important to Learn Italian

Italian is considered the language of opera, art, gastronomy, and of love. It is spoken in more than 30 countries today.

If you learn Italian, you'll gain many opportunities that would otherwise not be available to you. Perhaps you work for a company with offices in Italy. This is even more of a possibility if you work in the fashion industry. Being able to speak Italian will mean you're able to communicate with employees who work overseas, and you may even be sent to Italy for work because of your language skills.

Traveling through Italy, or any of the other countries where Italian is spoken, will be much more enjoyable if you speak Italian. You won't be so dependent on others for help communicating, you'll be able to negotiate with vendors, and you'll be less likely to be taken advantage of by conmen who prey on tourists. And any overseas vacation is made better by the ability to talk to the people who live in the country you're visiting.

Speaking Italian will also allow you to enjoy Italian films, music, and art in a way you couldn't before. Knowing the language can help you fully experience a country's culture, and appreciate it even more.

Conversational Italian vs. Academic Italian

When you study Italian in a class or by reading textbooks, it can be a long, drawn-out process to get through before you're able to actually hold a conversation with someone. You must first memorize grammar, spelling, and structure before you can move on.

With Pimsleur, you can jump ahead right to the conversational aspect of language. You hear a native speaker say the words and phrases you'll need to communicate, and learn by simply listening to how they're pronounced and put together. Right off the bat, you'll learn everyday, helpful phrases, while absorbing grammar and vocabulary.
For example:

Che ore sono? – What time is it?
Mi chiamo… – My name is…
Dove è la stazione? – Where is the train station?
Vorrei un caffè per favore. – I would like an espresso please.

By learning Italian the natural way, using idiomatic expressions the Italians actually use rather than textbook phrases, you will benefit by speaking Italian that is "real" rather than academic.

A Logical Way to Learn Italian

Only after 20 years of scientific research did Dr. Pimsleur hit upon the right method to teach language–by watching his own children. Children have the ability to pick up languages quickly and naturally. What makes Pimsleur courses so successful are the specific scientific principles that replicate the speed and ease at which children learn languages. Read more about how this unique system–which has been purchased by the FBI and NSA (National Security Agency)–works.

No matter what situation you find yourself in–making new friends at a party, in a business meeting or negotiation, or just asking the way to the railway station or a good restaurant–you will find Pimsleur has given you the right Italian words and phrases, the ones that come naturally, without thinking. Read more about what you'll learn with Pimsleur.

Italian Facts

More than 65 million people speak Italian as a first language. Another 20 million speak it as a second language. Italian speakers live across Europe, South America (it is the second most spoken language in Argentina), and even in African countries like Libya, which was a former Italian colony.

Italian is the fifth most-taught second language. It comes in after English, Spanish, French, and German, respectively.

More than one country calls Italian the official language. After Italy, with about 70 million native speakers, Italian is also the official language of Vatican City, of San Marino, a republic on the Italian peninsula, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, and is one of the four official languages of Switzerland.

Italian culture has permeated music, food, architecture, design and science. As a result, many words of Italian origin are commonly used in English such as cappuccino, pizza, piano, balcony, carpet, fiasco, fresco, algebra, coffee, diva and more.