h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't think that you should dismiss the rules given here like that. If you don't know when a "c" is pronounced "ch" and when it's pronounced "k" you're going to get some funny and baffled looks from locals and if you don't make any effort to get the pronunciation approximately right and no one understands you, you're soon going to be discouraged because no one has got the faintest idea what you're trying to say.

These basic rules are as much part of learning the language as learning the vocabulary is, and should be learned with the vocabulary. Furthermore there is nothing that an English native speaker could not master, as all the sounds are present in English (which one of the languages with the highest number of phonemes - I hope that's the right word - anyway). They're just written differently.

It's when you get to the finer points such as intonation and use of colloquial interjections etc., that you can be excused for being "foreign" and only need use when you really want to be known as a fluent speaker.

i agree- but it is important to try. + not hum the Godfather tune, whilst walking around in Rome.

Joyika

Bro Wattaray Bro...........

There are surely more Italians outside Italy, than in Italy??????????

recently returned from Zurich, Switzerland- the people there can sreak Italian, German + French as well as English!!!

The Brits are thick in comparison!!! no wonder their economy is better, as well as their transport system + healthcare system!!!

I think Lichenstein is a tax haven, may move !!