The Pimsleur® Method: the easiest, fastest way to learn a new language. You'll be speaking and understanding in no time flat! This course includes Lesson 1-5 from the Italian Level 1 Program, featuring 2.5 hours of language instruction. Each lesson provides 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation, and new vocabulary and structures. Detailed instructions enable you to understand and participate in the conversation. Practice for vocabulary introduced in previous lessons is included in each lesson. The emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension, and on learning to speak Italian. A User's Guide is included. The Italian Language: Italian is the official language of Italy and San Marino, and one of the official languages of Switzerland, Croatia, and Slovenia. Italian is spoken by about 58 million people in Italy, 24,000 in San Marino, 840,000 in Switzerland, another million in other European countries, and approximately 5 million in North and South America. Historically, Italian is a daughter language of Latin. Italian uses the Roman alphabet and the pronunciation of the language follows the spelling very closely.
