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Interested in learning Italian? 

Italian is the first language of only 62 million or so people in the world - substantially fewer than speak Spanish, French, German or Korean - and yet it is remarkably popular as a foreign language, attracting students of all ages and backgrounds.

So what draws people to learn Italian? It is a beautiful language and, for some, that is reason enough. They want to be able to read Dante, Macchiavelli and the other groundbreaking Italian writers in the original; they want to be able to understand Italian opera or films without the subtitles. However, for most people, it is the idea of visiting Italy that motivates them to study the language.

When you look at what it has got to offer, there can be little wonder that Italy is such a popular holiday destination. It's got sea, great beaches, mountains for walking or skiing; it's got music, art, architecture; it's got fabulous food, wine and coffee. And it's got energetic, entertaining people. Italy offers excitement, romance, relaxation and fun. In every season, there is something for everyone.

If you can speak at least some of the language, it will enhance your experience no end. A lot of Italians speak English but it's much more fun and, let's face it, much more polite, if we can converse with our hosts in their own tongue. And, if you want to get off the beaten track, you may well find people don't speak English and you'll need some Italian just to get by.

For native English speakers, Italian is among the easiest foreign languages to learn. Because English has also been strongly influenced by Latin, and because words of Greek origin ended up very similar in English and in Italian, you can make an educated guess at a large percentage of Italian. What do you imagine "idea" means? It's pronounced differently in Italian but the meaning is just as in English. What about "importante", "sistema", "passaporto"? Think you can handle it so far?

Not every word is as obvious as these are, of course, but there are loads of others that you've got a good chance of working out, especially in context. Or, even if you can't work them out, once you know what they mean, it makes sense, so they are easy to remember. "Mano", for instance, looks very different from "hand" but when we think about doing something "manually", it becomes clear.

It is - and has been for a long time - fashionable in Italy to sprinkle Italian with English vocabulary. Words such as "computer" and "film" are just the terms used for these concepts; Italian equivalents don't even exist. Similarly, we use some Italian words in English: "piano[forte]" and "ballerina", for example, which we may not even recognise as Italian; as well as more deliberately Italian expressions such as "cappuccino" and "numero uno".

Once you know some Italian, you will be able to get under the surface, the tourist layer, of Italy and experience real Italian life. What people are saying around you won't be just a noise any more but conversation. And you will be able to join in, make jokes in Italian, read the newspapers, feel part of the scene instead of just a spectator.

It requires discipline and effort to learn a foreign language and the first phase - getting to grips with basic grammar and vocabulary - is particularly hard work. After the initial hump, however, the road to success flattens out and eventually leads downhill, as you gain momentum and it becomes easier and easier to absorb new words and structures. With the right materials and/or teacher, anyone can learn Italian - and the rewards are enormous.

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