How to Speak Italian With Confidence: 7 Essential Tips

Italian is a language deeply connected with the culture it is part of. Whether you are interested in style, arts, and history or passionate about food, you can use plenty of topics to dive deep into Italian culture. So, the easiest way to learn to speak Italian is actually to immerse yourself in it.

But don’t worry—you don’t need to move to Italy to learn Italian! Choosing a solid learning method that helps you deeply understand the language in its context is what you need. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method taps into how you learned your first language as a child: a proven mix of techniques that will help you speak Italian like a native. To help you even more, we have put together seven easy tips for speeding up your language-learning process while having fun.

1. Speak Italian every time you can

Take every opportunity to practice your new language. Finding native speakers or other students to speak Italian with will train you to understand different accents and pronunciations. It will also help you explain your thoughts and build confidence to engage in complex conversations.

Practice at home

Practicing alone at home is also very helpful. It may feel weird, initially, but try to build a conversation (even if it’s a monologue), explain a complex matter, or tell a story out loud when no one is around. This way, you can hear yourself speaking Italian without fearing judgment, and you might spot the words you struggle to pronounce.

Find your local Italian community

Go to Italian cafes or restaurants and try to order in Italian. If the waiter also speaks Italian, they might love being able to help you say a few other helpful words. You can also find an Italian local market where you can chat with people, or you can practice with another Italian learner in a local school.

Travel to Italy

If you visit Italy, always try to speak with the locals. Italians value connecting with people and will try their best to talk to you even if they are not fluent in English. Conversely, they absolutely love it when someone makes the same effort, and they will praise you for it.

Common Italian greetings are a fantastic icebreaker. Be bold and don’t hesitate to ask them to slow down or repeat when you engage in a lightning-fast Italian conversation. Here are a couple ways you could ask them to slow down:

• Potrebbe parlare più lentamente, per cortesia? = Can you speak slowly, please?
• Mi scusi, potrebbe ripetere? = Sorry, could you repeat?

You can also use common Italian phrases to keep the conversation flowing and speak Italian more confidently.

>> Check out the top cities to visit in Italy!

2. Build a vocabulary in the things you are passionate about

All of us have one or more topics we are passionate about. You may know everything about a specific sport; you might love how wine is made; you could be passionate about skin care or bird watching. Whatever you love most, make the most of it! Read, study, or watch content in Italian about the topic you’re passionate about.

Familiarity with a topic that you enjoy will help you fill the language gap and quickly pick up the specific vocabulary. Also, it’s a great way to trick your mind. Your attention will switch from a homework state of mind to one of eagerness to discover more about your passion.

Not to mention, it’s exciting to spot differences and similarities of words between the US and Italy in the specific field you love.

3. Build the habit of reading in Italian

Reading in Italian will help you widen your vocabulary over time. Start easy and slow with some children’s books but try to be consistent. Setting a 15-minute reading time daily will be more effective than reading hundreds of pages occasionally.

Kids’ books are an excellent way to build this habit. They are usually simpler and shorter, and you will enjoy reading them without getting overwhelmed.

If you want to read the news, Ansa.it is the website of the Agency of Publishers dedicated to providing local and international news written in Italian, along with some videos that help you hear people speaking the Italian language. 

Social media is also an exceptional source for reading and listening. Look for Italian creators like writers, poets, or book reviewers. You may discover your next favorite writer!

4. Improve your listening abilities while having fun

Understanding native speakers in another language can be tricky at first. Every language has a characteristic inflection and speed that you need time to get used to. In the case of native Italians, their accents change significantly from town to town, and, in some cases, they may use dialect expressions that are hard to understand.

In fact, there are about 30 indigenous languages spoken in Italy! But learning how to speak Italian (as opposed to Sicilian or Fruilian) will get you the farthest in conversation.Here are some useful tips to help you:

Watch Italian movies

Watching movies is an excellent way to get your ears used to the Italian language. Pick a selection of classic and modern Italian films with English subtitles to get comfortable with different speech registers. Remember to set your starting point depending on your confidence in the language you are learning.

If you struggle following the subtitles, watch reruns of your favorite shows you’ve seen but change the language to Italian. Knowing the context of the conversations will help you a lot. If you already have an intermediate level understanding, try to skip the subtitles and see how much you understand.

Step up your game by watching talk shows and interviews

Talk shows and interviews are also a top choice to learn how to speak Italian, but they may be more suitable for an advanced learner. This kind of speech is usually faster and more complex because it may feature people with different accents using a more conversational and spontaneous tone. The topics are also more complex than regular conversations, but it’s a great way to push your knowledge.

Listen to Italian music

Music is also an easy way to immerse yourself in Italian language and culture because you can listen to it during the day. Which music genre suits you the best? Traditional, rock, pop—you have a lot of options to dive into.

Live lessons at Rosetta Stone

If you prefer more guidance with a dedicated tutor, Rosetta Stone’s Live Lessons allow you to get real-time instructions from a native speaker. Just choose the topic you want to practice and have fun while expanding your knowledge.

5. Speak with your hands

There are no surprises here: Italians speak with their hands a lot. Understanding and using this nonverbal communication technique is like unlocking the secret code of the Italian language.

Hand gestures can highlight a message or even completely replace it when used as a reaction. Also, we are very physical, so don’t be surprised if hugs and pats on the shoulder are a part of greetings.

Watch locals as they communicate and you’ll quickly pick up on specific hand gestures that seem to have a specific meaning. Sometimes they’re paired with a quick word like dai (come on) that’s often used to try to convince someone to do or agree with something.

6. Learn a few tricks about Italian pr