italki

Hi

I don't know anything about italki. My daughter wants to know where it is useful and how it all works.

Chris I know you use it and maybe you can give us some insight. She wants to learn Portuguese, but not Brazilian Portuguese

Thanks all

Maxie

Hi Maxie

It's a first-rate product.  It is based around linking up with tutors that come at various charges per hour ("Find a Teacher"), plus much else.  Users can post questions about their studied language plus other tools under the Community tab, which has sub-topics flagged by a relevant hashtag.  A newish facility is Group Classes, which are less costly than some personal tutors and have the added benefit of group dynamics.

As I say, the tutors can be costly (to my tight-fisted mind!) but many can be found for reasonable cost.

One tip - don't overcommit funds to the ‘wallet’, as it is non-refundable if not spent.

I'd suggest she signs up and has a good delve around the site.

All the best

Chris

Hi Chris

Thanks for that information. I will let her read your post and then she can decide. She is not sure if she wants to do SPanish or Portuguese. Most Portuguese courses are Brazilian Portuguese and she wants to do European Portuguese. She did have a course from Portugal, but that did not include any speaking. Speaking and being brave enough to do so is key. 

Keep well

Sharon

What is the weather like? I know it can change on a dime, but we are toying with the idea of a trip to the U.K

It would be great to see you all if you visited, Sharon.  Most of last year, and so far this year, we've had a staggering continuous stream of rain.  Films would have you believe that's what the UK is normally like, but not normally so.  This last year + has been very wet and grey though.  For someone who needs sunshine, it's as we say here, a “complete faff”!  

As you say, it can turn on a dime, so watch this space!

Keep in touch, and well.

All the best

Chris

I've completed the first section of Rocket, and have explored some of the grammar in section 2.  Now it's time to practice speaking and listening.  I've signed up with Italki for 3 30 minute lessons weekly for the next month; after that, I'll cut back to 1 or 2 lessons a week.  Rocket gives you a good foundation, but if you're really going to learn a language, you need to be speaking it.  My two cents would be to study grammar, sentence structure and basic vocabulary before signing up with a live tutor.  

Hi Susan K

I don't use italki and when I was in Germany last year, I surprised myself as to how relaxed I felt about speaking German. I use Rocket and also Coffee Break,. No speaking in Coffee Break, but Rocket made me comfortable enough to speak. I was aware that my grammar was not always correct, but even so had some really good conversations about all sorts of topics. 

Not that italki isn't great, but I was surprised at how much I could speak

Maxie

I have a similar experience to Maxie.  The large majority of my study and pronunciation is via Rocket, with some Memrise and Clozemaster.  For quite a while now, I have been able to converse with Italians with no real issues other than inevitably, making some grammatical errors.

When it comes to grammar, I stopped studying it way back.  I read about the rules with each Rocket lesson, but don't sweat the details rather, learning grammar through immersion and looking for patterns.

It's great understanding and being understood as a result of using this product.

Chris