If you are reading this post it is surely because you wonder: is Italian worth learning?
Of course the answer is yes! Below are the reasons why it is a fantastic idea to study Italian.
Here are some reasons why learning Italian would boost your career
Despite the news spread by media about Italy being politically unstable and corrupted, it remains one of the wealthiest countries in the world. That is why more international companies seek to open offices around Italy and therefore need employees who can speak both English and Italian. Given the average low English level of Italians you would certainly have an advantage once you become fluent.
Many of you probably also wonder “Is Italian difficult to learn?”
Let’s see now why it is a language that is easy to learn and what the benefits and advantages are.
Contrary to the general belief that Italian is a difficult language to learn, it is actually considered one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. Italian is a phonetic language that means it is pronounced as it is written.
Once you learn the sounds, pronunciation won’t be a huge challenge. Although, the Italian grammar and sentence structure differ from the English ones, both languages share thousands of cognates which are words that sound the same and have the same meanings.
Furthermore, Italian is a Romance language and will give you a massive head-start to understanding other Romance languages such as Spanish, French and Portuguese.
7 – Reasons why Italian is a good language to learn for business
1 – Beat language barriers when travelling
Speaking Italian when visiting Italy will give several benefits such as being able to get around more easily, save money, interact with locals and discover the real Italian culture which goes beyond touristic places to visit.
2- Helps you beating culture shock
Culture shock is a phenomenon which happens most of the time when relocating abroad. It has been widely studied and initially associated to a negative event. However, further studies have proven culture shock to be essential for personal development when living in another country. After an initial phase of excitement called the honeymoon stage, culture shock strikes when the expat needs to integrate into the local culture.
Speaking the language in this case Italian will speed up the process by being able to understand the culture and the locals quickly. After this stage, you will feel proud of yourself having being able to survive and having embraced a different culture.
3- Treasure your family roots
Unfortunately, many people with Italian origins are not able to speak Italian because they haven’t been taught by the parents or they only know how to speak a certain regional dialect. This is usually because of false believes surrounding second language acquisition in early childhood and/or because in case of immigration fearing the child will not integrate if she/he speaks his native language before mastering the local language.
This is such a shame because, according to many scholars, dual language development in early childhood or childhood does not represent a burden for the child. As a matter of fact it has been proven that a native speaker like fluency can be achieved if the child is exposed to another language within the first 3 months of life.
4- Improve your health
Studies have shown that by keeping the brain active, especially by learning a language, the risks associated with dementia decrease and the brain’s ageing slows down. It is never too late to improve your health; fluency in Italian can be achieved also by adults.
5- Improve your cognitive skills
Many studies have demonstrated that speaking another language improves your cognitive abilities; as a matter of fact, people who are bilingual or multilingual from childhood have more cognitive flexibility. It is never too late to learn another language if you are motivated. Motivation is indeed the second factor which determines language attainment with language aptitude (a language intelligence) being the first.
6- Improve your romantic skills
Italian is the language of love and whether you are dining in an Italian restaurant with your date or simply want to impress the girl or guy of your dreams you will surprised about how charming you will look at their eyes if in addition to all your other qualities you also speak Italian.
7 – It is fun to learn Italian
Who said studying another language has to be dull and laborious? Learning Italian can be a lot of fun, especially if you are taught by the right tutor who has the right knowledge and charisma to make your learning journey as enjoyable as doing your favourite activity.
There are also many ways you can learn, for example by listening to Italian podcasts and through hands on approach such as learning Italian through cooking or visiting a food market with your tutor.
What is the best podcast to learn Italian?
Podcasts are simple tools you can use to learn, quickly saving time. You can listen to them everywhere; whilst doing something else, driving for instance or taking the train; this is why we have created a session where you can learn basic Italian which will certainly help you conducting business in Italy and much more.
Our free podcasts include: the alphabet, numbers, greetings, and business phrases
We also offer customised tuition for individuals and corporates, as well as children.
Below, listen to the podcasts teaching you how to order food and drinks at an Italian restaurant when on a business trip or simply enjoy practising at your favourite local Italian restaurant.
Italian English
- Quanti? / How many are you?
- Siamo quattro, grazie / We are four thanks
- Prego, seguitemi / Please, follow me
- Da bere? / To drink?
- Una bottiglia d’acqua frizzante e una naturale / A bottle of sparkling water and one bottle of still water
- Un litro di vino rosso / bianco della casa / A litre of red/white house wine
- Da mangiare? / To eat?
- Vorrei un antipasto di mare / I would like a seafood starter
- Vorrei un antipasto di terra (lit.terra means ground) /I would like a cured meat starter
- Or the waiter can ask you: che facciamo? / What are we making for you?
- Per antipasto facciamo un carpaccio di tonno/ For starter let’s do a tuna carpaccio
- Per primo? / For the main course? (pasta)
- Per primo vorrei gli spaghetti alla carbonara / As a main dish I would like spaghetti carbonara
- Per secondo? / For the second course? (second course it is usually fish or meat) (still main course in the U.K.)
- Per secondo facciamo una grigliata mista di carne / For/As the second course, let’s do a mixed grill
- Per contorno? / As a side dish?
- Vorrei un’insalata e una porzione di patatine fritte / I would like a salad and a portion of French fries
- Desidera un dessert? / Would you like a dessert?
- Si, grazie un tiramisù per cortesia. / Yes thanks, a tiramisu please.
- Dopo il dessert desidera un caffè o un digestivo? / After the dessert would you like a coffee and digestive?
- Si certo, un caffè e un amaretto di Saronno, grazie / Yes, certainly a coffee and an amaretto di Saronno thanks
- Perfetto, torno subito / Perfect, I will be right back
- Il conto per favore / The bill please
- Vuole pagare in contanti o con carta?/ Would you like to pay by cash or card?
- Contanti, grazie / Cash please
