It was about one year ago when I started seriously learning Italian. I've had this idea in my head for years but finally committed to doing it. I bought a software program called Fluenz and got going. Fluenz is amazing! They have two main points of differentiation from the big, bad Rosetta Stone which have made a huge difference for me. 1) They don't use immersion. The idea is that immersion works for children but not as well for our adult brains. They use great instructors to teach the language. 2) They take advantage of what you know in the language you have already learned. For example, you know that in English we put the adjective before the noun, so it becomes a simple task to explain that most of the time in Italian, the adjective comes after. Also, the program is beautiful, modern and thorough. The sessions begin and end with instruction but are filled with "work-outs" to have you practice what you learn. It is so incredibly thorough that I found I never left a lesson with any missed comprehension or retention. Even words that I thought, "I won't need that word, I'm not worrying about it" (ashtray = portacenere) I still learned in spite of myself. Also, Fluenz seems to be very dedicated to providing support tools (flashcards, CDs, podcasts) as well as a member community (Fluenz Commons).
The only drawback has been that they are still developing the next level that I've been ready for a few months now. C'mon, Fluenz Italian 4! Where are you? But, that led me to the fantastic Italian school in Philadelphia - but that's a topic for another post. Ci vediamo a presto (see you soon)!
Ps. Fluenz also teaches, German, Spanish, French and Mandarin
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