Book excerpt: This intensive foundation course in Italian is designed for students with no previous knowledge of the language. Accompanying audio material containing dialogues, listening exercises and pronunciation practice is available to purchase separately in CD format. These two audio CDs are designed to work alongside the accompanying book. Students using the Routledge Intensive Italian Course will practise the four key skills of language learning - reading, writing, speaking, and listening - and will acquire a thorough working knowledge of the structures of Italian. The Routledge Intensive Italian Course takes students from beginner to intermediate level in one year.