Best way to learn italian?
I believe that any of previous answers to your questions provide good and helpful information. From my personal experience studying Italian years ago I would say that I got a good course at the University library. It included study book, notebooks and tapes. It did help me. However, it was not as effective as taking Italian class. Studying under supervision of a teacher helped me to understand grammar more easily, I had a chance to develop my skills to talk and write, and I got a lot of valuable information about the country, Italian culture etc. In less than a year I was able to have a conversation and read books without going to Italy. I would think if you would like to learn it in about a year studying by means of websites and books would not be sufficient. You would lack opportunities to develop more rapidly your speaking skills. Start from previously given websites, but find a good class. If you want to be fluent in italian and keep up with the language it would probably be helpful for you to go to Italy. There is a good language school there for foreigners.