Italian by Association [Paperback]

Michael Gruneberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0844294489 | ISBN-13: 978-0844294483 | Edition: 1

Introduces a basic Italian vocabulary and the first principles of Italian grammar through word-association techniques.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Michael Gruneberg is an internationally respected authority and author on memory enhancement. He is the president of the American Society for Applied Research in memory an Cognition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 11, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844294489
• ISBN-13: 978-0844294483
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,291,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great approach to Italian, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Italian by Association (Paperback)

I have looked at close to a hundred different language methods, and find that "language immersion", which is sometimes referred to as the Berlitz method, does not work for me. I need to know the nuts and bolts, and work my way up. Just parroting useful phrases leaves me COLD. "Italian by Association" delivers exactly what I wanted.

What this book does, is in each chapter, it gives you a small vocabulary, some grammar rules, a pronunciation key to the vocabulary, and some chapter review quizs. Each chapter builds on the previous, and before you know it, you know any number of grammar rules, as well as vocabulary. In this way you build your skills from the ground up, rather than trying to hit the ground running.

It is the closest thing I have found to a high school language textbook (circa 1970) anywhere, only a lot more interesting and fun.

If you want to learn some basic Italian, and not just parrot some well worn phrases, this book is for you.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The very best way to learn Italian, October 13, 2004

By 

mom of three "feeling bad" (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italian by Association (Paperback)

I can't recommend this book enough. I have tried so many other ways to learn Italian and this way is the only way that has "stuck" in my mind. It is not just memorizing words or terms. You actually learn it. Being a teacher, I can tell you that you will learn more from this book in one sitting than from any other program out there. You won't be sorry!!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars surprisingly effective, August 8, 2005

By 

M. Parker (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Italian by Association (Paperback)

The Gruneberg Linkword language learning method is based on the age-old and effective memory-by-assocation technique: To learn a word, link its sound with a similar-sounding word or phrase with a visualization or association, the sillier or weirder, the better.

E.g. UCELLO (bird) "Imagine yourself as a symphony conductor saying to a bird, "You-cello, I conductor." Well, isn't that stupid. Precisely! And that's why it works so well. And you don't have to waste time figuring out your own visualization; it's done for you. (Some of them don't do it for me, a very few, that I choose to alter.)

There are also small, single-bite snippets of grammar and construction, which you can easily and immediately use.

You can learn several hundred words in a weekend, say some simple and useful sentences after working through the text.

One major quibble; in giving the prononciation, they do not indicate accent at all. I disagree with their assertion that that is not important at this stage. It would take no more time to learn to say it right, and the "rules" of accentuation in Italian contain so many exceptions as to be useless. So I look up every single word in a dictionary.

Were it not for this serious omission, I would give the book five stars.