What is the best way to start learning Italian language? I googled up and ended on couple of free online resources that help you learn Italian or any other language.

But all those exercises seems like more of memorizing the phrases which are translation of an equivalent phrase in English.

Isn't there a way to learn it from scratch, like learn alphabets, learn to make words, classify them as verbs/nouns etc. and then form sentences?

Any help is appreciated, I am sure I will feel forget in a matter of days what 'Buongiorno' means if I don't memorize it everyday!!