rel="nofollow" href="#litres_trial_promo">Chapter 5
Did you know you already speak Italian?
Did you know you already speak Italian?
That you speak it every day? That you read and write it every day? That you use it with your friends, with your family, at work, down the post-office – even in the shower when you read the label on the shampoo bottle?
Were you aware of that fact?
Well, even if you weren’t, it’s nevertheless true.
Of course, you might not have realised at the time that what you were reading / saying / writing was actually Italian but I can prove to you that it was. Just take a look at these Italian words below but, as you do so, use your thumb to cover the final letter at the end of each word:
As your thumb has hopefully helped you to realise, these are words that exist not only in Italian but also in English. And, in fact, these are by no means isolated examples of words that exist in both Italian and English but rather they are merely the tip of a truly enormous iceberg.
In fact, around half of all English words have close equivalents in Italian. Yes, that’s right, half!
If we begin using these words, together with an extremely subtle method that shows you how to put them into sentences in a way that’s almost effortless, then becoming a competent Italian speaker becomes really quite easy.
The only thing that you will need to do to make this happen is to follow the three simple rules printed on the following pages. These rules will explain to you how to use this book so that you can begin unlocking the Italian language for yourself in a matter of hours.
Well, what are you waiting for?
Turn the page!
Rule Number 1:
Don’t skip anything!
Using this book is extremely simple – and highly effective – if you follow its three simple rules.
If you don’t want to follow them, then I recommend that, instead of reading the book, you use it to prop up a wobbly coffee table, as it won’t work if you don’t follow the rules. Now get ready – because here’s the first one!
Each and every little thing in this book has been put where it is, in a very particular order, for a very particular reason. So, if the book asks you to read or do something, then do it! Who’s the teacher after all, you or me, eh?
Also, each part of the book builds on and reinforces what came before it. If you start skipping sections, you will end up confused and lost. Instead, you should just take your time and gently work your way through the book at your own pace – but without skipping anything!
Step by Step
Rule Number 2:
Don’t try to memorise anything!
Trying to jam things into your head is boring and it doesn’t work. People often cram for tests and then forget everything the moment they walk out of the exam. Clearly, we don’t want that happening here.
Instead, I have designed this book so that any word or idea taught in it will come up multiple times. You don’t need to worry about trying to remember or memorise anything because the necessary repetition is actually already built in. In fact, trying to memorise what you’re learning is likely to hinder rather than help your progress.
So, just work your way through the book in a relaxed way and, if you happen to forget something, don’t worry because, as I say, you will be reminded of it again, multiple times, later on.
Rule Number 3:
Cover up!
No, I’m not being a puritan grandmother and telling you to put on a long-sleeved cardigan. Instead, I’m asking you to take a bookmark or piece of paper and use it to cover up any green text that you come across as you work your way through the book.
These green bits are the answers to the various riddles, challenges and questions that I will pose as I lead you into the Italian language. If you read these answers without at least trying to work out the solutions first, then the book simply won’t work for you.
So, make sure to use something to cover up the bits of green text in the book while you have a go at trying to work out the answers. It doesn’t matter if you sometimes get them wrong because it is by trying to think out the answers that you will learn how to use the language.
Trust me on this, you will see that it works from the very first page!
Take a look at the page on the right to see how to use your bookmark or piece of paper to cover up correctly.
CHAPTER 1
I spent the weekend in Rome – and wow, the weather was fantastic.
“I spent the weekend in Rome –
