Whether you wish to impress an overseas client with your knowledge of his native tongue or simply order dinner in Paris and actually get what you ordered, the benefits of learning Italian are more obvious than ever.

As former United States senator, Paul Simon, put it in his book, The Tongue-Tied American:

"You can buy in any language; but to sell you need to know the language of your customer."

If you’ve tried to learn Italian before—and failed . . . Or if you’ve always wanted to learn Italian and thought it was too daunting . . . Or if you want to improve on what you learned at school . . . Or if you’re currently trying to learn it at school and you’re just not grasping it . . . whatever your personal situation here’s a method that will work for you.

You’ll be speaking, reading and writing Italian faster than you ever thought possible.

AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM

The Accelerated Learning method is a rich, multi-sensory ‘theater of the mind.’ You learn the same way you learned your native language as a child: through watching, hearing and doing. The Accelerated Learning program includes video, audio and illustrated workbook materials. A radio play, cartoon learning maps and music all enhance the learning experience and make it fun.

The learner is shown how he already knows (without realizing it) many words in Italian—and then is given simple rules for quickly building a huge vocabulary. The learner becomes immediately immersed in dialogue. Complicated grammar comes later.

Because your whole brain is involved, learning becomes faster, more enjoyable and much more effective. Learning becomes the rich, spontaneous, multi-sensory experience that it was in our earlier years. And that’s exactly the way it should be.

Traditional methods of learning a foreign language have placed too much emphasis on reading and writing. Accelerated Learning’s ‘whole brain’ approach immerses you in natural, conversational dialogue right from the start.

Research has shown that we each have preferred ways to learn. Some people like to see or be shown, some like to hear, and others learn by doing. Most people find that a combination of visual, auditory and physical involvement achieves the best results.

VISUAL LEARNING

In the learning manual the text is presented in a special way. Sentences are rarely longer than seven words, so they are easier to remember. The English is on the left, and read first, so you always know what the accompanying foreign language means. And even when you are reading the Italian words the side by side presentation means that the English is in your peripheral vision. So subconscious learning takes place, too.

You absorb the grammar as you proceed. This is a much more natural sequence than trying to learn the rules of grammar first. Although we do explain the rules of the language later, we minimize complicated terminology like ‘dative’ or ‘gerund.’ They are inhibiting and not the way you learned your native tongue.

Finally, as you will be listening to the radio play and following the text at the same time—you will have linked visual and auditory input.

Here's an example:

There’s a significant point to make about the use of these ‘radio plays.’ You are immediately learning from complete sentences. There is, quite deliberately, no slow, analytical build up of individual words. If one starts simply and works up to longer sentences, it suggests that the subject will get harder and harder. In Accelerated Learning courses the ‘formula’ of short, real sentences is used throughout. So the ‘suggestion’ being presented to the learner is that it will never get harder.

Master the first lesson (or Act one) and you are destined to succeed.

PHYSICAL LEARNING

By imitating the actions on a unique video and repeating the words superimposed on the screen you learn many key phrases quickly and effortlessly. Watching and imitating is how you started to speak as a child. We have put together what we call a "physical learning" video to accomplish the same aims. You watch an actress miming commands which you hear in Italian—"stand up," "sit down," "walk," "knock on the door," etc.

You watch and follow, physically performing the actions yourself. The commands are also superimposed on the screen—providing another visual ‘clue.’ Finally, you repeat the sequence out loud, additionally following the commands in a booklet if you wish. The Italian and English language texts are printed side by side. Then you do it all over again

AUDITORY LEARNING

You get involved in your own "armchair theater." You listen to a series of entertaining "radio plays" on 12 one-hour cassettes. You get absorbed in the story and characters, eager to know what happens next.

As the story unfolds you are listening to real life dialogues in the same situations you face when traveling. There’s a genuine motivation to see what happens so you become involved in the storyline. Without realizing it, you’re absorbing the 3,000 plus most needed words and you are automatically and unconsciously absorbing the grammatical structures—exactly as you did as a child.

There are sequences you can practice in your car and segments where the story is repeated to music, a technique which involves both the left brain (words and logic) and the right brain (music and creativity). The words become as easy to remember as the words of a song.

MENTAL MOVIE

The radio play has sound effects enabling you to easily create pictures in your mind. The association helps you to remember the words. They can also be played in the car for practice.

ACTIVE CONCERT

While following the written text, you again hear the radio play—but the words are read over a background of classical music. The speaker tries to harmonize with the music—almost as if the voice were another instrument in the orchestra.

Often the words are exaggerated or slowed down. The effect is deliberately dramatic and theatrical because we remember words spoken in this manner. Again, you are synchronizing the two hemispheres of the brain—as well as its emotional center. The music, therefore, has a number of functions. It helps keep you focused and alert, it gives your new vocabulary an emotional dimension, and it links left and right brain power.

PASSIVE CONCERT

At the end of your first learning session you hear the text repeated once more over a background of different music. For this purpose we use Baroque music at about 60 regular beats per minute. The reading is at normal speed. This type of music increases meditative brain wave activity, a state of mind conducive to quietly absorbing your new language.

The radio play and physical learning video constitute the ‘Input’ stage of acquiring a language through the Accelerated Learning method. You will have absorbed considerable vocabulary, and you will recognize the words, but so far only be able to use a portion of them. Turning what we call ‘passive’ vocabulary into active, usable vocabulary is what you will achieve in the subsequent Activation sessions.

THE ACTIVATION PHASE

A color coding system in the text is recommended to emphasize various verbs and tenses. Underline or highlight the words so you have a colorful, easy to use, grammar reference system. It makes revision fast and effective. Add words or phrases to the learning maps—or add your own drawings, making them personal to you and, therefore, even more significant.

You will listen to the Act whispered, line-by-line, in your own language. Then you speak it aloud in Italian. Each time a correct model is provided on tape for your reference. This is an ideal ‘Show you Know’ exercise which you can practice in the car.

Two sections of dialogue encourage you to turn the passive vocabulary you’ve acquired into active vocabulary you can use. We invite you to act out the various roles of the dialogue. You can have loads of fun with this. Be as theatrical and outrageous as you like. Gesture. Walk around. You’ll be satisfying the physical learner in you.

TOTAL INVOLVEMENT

Dozens of games and activities get you using your new language naturally and enjoyably. Some are ‘doing’ games, some are analyzing activities, some appeal to visual learners, some to auditory learners, others to bodily-kinesthetic learners.

One, the Name Game, unlocks the meaning of thousands of words from the very first day. It shows that Italian has a surprising number of underlying similarities to English.

Accelerated Learning attempts to reproduce that childlike (not childish!) state where you really get involved in the learning process. You look forward to learning. It’s fun. And it’s memorable.

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