5 Things NOT to Do When Learning Italian

 

1. Language learning apps like Duolingo
   Look, I used Duolingo religiously. BUT immediately after I closed the app I forget every single word I had learnt.
   The problem is that apps don’t work for me. I ended up feeling like I was wasting my time and never making progress
2. Anything on your phone (yes, even Anki)
   In theory, having Italian flashcards on your phone is perfect. You can practice anywhere!
   In reality? You open the app, see a notification from Instagram and 40 minutes later you’ve forgotten you were supposed to be studying.
   Learning Italian requires concentration.
   If you’re serious about Italian, you need a method that works off your phone
3. Spending lots of money on expensive courses
   I’ve spent over $600 on Italian courses.
   Most of them are sitting in my email inbox, or lost somewhere on my phone.
   Here’s the truth… expensive doesn’t mean effective. And there are SO many incredible free and low cost resources out there.
   The problem was never the price. It was that I didn’t have a system for using the resources I already had.
   You don’t need a $500 course. You need a clear learning plan that tells you exactly what to focus on and when.
4. Starting without figuring out your learning style
   I used to think I had to sit at a desk with a textbook to “properly” learn Italian.
   Turns out I’m a visual learner, who needs repetition and context.
   Once I figured that out, everything changed.
   If you’re trying to learn Italian the way someone else learned it or the way you ‘think’ you should learn then you’re fighting against your own brain.
   Figure out how YOU actually absorb information, then build your practice around that.
5. Starting without a goal
   “I want to learn Italian” is not a goal.
   It’s a wish.
   A goal sounds like: “I want to be able to have a 10 minute conversation with my Nonna about my day by March.”
   When you don’t have a specific goal, you don’t have a way to measure progress.
   And when you can’t measure progress, you will inevitably quit

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