language classes

carole, One question that comes to mind - have you checked to see if Italian classes are offered in your area? I'm not sure how much you'll learn in a week. You might also have a look at Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone or other language courses. I've been using Pimsleur for a couple of years, and although I'm not fluent, I can "get by" nicely. Happy travels!

I have checked out Rosetta stone but $$$$$. I will check out the other mentioned. I wish there were classes here. Only one person would teach the class and she is no longer interested. I am in the middle of nowhere. UGH!!!! Thanks for the info.

Have you checked with your library? They may own the tapes/CDs for you to check out or even have an on-line system for free if you have a library card - or else, get you the CDs or whatever on inter library loan from a larger library.

Sometimes you can find Rosetta Stone on EBay for a lot less than retail. It really is outrageously expensive. I got Level I on sale and have been checking EBay once in a while for Level II. You can learn quite a bit from a teach-yourself textbook, and somewhere on the BBC website there are Italian lessons. I forget where, but you can search.

For what it's worth, I cannot recommend Pimsleur highly enough. Well worth the money (but check your library first). You'll be amazed how fast you'll be speaking Italian and - most importantly - how easily you'll retain what you've learned.

carole, You may be in the "middle of nowhere", but don't you have the London Bridge? Regarding language courses, I use the Pimsleur lessons on "Bookchips" which are basically an SD card that contains 30 half-hour lessons. I believe these can now be downloaded to an iPod or other MP3 Player, but I haven't looked into the details. My experience with Pimsleur has been the same that Bob mentioned, in terms of retaining the lessons. I did look at the Rosetta Stone, but was annoyed not only by the high cost but also the fact that the lessons tend to be "computer" based. I prefer something I can listen to, rather than being stuck in front of a computer. I believe Rosetta Stone now has an audio course, but I believe you can only buy it as part of the total package. You could also check Linguaphone courses. They've apparently been in business for 108-years, so must be doing something right. The website in the link is a UK-based site, but I'm sure they have a U.S. branch as well. Good luck!

Unless you're traveling way off the beaten path, you won't have any trouble "getting by" using simple English. You can easily learn some of the basic Italian phrases on tons of sites online and in any of the RS Italy or Italian cities books. That said, taking an Italian class in Italy would be a blast!! You might share what your definition of "inexpensive" is in either dollars or euros for better feedback. Have a wonderful time. (I started studying Italian eight years ago and got hooked.)

I too love Pimsleur. I use it to supplement my community college classes. I also recommend BBC Steps which gives you about 14 lessons in basics. The BBC Languages site also has some other worthy resources for you to peruse. You can do a one week course, 20 lessons in 5 days, for less than 200 euro. Just Google "Italian Langauge Classes in Florence" to start your search. Personally, I'd learn Italian here and enjoy my time there as a tourist!

Thanks for all the info. I made a beeline for the library (such as it is in this town) and had to laugh when I saw what they had. Off to Hastings (a book,video,music store) and their reply was "Try on line!) Ahhh! living in the middle of the desert. My next try will be to checkout ebay. Again thanks so much. I hope to be in Italy for 6-8 weeks so maybe one week for a class might be OK and could be fun. Chaio
p.s. one word learned already !!!!!!!!!!!

If you're interested, Pimsleur is available for download: http://www.pimsleurmethod.com/pimsleur-italian.html This has the added advantage of being quite portable since you can carry the lessons around in your iPod, (or laptop, etc).

Carole
One other resource you might check out is high school or community college teachers in your area. Even if you don't want to take the community college course, the teachers may be willing to set up a "travellers Italian" class for you. One would hope they have been to Italy or perhaps have taken a group to Italy. Therefore, they have a good feel for what you need. Another thought, Florence is an expensive town to stay in for an Italian class. You might find a town nearby less expensive for room and class. Good luck! And bravo to you for trying to learn some Italian at the beginning of your trip. Bobbie

Forgot to mention the Podcast "My Daily Phrase Italian," available here: http://radiolingua.com/shows/italian/my-daily-phrase-italian/. I just did the free version. Very good adjunct material to my other efforts.

Hi, Thanks for all of the replies. Our ONLY italian speaking instructor (high school and Comm. College) will not do a class or anything else. She is doing tours and teaching at a charter school. I am going to try the website from Laurel and try ebay. School starts soon which cuts down on my time but ......