How to Learn the Italian Language for Children
- 1). Begin by learning simple words and phrases. Use them every day in your home to help you remember them. For example, instead of saying, "Hello," when you see your parents or friends, say, "Ciao" instead. To get you started, a list of helpful words can be found on the Pocantico Hills website (see Resources). Other words are available from the Enchanted Learning site (see Resources), which offers a free Italian picture dictionary with English translations of each word.
- 2). Watch Italian lessons on video for kids. Some of them include Language Tree's "Italian Beginners' Level I, Vol. 1" and "Italian Beginners' Level I, Vol. 2." Another option is to work through a textbook with an audio CD to help you learn pronunciation. One such book for kids is "Italian for Children with Two Audio CDs, Third Edition" by Catherine Bruzzone, and another is "Berlitz Kids Italian Language Pack" by Berlitz Guides. The video lessons are available from the Toys R Us website, Language Tree's site as well as Amazon's site, among other retailers. The books are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Half.com, among other sellers.
- 3). Print vocabulary flashcards in Italian from the Hello-World website (see Resources). Use these vocabulary cards to help you learn new words (the link to the cards is on the left-hand side of the page). Speak as much Italian as possible during the day, using these cards as a guide. You can also play games on the Hello-World website to practice your Italian. This is a fun way to learn new words and to help you remember the ones you have already learned. You can also listen to conversations in Italian on this site.
- 4). Learn Italian with a friend. Quiz each other on the vocabulary you learn and the verb conjugations you master. If you do not learn with a friend, have one of your parents quiz you on the words you are learning to help reinforce them. You can use any of the previous websites mentioned to help you.
- 5). Explore the BBC's Italian language site (see Resources). This site has phrases of the day, news stories and more in Italian to help you learn the language.
- 6). Visit the website of the journalist/detective Geronimo Stilton, an Italian mouse with plenty of adventures (see Resources). Also visit the Rai TV site when you are ready to watch children's television in Italian (see Resources). Even if you do not understand everything that is going on, listen for words you do know, and then for words you hear around them that are new. Focus on learning those new words.
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