ITALIAN in 10 minutes a day BOOK + AUDIO

Very disappointing you cannot download onto your iPhone or your iPad. Only on to a Mac computer who carries a computer around all day not very friendly if you cannot be on your iPhone or iPad

For me, it was very important to learn both reading and writing in Italian; however, I wanted the audio CD to be usable by itself for listening in the car. This system is perfect. You can learn to speak correctly using just the CDs, and then have reinforcement when you pull out the book and go over what you've learned. I also feel like the balance of repetition and pauses is just right for me to learn how to pronounce the words correctly. I considered Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone, but for me this was a much better (and affordable) way to start. Whenever I outgrow these CDs, there are plenty of other ways to continue learning the Italian language.I would also like to make a plug for the Italian language in general. Often, people who travel are encouraged to learn French, German, or Spanish if they want a language that is spoken by a very large number of people over several countries. Italian sometimes gets overlooked. However, Italian may be easier for some people to learn because of its pure vowels. I chose it for its usefulness in singing, and for many other reasons. Having had some exposure to French and Spanish, I noticed from the first lesson that 80% of the words I was hearing sounded very close to their French and Spanish counterparts. So, don't discount the usefulness of Italian. It can really open the door to understanding other Romance languages.

It is really good to have the book as well as the CDs to see the written language and to hear it by several different speakers so it does not become dull.

My wife and I are taking our first trip to Italy this coming fall, so 2 months ahead of time I purchased one Workbook/CD set of the 'ITALIAN in 10 minutes a day®' series and quickly realized that its a great and enjoyable way to learn. Since there are 2 of us learning at the same time, it was awkward trying to share the one workbook and CD's - so I bought another whole set! It's working out great and we can both progress at our own pace. Even with 2 sets, its significantly less expensive than Rosetta Stone (and alot more fun). We each have a set (6 CDs) in our cars and can listen/practice while commuting to work. Along with '....10 mins a Day' there are all sorts of free language apps on the internet you can use to supplement your workbook/CD learning. I'd recommend this to anyone contemplating learning a new language.

I bought the audio CD version so that I could casually listen and learn during my commute. I have some experience with Italian having spent (in total) a few months there and also having taken some private lessons. However, my previous classroom experience was with a teacher who didn't believe in using ANY English, which when you are a beginner means that you don't have someone stop and explain to you in your native language the peculiarities of conjugating "essere" or explaining articles, etc. I wish I had used this book and CD as a complement to my lessons because I found the explanations to be very clear and I am finally understanding the language in ways I didn't before. You will be able to speak simple sentences after the first CD. It's terrific. So simple it almost looks juvenile or too-simplisitic, but it is in fact a very straightforward way to get started in Italian. So excited that I am going to get the French version, too.

Bought this because I am taking an Italian class. It meets once a week, but that is not often enough to train my ears and my brain to hearing Italian. Since I drive an hour to work and back home, I found this a very good way to learn, and listen to the Italian language at the same time. I do have a Pimsleur course, that l've had for over a year. But it doesn't come with written materials, and I found that what I was learning, I was learning wrong. For instance the word bag: in Italian it's borsa---I heard "bolsa". The word for now in Italian is adesso---I heard "abesso". The word for the number eight in Italian is otto---I heard "octo". I could go on and on, but I would not have learned the WRONG words if I would have had written material to view. This is a good program!

This is a very easy way to learn basic Italian. There are a few people with different Italian/American accents that help you get acquainted with the different ways Italians speak their native language. Just like there are different accents in our country (i.e., north, south, midwest, etc), there are different accents thatpronounce the same word with the Italian language. I listen to these tapes everyday on my way to and back from work. I have not used the book as much as I should, but it is a very useful guide which include sticky labels which you can place on different items in your house to help you remember the Italian words for items. Do not hesitate to buy this item, it is great.

This method works. Use it and make your trip to Italy SO much better. The people I met in Italy were so friendly and helpful and the core knowledge of the book enabled the conversations that helped me to communicate, make friends and learn a great deal of Italian when traveling there. I strongly advise to get the book WITH the audio CD’s: