Io mi chiamo Roberto!

Once I got hit with the news, in early April, that I would have a great deal more free time on my hands I began to think of what I could do to fill it. I consulted the mental list I had constructed over the years of "Things I would do if I ever had the time". Right near the top, was to learn Italian and since I was no longer a slave to a full schedule it looked like the time would never be better. Armed with the Rosetta Stone software I started out, unsure of what to expect and hoping that all the hype was true.

It definitely is. I study 30 minutes a night about 3-6 times a week and honestly believe I now know more Italian than all of the middle and high school Spanish I learned (save for the lyrics to "Caress Me Down"). Even though I'm sure when I try to show my mom and sister what I've learned they'll still make fun of me for having absolutely no discernible accent and my inability to roll Rs (could never do it in Spanish either), I really feel like I'm learning and could be hold a well scripted conversation with a native speaker.

If you're thinking about or just want to learn a new language, Rosetta Stone is absolutely the way to go. I suggest going to their site and checking out the demo they have. I'm not sure if the speaking parts are fully featured in the demo (you need a microphone for the full version) but they really are one of the best tools.

Anyway, so far it's been a great experience and I'm loving it and I'm actually learning (there's more I can say, but it would require me to carry around a cat and a table)
Io mi chiamo Robert. Sono Americano e Io parlo inglese ma studio italiano. Io ho ventisei anni.