Italian All-in-One For Dummies, with CD (For Dummies (Language & Literature))

Italian for the semi literate in the language

I won an all expense paid cruise to the mediterranean in 1974. A large part of the cruise included regular stops in Naples for resupply. Our cruise offered lunchtime Italian lessons for free as part of the benefits. I learned rudimentary Italian at that time, which came in handy when trying to navigate Naples on the way to the NATO exchange, to purchase reasonably price stereos and watches. Now I have not utilized my Italian skills since then, with the exception of ordering the odd pizza or pasta at my neighborhood Italian restaurant, so when I was informed by my wife that she wanted to go to Italy in the spring, I jumped at the opportunity to practice more of my language skills. I tried taking classes on the interwebs, but they were tedious or poorly taught ( I tried that prior to last year's trip to portugal, and became somewhat facile at ordering food and beverages). I have always enjoyed the Dummies books, so thought I would give the Italian book a try. I like to think that I am actually improving my skills. I would recommend the book as an adjunct to a class, if you are an Italian virgin, or to supplement podcasts and television shows in Italian. I do not think it would be feasible to learn to speak or read Italian from this book alone, but it is extremely useful as a supplement or reference. Ciao. Read more