Considering Italian is spoken as a first language by only about 62 million people worldwide (compared with 322 million native Spanish speakers, 422 Arabic and 1212 million Chinese), it's amazing how many people want to learn it. Although many other languages - including English - are more useful for travelling the world, there is something special about Italian that attracts students from all walks of life.

So why do so many people choose Italian over other languages? For some, it is for cultural reasons - to be able to follow Italian opera or films without needing the subtitles or to read classic writers such as Dante and Macchiavelli in their original form. However, it is usually the prospect of a trip to Italy that stimulates people 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.

Having mastered even the rudiments of the language will add enormously to your experience. Many Italians speak English, though less so outside the cities and the touristy places. However, apart from the fact that it is not polite to expect everyone abroad to speak English, it is much more fun to use the local lingo.

As foreign languages go, Italian is one of the easiest for English speakers to learn. For a start, there is nearly as much Latin in English as there is in Italian. Also, Greek words that came into English were absorbed into Italian in a way that makes them instantly recognisable. Can you guess the meaning of "possibile"? What about "musica", "telefono" and "problema"? Not too bad so far, is it?

Of the words that don't obviously correspond to the English, many can be deduced with a bit of lateral thinking, particularly when they are seen in context. For example, "dente" doesn't look like "tooth" but, as soon as you think of "dental" and "dentist", it makes sense. For this reason, even if you can't always work out the meaning of such words yourself, once you have learnt what they mean, it's easy to remember them.

English, both British and American, is very fashionable in Italy and many English words ("film", "computer", "goal", to name but three) have been assimilated into the Italian language, as thoroughly as "pizza", "ballerina" and "cappuccino" have gone into English.

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.

Georgina Kirk
To find out more about Italy and the Italian language, check out our website! Learn to speak Italian with our listening guide and downloadable e-book. http://www.italy-info.co.uk/learn-to-speak-italian.html