Michel Thomas Short Course In Italian CASS

I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5 because you'll certainly want to go on to buy the full version after completing this one, but these tapes are just the first 2 tapes of the full course, so you'll end up buying these tapes twice.

Michel teaches the language so you get a very good feel for the structure of it, onto which any further language learning will hang very well. It's not the best for learning pronunciation, as Michel's accent is not native Italian, but this still makes an perfect beginner's course.


A language course that let's you just absorb.   December 20, 2000
jvpalmer@yahoo.com (The Netherlands)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

The course is introduced as a novel way of learning a language. It is emphasised that there is no homework, no writing, no remembering. However, this last point has to be taken lightly because you do need to remember. The structure of the course is that the teacher, Michel Thomas, is teaching two students (one male, one female) to learn Italian from a starting point of zero. You take up the role of the third student. He then proceeds to go through introducing an Italian word - mainly a verb - and then encourages you to translate his English sentence into Italian, using additional words he introduces. So it isn't long before you can say in Italian - I eat ...I would like to eat ....I would like to eat something there ...I would like to eat something there with you ... I would like to eat a little something there with you this evening. New words are introduced and new sentences are constructed. The course does not involve a deep explanation of grammar. You just have to listen and repeat what is being taught. If you are really good you can even speak out your reply before the other two students. Alternatively, like me, you can just listen to the tape over and over again until it begins to find it's way into your conscience. Out of all the language courses I have studied this is very easy to get along with. As with every language you do need to have the confidence to show off your new skill, and I think that this course gives you just that. The sentences you learn are very practical for everyday use, and if you are not sure then you can listen to the tapes again and again.