I'd LOVE to learn to speak Italian!

I took seven courses of italian classes after my first trip to Italy in 1988. I was, what, 47 then, maybe 50, when I finished the classes. They were given at UCLA extension on Saturday mornings for three hours.

I loved the classes. I don't remember them as competitive. There was an emphasis on grammar, and an emphasis on speaking - both going on at the same time. I am more naturally inclined to learn visually and I've always rather liked grammar; I was never any kind of class star at the speaking.

The classes were fairly small. They needed, I think, ten students to make the class "go", but some always dropped out for whatever reason. There is homework involved if one wants to get anything out of it.... people realize they don't have the time just then in their lives. In the more advanced classes there were sometimes only four of us, or maybe five. I liked having other people, their having to talk gave me time to think...

I'm a little sorry now I didn't also take the intensive classes they gave once a quarter - I think they covered two weekend days and were entirely conversation based. If I remember correctly, you had to already have taken some basic italian classes.

As it was, once I got going I could speak whole paragraphs about a subject using several tenses, and fairly easily write long compositions with only a thousand mistakes... but I never did get to be swift at some of the very basic chit chat that people say upon meeting at the gelato shop. I think even now, ten or fifteen years later, I could pick that all up with some review on my own.

I've been to Italy a few times, twice for a month each, and one of those times I went to thirteen cities in 29 days by myself. (Or mostly by myself, but that's another story.) Not that I recommend that as a smart trip, but I went specifically to do photos in those places. I got along fine, though I admit to making every possible error in train travel. Italians were generally kind to me re my efforts to talk.

I knew I would like Italy from the first tired day there, when my then husband and I caught the subway (Metropolitana) and got off at the Colosseo stop. It was a one two punch start-up for my now long time infatuation - the voices on the subway sounded beautiful to me, musical. And then, we had a quick caffe at the Colosseum station and approached the glass doors to go out, and there it was, right in front of us. The Colosseo was never my favorite place in the city, but that day at that time, it was symbolic of my happiness with Italy.

On tapes, I've tried a few, just before later trips, to kick start my memory. They were ok. I don't remember which ones I bought now. I gave one set away, and lost the book for another, threw that tape away, then found the book.

You might try one class... and if you don't like it, consider a tutor. The teachers do that to earn some extra money, or at least mine did.

Finally, Raphillon has been helpful to some of us on a2k... and so has Francis and a few others whose names I can't remember now.

Gala and ehBeth, thanks, I'm going to check that out. I do have italian newspapers as well as ones in English on my Toolbar; though I don't look at them enough, they're good too, in that I may have just read the same or similar story on Google News and that will give me a leg up reading the story in italian.

ahhhh...but I would be saying the words out loud.

Also, like I was saying, I'm looking at the various programs you can buy. I went on the rosetta stone site, and did their demo. It's interesting, you should take a look at it.

No, I'm not at all worried about pronunciation, not in the least. I grew up around Italian speakers, it's very phonetic, and the pronunciation is like or very similar to Latin.

gala, it's funny you mentioned Italian radio...I actually watched a voice and video stream of someone giving some kind of presentation today.

Again, I respect that for some people, a classroom situation may work for them....however I don't want to do that, at least not right away, and not only for the reason I stated before.

My time is my time, and when I'm on my time I really have a hard time being somewhere or doing something according to someone elses schedule. It may be a bad day for me to be somewhere one time, and another I might be wishing I could work on something twice as long. My private time is very important to me.

I want this to be an enjoyable experience that I can relax while learning. Not having to drive somewhere, be with others who aren't going to be going at my individual pace, then have to drive back home, which is where I wanted to be the whole time.

I know you mean well lil'k, but you're doing what I always found to be the most uncomfortable part...the trying to fit one person into the mold of learning like everyone else. That's the part that makes me want to say..."oh, just forget the whole thing"

You know, I don't talk about it here, but I like to write. I don't talk about it because it's just for me. Sometimes months will go by with me not writing a word, then I want to sit all night and work. A long while back, I told my husband about this...he hadn't even realized I wrote. I was really in a good swing of things, and was feeling so good, I said to him..."who knows, maybe someday this would even be good enough to publish".
Wellllllll......every other day he started asking me if I had written any more....every time he did that, I cringed inside. It was no longer a pleasure. I stopped writing, and after a couple of weeks, he asked me "what's wrong?" I said I wish I had never told him, that now it wasn't something for me, like I had to report my progress. That's how I feel about this....I have no idea how long it takes people to learn to be comfortable speaking another language. It might take me years. But it'll be at my pace, not someone elses, or they'll be no joy in it. This is something I want to take in small bites and savor.

Also, like I've said, once you take a class, it's over. Owning a program means you can go back for a refresher anytime it's good for you.

So, with all that in mind, my original question....Has anyone heard of a particular program that is good/ better than others?

Pardon, I didn't realize until after I posted how important for you the last line in your original post was.

Well, ne'er mind me, as I admit to over enthusiasm.

But I don't get the dump on littleK. who apparently failed to read your question perfectly.

I'm not dumping on lil'k, or anyone osso....I've acknowledged classes are the way to go from some people...I respect that.

However, going back and rereading my original post, I don't think one needs to read it "perfectly" to see that I was directly asking people if they new of any online programs that can be purchased that seemed good.

Sorry, I though I'd made it clear in several posts I wasn't interested, at least immediatley in taking classes with other people. I mean, I did say that at least a couple of times I think.

I know my learning style, and I'm sure I want to go a solo method at first, because I know that's how I learn best. Even when I'm being creative, I do it best on my own. I could never be accused of being called a "group" person.

As I learn, (and like I said, I'm busy with visitors and other stuff for the next month or so, plus gathering the money to purchase) I was hoping to come on here and practice. Reading and writing Italian are as important to me, as I'd get as much pleasure being able to sit down and read a book in another language, or writing something down that makes sense, as being able to say it.

Maybe I won't learn as quickly as some think I should be, because I'm also doing other things...but like I indicated, it's the journey, not the destination.

OK, have fun with it!

This thread caught my eye because I just said yesterday to my sister that I fancied learning Italian. I happen to be awful with languages but for some reason this idea popped into my head. I read most of the posts and found myself chuckling at Chai who appears to have a very similar learning attitude as me. Weird! No-one ever understands my strange need to want to learn something but not want to conform to 'regular classes' (where languages are concerned). In the case of learning another language I just can't do well in class format. I did get a language tape many years ago and tried that out but I didn't keep it up. I had thought about trying the Rosetta tapes because I walked by a booth selling them the other day. I would need someone who was able to speak Italian though, in order to practice and converse with, otherwise anything learned will just fly out of my head.

I'm also laughing at the writing thing - where you told your husband and he kept checking in with you on it. I feel exactly the same, only my family are used to me. If I mention a thing, they know enough not to harp on it and I will keep them in the loop if I want them to know what's going on.

Aah you're nut Chai but I can relate.

Well thanks Heeven, you're a nut too!

funny, my step-daughters here for a visit, and while I was reading your reply, I threw out...."hey, do you speak any foreign languages?"

she said, "yeah, I used to speak pretty good German, but I've lost it. I'm very visual and I could always read and write it well, and could be that right it well, but when people would try to teach me my speaking it, I just couldn't retain it."

The above was with me not saying a word about even being on this thread.

different methods, different people.

I saw something you can download for free, I'm gonna check that out over the w/e.

too brain dead and full of chinese food right now.