What languages are you currently learning?

What languages do you speak already?

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[–] 5 points 11 months ago* (3 children)

I've never put real effort into trying to learn a second language, but I have an opportunity to travel to Italy next year so I need to start learning some basic Italian so I'm at least not a tourist who doesn't know a lick of the local language.

I'm honestly looking for some advice on where to start

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)
    • Start with basic common phrases for greetings (ciao, arrivederci),
    • thank you (Tante Grazie), please (per favors), excuse me (scusi), and „I want“.
    • Watch a movie or tv show you already know (by heart) in Italian with Italian subtitles. Or watch an Italian show with English subtitles. This will give you a better feeling for the language, how it’s pronounced, some basic vocabulary. Maybe lookup words or phrases you like or hear repeatedly. Expose yourself to the language. A great current show is Mussolini son of the century.
    • Also learn to read the language phonetically. So you can read and pronounce any written words. For most languages this is far easier than for English. _ Italians love when people try to speak Italian. So find some Italians to chat with on the internet.
    • learn some fun phrases, jokes, idioms, and compliments: Un bon café italiano é negro come il diabolo, caldo come l’inferno, e dolce come l’amore.
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