I can’t be the only person trying to learn Italian who is frustrated by how superficial a lot of language courses are - am I? Since we don’t learn a second language in the same way we learnt the first, we need a bit of structure (I mean, grammar) to help us make sense of it all. Just when I was about to give up, I discovered a course that sees things my way.

Back in the Eighties, when I was at school, we used to conjugate our French verbs out loud, we knew why the word for ‘beautiful’ is sometimes ‘beau’ and sometimes ‘belle’; we were able to use the language because we understood how it works.

The traditional methods were not ideal, of course, and they were mistaken in their emphasis on writing and reading over oral communication. However, the thoroughness of the approach made it much more effective, in my opinion, than the lightweight courses available today.

What I like about modern methods is the prominence given to speaking and listening skills. What I don’t like is the apparently random way in which grammar is often served up. In the first chapter, we learn, for example, how to say “We have”. “I have”, “you have” and so on are then scattered about the book. I like to see the verb To Have conjugated in its entirety, so I know how it works.

The current obsession with instant satisfaction clashes uncomfortably with study. Even the most experienced linguist, working with the best teacher, would struggle to learn Italian a day, or even a week. Courses that suggest you can achieve this would be better off promising less and delivering more. Yes, you can ‘get by’ in Italy with a handful of set phrases that you’ve learnt in a couple of hours, but this is not my idea of ’speaking’ Italian. I want to be able to have a real conversation.

The first two or three weeks or so are a grind. We have to accept that. Committing to memory all those endings, not confusing verb endings with noun endings, getting to grips with genders and all the different words for “the” It’s hard work. But it is SO well worth it!

After the first few weeks, it all gets more interesting but it’s really no good trying to skip that initial phase. If your Italian has not got firm foundations, it will be shaky for ever. However, if you put in the effort at the beginning, you will develop into an accurate, confident speaker of this beautiful language.

Teaching materials, then, should provide clear explanations of how the language works, as well as lots of practice exercises, so we can check we have understood as we go along.

I highly recommend Italian for Beginners, an ebook written by a language school in Manchester. I bought it 3 or 4 months ago and have now just finished working through it. I’ve still got some way to go before I can discuss politics in Italian, of course, but I feel very secure about what I’ve learnt and I know I’ve got a solid base on which to build further. Sono molto felice!