Get an Italian-language software or audio program. Many programs on the market teach foreign languages, including Italian, through the use of audio CDs and computer discs. Audio CDs can be listened to during otherwise passive times such as your commute to and from work. Computer discs combine the audio with visual cues. The dual approach might improve your learning.
Write down Italian vocabulary words and common phrases on flash cards and drill yourself on the terms several times a day. Vocabulary is often learned most easily through repetition, and writing down the terms on the flash cards yourself provides another way to commit them to memory. Pay attention to the order of words in phrases to help you learn the subject-verb placement in the Italian language. Label structures around your home with their Italian names.
Try total immersion. Speaking and listening only to Italian will help your brain adapt to the new language faster. This option is easier if you have another person to converse with who also speaks Italian, but that is not strictly necessary. You can listen to Italian-language TV shows and music, read only books in Italian and watch movies with Italian subtitles.
Take a course. Community colleges and extension programs usually offer courses in foreign languages. Not every college offers Italian language instruction, but many do. Those colleges can offer an abbreviated schedule that might fit your schedule.