Italian All-in-One For Dummies (2 page)

Introduction

I
f you're reading this introduction, you're likely interested in learning a foreign language. You're surely aware of the importance of knowing how to communicate in every circumstance and situation because world views, ideas, and people travel and meet in a borderless space. Why you're choosing Italian is a question with many possible answers. You may want to refresh your memory of the Italian you learned in school, or perhaps you're preparing for a full immersion into the arts, fashion, and design. Maybe you're studying Italian so you can surprise an Italian friend or to get ready for a business trip to Italy. Or you may simply want to know the “language that sings.” Whatever the reason, this book will help you do it.

Italian All-in-One For Dummies
isn't a language course. This book deconstructs the Italian language and culture in chapters that complement each other but that you can read in the order you prefer and at your own pace. Rather than a vertical scaffolding of cultural topics, vocabulary, and grammar,
Italian All-in-One For Dummies
is a collection of what you need to successfully communicate in Italian. The accompanying audio tracks will help improve your pronunciation and intonation, and the online resources provide additional references.

About This Book

Italian All-in-One For Dummies
presents aspects of the Italian culture and daily life as well as the grammatical framework of the language as it's spoken today. Each section in the book has a theme. You can choose where you want to begin and how you want to proceed. You can skip the sidebars (shaded text boxes) without remorse, or simply leave them for another time.
Italian All-in-One For Dummies
lets you read at the pace and in the order you prefer.

English translations are
italicized
when they accompany Italian words and sentences. The phrases and idiomatic expressions in Books I and II come with pronunciation guidelines. Within the Italian pronunciations, you see
italic
on the stressed syllables in words with two or more syllables. In addition, dialogues built around specific topics and real-life situations will enrich your vocabulary and your speech. Those who can't speak a language unless they comprehend its syntax and grammar will be satisfied by the thorough clarifications presented in
Italian All-in-One For Dummies
. The appendixes provide quick references to specific grammar points (such as verbs) and translations of important words that appear throughout the book. The audio tracks help you practice your spoken Italian whenever and wherever you like! And because Italian is the “language that sings,” all you have to do is repeat after the audio track and join the chorus!

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you're reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it's noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn't exist. If you're reading this as an e-book, you've got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

Foolish Assumptions

Italian All-in-One For Dummies
makes the following assumptions about you, dear reader:

You're an Italian student looking for an in-depth, easy-to-use reference.

You know very little or no Italian — or if you took Italian back in school, you remember very little of it.

Your goal is to expand your knowledge of Italian. You don't want to be burdened by long-winded explanations of unnecessary grammatical terms, nor do you care to hold a scholarly discussion in Italian about Dante's
Inferno.
You just want to express yourself in clear and reasonably accurate Italian.

You're enthusiastic about having fun while honing your Italian skills.

If any or all of these statements describe you, then you're ready to start using this book.

Icons Used in This Book

You may be looking for particular information while reading this book. To make certain types of information easier to find, the following icons appear in the left-hand margins throughout the book.

This icon highlights tips that can make learning Italian — and using it correctly — easier.

This icon points out interesting information that you shouldn't forget.

This icon highlights potential linguistic, grammatical, and cultural errors to avoid.

Languages are full of quirks that may trip you up if you're not prepared for them. This icon points to discussions of these peculiar grammar rules. Because Books III, IV, and V are nearly all grammar, you see this icon only in Books I and II.

If you're looking for information and advice about Italian culture and travel, look for this icon.

This icon marks the Talkin' the Talk dialogues in Books I and II that you can listen to in order to get a better understanding of what Italian sounds like.