Although Italian ranks below Javanese, Telugu and Tamil in terms of the number of people worldwide who speak it as a first language, it scores remarkably highly in terms of popularity as a foreign language. Despite being useful basically only in Italy and part of Switzerland, Italian has very broad appeal and is studied avidly all over the world, particularly by native speakers of English.

So why do so many people choose Italian over other languages? For some, it is for cultural reasons - to be able to follow Italian opera or films without needing the subtitles or to read classic writers such as Dante and Macchiavelli in their original form. However, it is usually the prospect of a trip to Italy that stimulates people to study the language.

When you look at what it has got to offer, there can be little wonder that Italy is such a popular holiday destination. It's got sea, great beaches, mountains for walking or skiing; it's got music, art, architecture; it's got fabulous food, wine and coffee. And it's got energetic, entertaining people. Italy offers excitement, romance, relaxation and fun. In every season, there is something for everyone.

Even a smattering of the language will enrich your experience immensely. Although many Italians speak English, it is definitely more fun - as well as more polite - for us to make the effort to speak Italian to them. When in Rome, talk as the Romans do. At least, we can do our best. In any case, once you leave the touristy areas, English is not as widespread and you may need some Italian, if just for shopping and asking directions.

For native English speakers, Italian is among the easiest foreign languages to learn. Because English has also been strongly influenced by Latin, and because words of Greek origin ended up very similar in English and in Italian, you can make an educated guess at a large percentage of Italian. What do you imagine "idea" means? It's pronounced differently in Italian but the meaning is just as in English. What about "importante", "sistema", "passaporto"? Think you can handle it so far?

Not every word is as obvious as these are, of course, but there are loads of others that you've got a good chance of working out, especially in context. Or, even if you can't work them out, once you know what they mean, it makes sense, so they are easy to remember. "Mano", for instance, looks very different from "hand" but when we think about doing something "manually", it becomes clear.

A long-established fashion in Italy is to use a lot of English vocabulary. Some of it is so deeply entrenched that perhaps not everybody thinks of it as English any more ("club", "computer", "film") and some is more consciously English ("training", "partner", "freezer"). Conversely, English has assimilated many Italian words and expressions ("ghetto", "prima donna", "fiasco") and many more are used so that we too may sound fashionable ("riviera", "vista", "cappuccino").

Once you know some Italian, you will be able to get under the surface, the tourist layer, of Italy and experience real Italian life. What people are saying around you won't be just a noise any more but conversation. And you will be able to join in, make jokes in Italian, read the newspapers, feel part of the scene instead of just a spectator.

It requires discipline and effort to learn a foreign language and the first phase - getting to grips with basic grammar and vocabulary - is particularly hard work. After the initial hump, however, the road to success flattens out and eventually leads downhill, as you gain momentum and it becomes easier and easier to absorb new words and structures. With the right materials and/or teacher, anyone can learn Italian - and the rewards are enormous.