If you've decided to learn Italian again after years of inactivity, think of it like restarting a workout program to get back into shape. You can't rebuild all that lean muscle mass during one long weekend of exercising at the gym, nor is it possible to relearn Italian in a few cram sessions. That only leads to aches, pains, and frustration, and increases the likelihood that your new initiative will be abandoned even before reviewing the Italian alphabet.
That said, you have a head start if you were in vigorous physical shape before (that is, if you were previously somewhat competent in Italian)— your muscles have "memory" that allows them to bounce back quicker and stronger after a period of idleness. So if you knew how to conjugate -isc verbs before, or if there was a time when Italian subject pronouns were second nature, those grammar lessons are imprinted on your brain, waiting to be reactivated.
So where and how do you start a new Italian language "workout" program? What's the best way to learn Italian (again) quickly and effectively? How do you avoid repeating the common errors in Italian usage that tripped you up the first time?
Start With the Basics
Stretch those linguistic muscles by reviewing the fundamentals first. Focus on the rules for pronouncing Italian, breaking it down into consonants and vowels. As a refresher, practice introductions, greetings and how to ask questions in Italian. Starting with straight-forward, simple topics will build your confidence and will also provide the building blocks to advance to more difficult concepts. Think of it as increasing your linguistic aerobic capacity.
Don't Rely on What Used To Work
While you may have preferred reading bilingual texts when you first studied Italian, that exercise might no longer result in the expected outcome. There are many tips and tricks they don't teach in Italian language school. Probably the most effective method to increasing your Italian word power is cross-training. Watch Italian TV, which is available on the Internet and also carried by many cable providers. Read an Italian newspaper or magazine (also available online), or write in Italian on the About.com Italian language forums. If you travel to Italy, challenge yourself to speak only Italian the entire time (that means no e-mailing your family and friends in English or reading English language guide books). The point is, find many different ways to expose yourself to the language, and be sure to spend sufficient time on all four primary skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Otherwise, you may end up with freakishly overdeveloped muscles that serve little purpose when communicating with native speakers (for example, non-Italian-speaking opera singers).
Practice Every Day
Legitimate professional athletic trainers know there is only one proven way to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance. It's habitual, repetitive practice as often as possible. If you work full-time and only study Italian on the weekends (and then, only for an hour), there's little chance you'll develop the skills necessary to rank high on the ILR Scale for fluency. It's more effective to study Italian thirty minutes a day, every day, rather than be a weekend linguistic warrior. Commit to regularly scheduled training sessions in Italian, and you'll notice sustained improvement.
Give Your Muscles A Rest
If you find yourself burned out on Italian language training, that might be the time to take a break. Counterintuitively, allowing your language muscles to regenerate is one of the best ways to learn Italian. Over a period of time, the same method might have less effect because the challenge is the same, so by stopping out, you can overcome repetitive stress syndrome. When you do return to your practice, though, you'll be refreshed and motivated again to continue learning Italian.
