If you want to learn how to speak Italian well, perhaps you haven’t considered that writing can help you massively, especially to improve your vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Writing in Italian allows you to build on what you already know (whether from our Conversation Class or elsewhere). Not only does it help with developing your speaking proficiency, but it also allows you to do so in your own time.
Read on to find out more about the benefits from writing and how you can make the most of them through our Italian Writing Course.
How Does Writing Help You Speak Italian Fluently?
1. It improves your memory
Getting the chance to write Italian at your own pace and with the right support enables you to retain Italian words and phrases to your memory effectively. Once that happens, those Italian words come naturally in your conversation without having to pause or think too hard. There are different studies proving this. For example, the Journal of Memory and Language found that writing in a foreign language can improve long-term retention of vocabulary. Participants were asked to learn new words in a foreign language and either write them down or repeat them aloud. The group that wrote the words down had better recall of the vocabulary 1 week later.
2. It builds vocabulary in context
Writing provides a context for using vocabulary words that you may not encounter in other learning materials, such as textbooks or audio recordings. This can help you to better understand how the words are used in real-world situations. In our course, we have worked hard to identify a large number of everyday scenarios that will be useful when speaking to relatives and friends. The writing exercises are structured around the words and phrases that you will find in common use. Writing words out and learning how to improve your pronunciation of them can also be extended to other words of a similar spelling as you come across them. This means that writing helps you apply what you know in context as well as grow your confidence for when you come across new words.
3. You get ready for real-life interactions
Writing requires you to actively engage with the language and use it in a meaningful way, improving your overall language proficiency. The process of listening and constructing written answers at your own pace also mimics the process of listening and replying back in real life. You will find yourself using the words that you have added to your vocabulary from the written exercises. What’s more you know your use of them is correct from the feedback you got from your teachers (which is always present in our courses). Writing prepares your for real-life conversations more than what you think!
4. You master the grammar
Writing in a new language helps learners improve their grammar and sentence structure. Through writing, we practice constructing sentences correctly, grammar rules and how to use them in context, making it easier to remember the rules and apply them in future writing and speaking tasks. You can learn about the common mistakes that you make as well as your strengths. Writing enables you to visualize the grammar and learn how to avoid common mistakes for a successful conversation.
5. It enhances reading skill
When learners write in the target language, they also need to read and understand texts in that language, which helps improve their reading comprehension skills. Moreover, writing in Italian provides you with a deeper understanding of the culture and customs of Italy, as you engage with texts and topics that are relevant to the Italian culture.
6. It provides feedback
Writing tasks can be assessed by teachers, who can provide feedback on grammar, vocabulary, and writing style, helping learners to improve their writing skills. At My Italian Room, we always provide our students with fully personalized feedback as every learner is different, and awareness is the first step you need to take to master the language. Writing provides you with the opportunity to reflect on your language learning progress by identifying areas of strength and weakness, which can help you focus your efforts on improving your skills in specific areas.
We can confidently say that writing a foreign language is an essential exercise that will lead you to fluency and increased confidence over time.
How Does the My Italian Room Writing Course Work?
Every course we provide has a strong element of active learning, which means giving you plenty of opportunity to contribute whether in writing or speech. We do not believe in passive learning only as a way to become fluent. This is not just a principle, but it has proven to be effective in practice. Above all, we constantly use the feedback from our students to evolve the experience for your enjoyment.
We believe in small group courses as the most effective way of learning. Besides this, we also focus on real-life topics, and personalized feedback from a teacher.
So, what happens once you have enrolled on My Italian Room’s Writing Course?
- Every week, you receive the topic of the week with guiding questions, a video to watch and a grammar topic to put into practice.
- You write your text and record a video/audio reading it.
- You get personalized feedback on both the text and video/audio.
- You take part in the live session once a month to discuss the main grammar/vocabulary points of the texts.
Now that you know the benefits of writing Italian and you understand a little how the course works, you may be wondering if the course is suitable for you personally?
Try to answer the questions below with Yes or No:
- Would you like to be able to talk with confidence to relatives and friends on actual everyday topics that are happening around you?
- Do you feel you would like to improve your pronunciation and sound more natural when speaking to others?
- Could friendly constructive help in correcting your mistakes give you a greater degree of confidence?
- Do you lack motivation when studying Italian, but you are looking for more guidance and a weekly opportunity to practice?
- Also, how about your understanding of Italian grammar? You are not alone if you find a lack of understanding on grammar in your own language as we often learn through imitation. That can mean we can all benefit from some grammar coaching when perfecting a second language.
If you answered Yes to most questions, then The Italian Writing Room is what you need!
You can enrol by clicking here.
Still unsure? Then get in touch for a no pressure conversation and we can help you decide if it is suitable for you.
Want to know more about our Italian classes?
Unlike many other online language providers, My Italian Room specialise in Italian courses only provided by genuine Italian tutors and focused on actively using the language. It’s why we can be sure you will find no better place to learn!
For more information about our courses, please visit our website.
You can also follow My Italian Room on our Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up to date on all our latest offers and get access to our daily lessons.
A presto,
My Italian Room – Clara e Martina
