Italy is home to Rome, which was for several centuries the biggest empire in the world, and thus the country has produced some of the greatest monuments and literature in the world. Whether it is you want to see Rome or you want to see the magical Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri in original; the best way to learn Italian is by reading short stories. One can easily find short Italian stories for kids online, to begin with, for this purpose.
How can short stories help one learn Italian?
Short stories, particularly those meant for little kids, are particularly effective tools for learning a language. Some of the reasons why they make such perfect learning tools are listed below:
- Short stories have a simple vocabulary.
Short stories for kids have simple vocabulary since they are meant for kids who themselves may not have a strong vocabulary. Thus they will have a few new words in them, making it easier for the reader to learn the language a few words at a time.
- Short stories have simple and short sentences.
Similarly, since kids can’t often process complex sentences, short stories for kids keep sentences simple and short. This also makes it easier for those new to language to read them.
- Short Stories are short.
Short stories are, as their name suggests, short. Thus they represent short learning sessions that won’t exhaust one.
- A short story can be interesting.
Short stories can be interesting and make for a good reading experience. Thus they are an enjoyable and fun way of learning.
- Short stories help retention.
The short stories meant for very little kids may often repeat words or phrases at intervals which can help the retention process.
How to use short stories to learn Italian?
For using the Italian short stories for kids to learn the language of that peninsula, the following tips are recommended:
- One should only choose the short stories suited to one’s levels.
Different people will be at different levels of learning the Italian language and thus should be careful about how the short story they select. It should be a bit challenging but not too challenging.
- Read the story first to oneself and then aloud.
It is best that one should first learn the short story by oneself and then one should read it about preferably to someone who knows enough Italian. Reading aloud will help one learn the correct pronunciation of the words in the stories.
- Write summaries and observations on the stories.
Another important tip in this regard is to write one’s observations, if any, as well as a summary of the story. One can also try to use all the new words one has learned from the short story in a sentence so as to bring the newly learned vocabulary into more active use.
The Bottom Line
One can easily wrap up the above discussion by concluding that short stories, particularly those meant for little kids, are a fantastic way to learn a new language like Italian.
