NATIONAL BESTSELLER • For anyone who wants to learn a foreign language, this is the method that will finally make the words stick. “A brilliant and thoroughly modern guide to learning new languages.”—Gary Marcus, cognitive psychologist and author of the New York Times bestseller Guitar Zero At thirty years old, Gabriel Wyner speaks six languages fluently. He didn’t learn them in school—who does? Rather, he learned them in the past few years, working on his own and practicing on the subway, using simple techniques and free online resources—and here he wants to show others what he’s discovered. Starting with pronunciation, you’ll learn how to rewire your ears and turn foreign sounds into familiar sounds. You’ll retrain your tongue to produce those sounds accurately, using tricks from opera singers and actors. Next, you’ll begin to tackle words, and connect sounds and spellings to imagery rather than translations, which will enable you to think in a foreign language. And with the help of sophisticated spaced-repetition techniques, you’ll be able to memorize hundreds of words a month in minutes every day. This is brain hacking at its most exciting, taking what we know about neuroscience and linguistics and using it to create the most efficient and enjoyable way to learn a foreign language in the spare minutes of your day.

Whether you are planning a romantic Italian getaway, packing a knapsack for your junior year abroad, or just want to engage your Italian business associate in everyday conversation, Italian Made Simple is the perfect book for any self-learner. Void of all the non-essentials and refreshingly easy to understand, Italian Made Simple includes: * basics of grammar * vocabulary building exercises * pronunciation aids * common expressions * word puzzles and language games * contemporary reading selections * Italian culture and history * economic information * Italian-English and English-Italian dictionaries Complete with drills, exercises, and answer keys for ample practice opportunities, Italian Made Simple will soon have you speaking Italian like a native.

On a post-college visit to Florence, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri fell in love with the Italian language. Twenty years later, seeking total immersion, she and her family relocated to Rome, where she began to read and write solely in her adopted tongue. A startling act of self-reflection, In Other Words is Lahiri’s meditation on the process of learning to express herself in another language—and the stunning journey of a writer seeking a new voice.

The fun and easy way to take your Italian language skills to the next level The tips, techniques, and information presented here give students, travelers, and businesspeople a primer on how to speak Italian. Complete with updates, a bonus CD, and the traditional For Dummies user-friendly format, this new edition of Italian For Dummies gives you reliable lessons, practice, and language learning techniques for speaking Italian with ease and confidence. Featuring a revamped, user-friendly organization that builds on your knowledge and ability, Italian For Dummies offers expanded coverage of the necessary grammar, major verb tenses, and conjugations that beginners need to know. Plus, you'll get a fully updated and expanded audio CD that includes real-life conversations; a refreshed and expanded mini-dictionary; more useful exercises and practice opportunities; and more. Builds on your skills and ability as you learn Covers the grammar, verb tenses, and conjugations you need to know Includes a mini-dictionary Audio CD includes real-life conversations If you're looking to reach a comfort level in conversational Italian, Italian For Dummies gets you comfortably speaking this Romantic language like a native.

Learn Italian the quick and easy way! Whether you re learning Italian for the first time or just brushing up on your skills, this updated edition of the bestselling Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide is the ideal way to master the language at your own pace. In fifteen simple lessons, you ll learn how to engage in everyday conversations from ordering at a restaurant to asking for directions to making special arrangements with a hotel concierge. Written in a lively, personable style by a native Italian, this practical guide combines the quick-reference virtues of a phrasebook with the learning tools of a full-fledged language course. Designed to acquaint you with the basic skills you need to speak, read, write, and understand the language, Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide, Second Edition demystifies grammar, common usage, and pronunciation with step-by-step lessons on numbers, days of the week, telling time, and special rules of speech. It also includes extensive vocabulary and culture notes. Mini-dialogues from real-life situations provide a vibrant introduction to Italian culture and customs while a fun assortment of exercises, self-tests, and practice activities constantly reinforces your reading and conversational skills.

"Presents a successful method and a thorough guide to everyday conversational Italian." -- Back cover.