Having a conversation in a foreign language could be hard work because sometimes you don’t remember the word you need and you don’t have enough time to think. Learn more about 10 TOP Tips to Boost your Spoken Italian.
1. Keep It Simple
Although certain aspects of the Italian language can seem tricky at first, grasp some simple rules and you’ll be able to communicate in various situations.
Speak slowly and as clearly as you can.
Use simple phrases with the words you already know.
Try to ignore mistakes as native speakers make them.
Remember that you always learn more from your mistakes than from what you get right.
2. Practice Listening
Improve your listening skills so you can follow what people are saying. This is a very important top tip to boost your Spoken Italian
As talk is a mixture of listening and speaking, sometimes focusing a lot on speaking, especially as a beginner, gets you talking quickly but can leave you woefully unable to understand enough of what the other person says in a conversation.
FIND OUT MORE -> Learning Italian Through Stories
REMEMBER: The purpose is to communicate, not just to do some academic exercises and you need to have a conversation in Italian.
Practice speaking as much as you can. Join an Italian club or a conversation group in the place where you live, and find an excellent Online tutor that lets you speak as much as possible.
Join an Italian club or a conversation group in the place where you live, and find an excellent Online tutor that lets you speak as much as possible.
When you’re at home you can practise your Italian with your favourite person: yourself! or you can take a few minutes to stand in front of the mirror and speak. Choose a topic, and just talk.
You can also take a few minutes to stand in front of the mirror and speak. Choose a topic, and just talk.
Try some tongue twisters: tongue twisters are a series of words that are difficult to say quickly.
Would you like to give it a try? -> 20 Scioglilingua Italiani (20 Italian Tongue Twisters)
3. Read Aloud
Take a text with an audio file and read it along out loud.
If it is possible, record your voice and then compare it to the original.
If you choose an audiobook, It’s best to choose a book with a lot of dialogue.
A very useful resource is RINOSPIKE.
RhinoSpike is a language learning tool that connects you with native speakers to exchange foreign language audio files.
Practice telling a story.
Tell something about your life or about a book you read.
Make notes and practice saying them to yourself, to a friend, a language exchange partner or better, to a native speaker tutor online.
4. Simultaneous Speaking Repetition
Sing along to your favourite Italian Songs.
Try to speak at the same time as the speaker in a video (especially videos from children’s cartoons) or in audio,
Start speaking along with actors, singers etc.
It is also a great way to memorize new words and improve your pronunciation
5. Avoid Translation
Once you have a basic vocabulary, you should stop thinking in your own language and try to translate everything, as this slows your progress down.
Translate while you’re speaking it’s a waste of time.
Just use the language you already know.
Listening to a lot of “real” Italian, and speaking not in a “comparison to English” will help a lot.
After all, to be understood is the most important thing!
6. Improve Your Pronunciation
When it comes to pronunciation, the most important thing is that people can understand you.
Aim to make your accent as clear and understandable as possible.
Another important aspect of pronunciation is word stress. Every word has a different stress pattern.
There are many rules about word stress patterns, but the best thing to do is to learn every new word with its meaning and exact pronunciation.
FIND OUT MORE -> Italian Pronunciation Guide
7. Relax
When you think about speaking, then you may feel nervous.
Just put yourself out there, and speak!
You may need to step out of your comfort zone a little bit, but the more you speak Italian, the more you will begin to feel relaxed.
As an adult learner, anxiety about speaking in a foreign language usually boils down to fear of being negatively evaluated.
Approach the conversation with a smile. What’s the worst that can happen?
8. Be Fearless and Make Mistakes
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Language learning is a journey, and errors are part of the process. Native speakers appreciate your efforts to speak their language, even if you stumble occasionally. Learn from your mistakes, and keep practising.
9. Learn Popular Idioms and Expressions
Italian, like any language, has its fair share of idioms and expressions. Learning these not only makes you sound more fluent but also helps you understand native speakers better. Incorporate them into your conversations for added authenticity.
FIND OUT MORE -> Vocabulary & Idioms
10. Be Patient
Learning a language is a process that can take years.
If you get frustrated with yourself, you risk quitting.
Don’t be too hard on yourself.
The easiest way to not get fed up is to have a way to check your progress.
An article on this website could be helpful -> How do not Feel Overwhelmed Learning a Language.
What’s next?
You might want to keep learning Italian online with these free resources:
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