Before You Know It (BYKI): Italian Reviews

Byki, or Italian Before You Know It, takes a bold and distinctly different approach to language learning. Most teach yourself Italian programs take you from A to B via vocab lists and grammatical explanations; basically, a tried and tested linear approach to learning. Byki, on the other hand, focuses solely on equipping users with a huge bank of words and phrases in their declarative memory. This information is memorized in a such a way that  recalling complete units of information is far easier than with traditional approaches. According to the researchers who developed Byki, this is the most effective way for adult learners to teach themselves Italian.

This can be explained by a distinction that neurologists make between our declarative and procedural memories; the principal foreign language acquisition and processing systems of the human brain. Procedural memory can be understood as a process in which sentences are constructed according to language rules that we have learned and vocabulary is recited from memory in phrases; in this way we understand the logic of a language. Declarative memory, on the other hand, stores facts, events, set phrases and vocabulary as complete units (just as a phone number is memorized). This is where Byki focus their efforts. As opposed to other programs, Byki does away with attempts to teach you grammar from the beginning, allowing users to focus on the foundations of Italian; words! Clearly, grammar is vital to language learning, but not, as Byki believe, without a strong foundation in vocab and key phrases. Although at a basic level, users will be able to use the words they have learned straight away, enabling them to interact in real life situations, further optimizing the language acquisition process and allowing them to naturally develop an understanding of the grammar.

With Byki, users commit to long term memory the most commonly used words and phrases that form the building blocks of Italian. This involves a 3 step process; preview, recognize and produce. We found this method really sticks words in your head.  In fact, we found the speed of the process actually made Byki quite addictive, whilst  additional online materials, activities and games prevented us from getting bored with potentially dull vocabulary. After just one session we could recall an impressive amount of newly learned Italian vocabulary both easily and naturally.

The personal progress tracking software is a real bonus that helps Byki earn its top 10 spot. Words you have trouble with are remembered and you are tested on these more often. This maximizes your learning time by ensuring that you only practice what you need to, along with keeping you constantly challenged. Also, the advanced speech recognition technology that comes with Byki allows you to record yourself, create a neat audio graphic and then compare both this and the playback to that of a native speaker. This is the cherry on the cake for Byki as it ensures that you know exactly how to pronounce all the vocab you have worked so hard to learn.

Although Byki Express is fantastic for beginners, intermediate and advanced users may need to upgrade to Byki Deluxe. Along with the key words and phrases that will prove excellent for gaining a grounding in Italian or preparing for a trip, Byki Deluxe allows users to create their own vocabulary lists. You can gather words from all the sources at your disposal - magazines, films, the workplace, spanish speaking friends etc - and add them to specific word lists; personalizing Byki to your individual needs. Users can then share their lists on the excellent Byki.com List Central Online Community as well access language games and the additional online learning materials. Although neither Byki Express nor Byki Deluxe represent a complete Italian course, they make excellent additional resources to other programs that include grammar exercises. Byki Deluxe is actually included in Transparent Languages Complete Edition (Italian)which you may want to consider as a more comprehensive approach to teaching yourself Italian.

Overall, Byki Express is one of the best free teach yourself Italian resources on the market and an upgrade to Byki Deluxe will get you quality technology based on a proven learning method for a reasonable price; overall, excellent value for money. Byki is used by individuals, companies and institutions in 74 different languages worldwide. Its popularity stands testament to its quality and if you are still unsure, Byki express will not only give you great taster of their teaching methods, you will learn a lot as well!

Check out our #1 rated site instead! Why not check out Rocket Italian, our top rated Teach Yourself Italian Guide and winner of our prestigious Gold Award! You can also check out our Top 10 Teach Yourself Italian Guides here!

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