Italian films and TV shows
There are endless opportunities to discover foreign film and TV series in this day and age, and with streaming services such as Netflix, there is something for everyone. I would recommend an Italian TV series currently streaming on All 4 called La mafia uccide solo d'estate. Not only will this improve your Italian aural skills, but also help to discover integral parts of Italian culture and history. This show focuses on the fear of the Sicilian Mafia in late 1970s Palermo, as well as the general struggles associated with family life. If you are interested in sport, Netflix has a great documentary on how the Italian football team achieved their victory at the 2020 European Championship. There is so much to discover, so why not use this as a way to improve your language?
Italian music
There are so many great Italian artists out there that cater for all genre preferences. Engaging in music can help you to express yourself in a new way, as well as enhance your language skills. Perhaps listening to music is your way of relaxing, so by listening to Italian music, you will subconsciously take in the language on a new level, in a way you don’t necessarily have to think about.
- Emma Vincent
Use your phone!
We often underestimate how useful our smartphones can be to enhance our education and utilising them is one of the fastest and easiest ways to build on our language skills. For beginners, apps such as Duolingo can help to understand the basics and build vocabulary. As you progress, there are lots of useful apps and websites to develop a whole range of skills. Tandem is such a practical app to have downloaded on your phone because it lets you instantly connect with natives which will help you to advance your language skills. There is an opportunity to learn how to chat via text in a more colloquial fashion, improve your oral skills over a video call, not to mention you could make new friendships. Websites such as Reverso or DeepL can help you to improve your translation skills in a way that focuses more on the idiomatic side of translation rather than the literal.
Visit Italy
I think this is probably the most obvious way you can enhance your understanding of both the language and culture of Italy. Language learning is all about immersion, and the best way to achieve this is to put yourself somewhere where you are surrounded by Italian speakers. Visiting Italy will not always be the easiest or cheapest way to improve your language skills, but it is definitely something worth thinking about and investing in. After all, what better way is there to enhance your skills at the same time as making wonderful memories.
Fun ways to learn Italian!
Whether you just want to learn the basics or study the Italian language, there are so many fun ways to engage with the culture to improve your language skills. Studying a language is unlike anything else because it can be incorporated into everyday life. Here are four ways you can put down the books and continue to develop your language skills in a more enjoyable way!