Dreams in Action
Fluent in Italian
Skill Dream Plan
Status: B1 in Reading, Writing and Listening. A2 in Speaking
Every dream on this site follows the same framework. Meet the Dream Plan Method →
Specify
- To be able to speak and converse confidently with Italian speakers.
- To be able to hear and understand what they are saying.
- To be able to accurately express anything I want/need to express.
- To be able to read and understand what I’m reading.
- To be able to write accurately so that others understand.
- To be able to pronounce words properly.
Reasons
I dream of this because I want: To be able to talk to all of my family in Italy. To connect on a deeper level to my Italian culture and feel like I’m truly a part of it. I want to be able to immerse myself fully.
I dream of this because I don’t want; I’m tired of; I don’t like: Not being able to communicate with my family members. Wanting to learn about them, ask them things, express those things back — and being unable to.
I dream of this because: I want to know what it feels like to be truly bilingual.
My Starting Point
When I started this dream in May, I was solid A2, right on the edge of B1. I could read and write with reasonable comfort, but real-time conversation was my weak spot. I understood far more than I could produce. My biggest struggle was finding the right words fast enough and putting them together correctly to keep up with real conversation.
Beginning Action Steps
- Researched the top best tools and ways to learn a language
- Hired my cousin Alessia to give me weekly live lessons
- Downloaded anki flashcard app and ChatGPT with voice mode for vocab and speaking practice outside of lessons
Short-Term Objectives
Milestones Timeline Goal
- 6 months (December 2026): Solid B1
- 12 months (June 2027): Solid B2, able to live daily life in Italy
- 24 months (June 2028): C1+, heading toward fluency
Daily Practice Goals (DPG)
Updated September 16, 2026
- Daily Anki flashcards for vocabulary, built from real conversations, lessons, and things I encounter in real life — not generic word lists
- Two lessons a week with my cousin Alessia, focused on speaking practice, since that’s my weakest area
- A daily writing journal — write 5 sentences in Italian, corrected by AI
- AI voice practice for speaking reps on days I don’t have lessons
- Passive listening to Italian music, podcast, cooking shows, etc., woven as background listening during things I’m already doing — cooking, driving, my morning routine
- 45-minute focused grammar study session — pick a grammar topic and study it
- Active listening to an Italian podcast episode, TV show, movie scene, etc., and focus is 100% on listening and jot down words/phrases that I don’t understand
Life doesn’t always cooperate with a study plan, though, so I built two tiers into my daily practice:
Tier 1 — non-negotiable, no matter what kind of day it is: Anki, passive listening and writing 5 sentences. These are the highest-value habits and they’re what keeps the language alive even on the hardest days. Last month, I didn’t succeed in writing the 5 sentences daily, so this month I will do it during dinner every day. Sometimes, if you need help building a habit, it helps to pair it with another activity you do consistently every day.
Tier 2 — bonus reps when there’s real capacity: AI voice practice is the priority tier 2 goal on non-lesson days this month since my last evaluation showed speaking is my weakest point. After voice practice, if there is more time: focused grammar study session and active listening. Valuable, but expendable if necessary. No guilt when they get skipped. The lessons with Alessia stay fixed regardless. Those are externally scheduled, so I show up.
Month End Goal (MEG)
Through October 31, 2026
- Continue repping all thre past tenses, especially trapassato prossimo (since I struggled with that one the most last month)
- Solidify modal verbs: potere, dovere, volere and sapere in present, passato prossimo, imperfetto and futuro semplice tenses
- Introduce and build the conditional tense
- Get back to writing 5 sentences for my DPG at least 5 days a week during dinner
- Prioritize speaking practice by prioritizing AI voice sessions on non-lesson days and more conversation during live lessons
- Complete my next Month-End Evaluation (MEE)
Evaluate
Daily reflections — Each day I answer: What did I learn or what stuck today? What did I struggle with, and what should I try differently?
Month-End Evaluation (MEE) — a written piece, a recorded speaking sample, and a listening comprehension check, so I have real data on where I’m improving and where I’m stuck each cycle. Did I meet my MEG? How did my DPGs go? Then I determine my next MEG and DPG based on the results.