'Teach Yourself Instant Italian' is the book for you if you want to speak basic Italian immediately or if you have tried other courses without success.

The carefully structured method targets only the most important vocabulary and grammar and gets you speaking straight away. The special learning programme takes only 35 minutes a day for six weeks and has fewer than 400 words for you to learn.

The grammar has been pared down to the 'bare bones' and is explained in a no-nonsense way in simple English so you will not get bogged down by unnecessarily complicated structures that you will not need.

There is lots of practice for you as you work through the course, and by using the flashcards provided at the end of the book and memorizing the sentences in the 'learn by heart' sections, you will find that you are speaking in whole sentences and with confidence right from the start.

The rules of pronunciation are simplified and are available separately on the accompanying CD, so you will have a model to follow rather than trying to follow written instructions. The CD (0 340 87135 0) and book (0 340 86833 3) can also be purchased separately.

Alternatively, the recording is available on a cassette which can be purchased on its own (0 340 86833 3) or as a pack with the book (0 340 86835 X).