Are you considering learning Italian? While it’s possible to learn Italian independently, you’ll have much better and faster results working with an experienced teacher. While working with a tutor has many advantages, one of the biggest benefits they provide is being able to correct your pronunciation and grammar before you develop bad habits.
Some students are worried about the time or costs associated with in-person lessons. Thanks to the Internet, however, you can take lessons online. No more travelling far distances to meet with a teacher or stressing over your schedule. While taking online lessons is a great option, there are certain things you need to prepare for. Here’s a list of things you should do before you take your first Italian online lesson.
Know How to Use Your Software
Italian online lessons are usually held over a video chat program, such as Skype or Google+. Before your first lesson, make sure the software is installed on your computer or tablet. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the program and its various features. This will prevent you from wasting valuable minutes of your lesson trying to figure out how to work the program.
Create the Right Environment
Before your lesson begins, you will want to set up a suitable study environment. The primary thing you need is a quiet location. Not only is this important for your own concentration, but it will also help your language teacher hear you speak clearly. If you have children or roommates, ask them to hang out in a different room and keep quiet so you can focus.
During your lesson, you should keep various office supplies on hand. A notebook, index cards, sticky notes, pens, and highlighters are good to have available so you can jot down notes to help you remember things.
Test the Audio Quality
One of the hardest things about learning any foreign language is identifying and reproducing sounds that are not found in your native language. In order to hear these sounds, it is important to have good audio quality during your Italian online lesson.
For the best results, you’ll want to use a headset with an attached microphone. If you have a friend or family member willing to help you, make a test call before your first lesson to ensure the audio quality is good. If not, most programs have an audio quality test you can run to make sure everything is working properly.
Prepare a List of Questions
Chances are you have a million questions about the Italian language, especially if you already have some experience studying it. However, nothing is more frustrating than when your Italian teacher asks if you have any questions and you completely draw a blank. You know that you have questions, but you can’t seem to think of them at the time.
Prevent this frustration by keeping a list of your questions as they come up. Then you can check them off one by one as your teacher addresses each one for you. One excellent question to ask is recommendations for resources you can use to practice in between your Italian online lessons.
You should also keep a list of phrases or words that you would like to learn. Start with practical things that you’ll use over and over again during your lessons. “I do not understand” and “Talk slower, please” are probably two of the first phrases you’ll want to add to your list.
Learning another language takes time, but with hard work you will see results. Good luck!
Photo by Frenchkiff Café
Madalyn Danielson