Finito Italiano

Well, it's over.  Italian I class...is history!  I never thought I'd get through it.  But, I did!

As you know, we had 10 classes of Italian and though I can't say that I am fluent in the lingua, by any means, I can say that I have certainly learned alot.  I have come to appreciate this beautiful language even more than before. 

If that was even possible?

You may remember that our professoressa was having a contest.  She  told us to keep adding Italian parole that we learned, to our vocab bank, and that the person with the most words at the end of class would win.  Something.  I was hoping the prize would be an all-expenses paid trip to the Bel Paese.

Being that I am a competitive person, I added new words like a mad-woman.  My strength is usually in the vocabulary and the memorization of said words.  My weakness...ahem, grammar.  So, this contest played to my strengths.

I started my vocab bank with a mere 100 words.  I am happy to announce that the night of our last class, I had 547 words!  Yep,cinquecento quaranta sette parole!!!  And I owned 'em!!

When the insegnante heard how many words I had, she said "Whoa, va bene, va bene!"

She grabbed my quaderno and started quizzing me.  As if she didn't believe me.

After she declared me the winner, she presented me with two little doni.

First, she told me to open the piccolo one first.  She said it was *the card*.   And this was my card...

A little pin that says.....I Love Italian!!   È vero!!! 

The second gift was a copy of a popular American children's book . Tre Orsi.  The Three Bears.  Awww, how cute!!  A perfect gift!

Allora, we are left to our own devices for the summer.  Italian II does not being until September.  We will be challenged to keep up what we have learned and not lose it.  I have found this free Italian pod-cast that can be used as basic review.  I am considering investing in some Pimsleur Cd's and of course we continue to rent Italian movies through Netflix.

I am sure you all have some even better recommendations for how to keep up on our new Italian language skills. 

I would be grateful if you shared....

Comments

[janie]

Brava Robin! I am just starting out to review after not doing anything since I left Italy a week ago. I have phrases (idiomatic) pinned up on the fridge and try to learn a few a week. I also get together with 2 friends for school and we try to speak in Italian for an hour or two each time. I'm looking for a tutor right now! I know if I don't use it, I'll lose it!

[Jessica in Rome]

I stopped going to Italian school because of the cost, the upcoming move and summer is here (they stop extensive courses this month to accommodate tourists). I am doing Cyberitalian.com to hold me over, it's only 40 dollars (6 months, self study) and you get exercises, games, vocab and weekly chats with a professor and other students. It seems like a good deal, check it out!

[My Melange responds]

Janie~ Yeah...like so many things as you get older (like me)...if you don't use it..you lose it :) Lucky you to have some friends from school to conversate with. Our teacher has a club...but you have to get to Italian 5 and be fluent to be included :(

Jess~ Oh, I'll have to check it out...that is pretty cheap!! Thx for the link!!

[Paris Parfait]

Congrats, Robin! Great news! So glad you enjoyed your class and are looking forward to continuing to absorb the language. xo

[Leanne]

Well done on finishing! Do you have any Italian friends or can you find some? Old people may be good who love to talk, so that way you can practice a little? If not you could find a pen pal and write or email them in Italian.

[Cherrye]

Brava! Was your OH taking that class with you? Talk to him as much as possible!!! And, you can write to me in Italian, if you really want to!

[My Melange responds]

Tara~ Yes..I do love Italian :)

Leanne~ Good ideas. I do have a few email pen pals in Italy and one in the US.

Cherrye~ Yes, C. took class to. We try to talk for one hour per night. Thanks for the offer....I will write a little to you in Italiano!

[erin :: the olive notes]

Watch Italian films with Italian subtitles turned on...it's great to watch and read at the same time. Also, we read Italian comic books (There are a lot here that even adults read - quite popular actually)...the writing is concise and with the images to support the words, it's a great learning tool. (Dylan Dog, Topolino...)

[Joanne]

Complimenti! Tanti auguri per avere completato il corso.
Come posso auitarti?

[Maryann]

Congrats, Robin! Little by little you will get there- speaking Italian fluently, or as my bloke says.."slowly, slowly, catch the monkey" haha

[Jeffrey]

Sounds like you did a great job! 547 words is amazing...how did you study them? With flashcards or just repeating them over and over, in different contexts? I know that I just need to buckle down and do the same thing when I am struggling with Spanish...building my vocabulary is a huge confidence-builder for my oral language skills. I think I might do something similar to what you did, and reward myself at the end...it's a good incentive to really get a good handle on the language!

Good luck with your Italian!

[bleeding espresso]

Congrats on finishing the course and your awards :)

Yes Italian films are great, and also talking to yourself in Italian is fun too...dove sono le chiavi? for example ;)

I've also heard someone else talking/writing of taking CyberItalian...sounds fun!

[My Melange responds]

Erin~ Great idea's!! I usually have the English subtitles on for the movie...never thought of doing the Italian ;)

Joanne~ Grazie Mille :) Keep leaving some comments in Italian, that will help me ;)

Maryann~ Yeah, s-l-o-w-l-y. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Jeffrey~ Thanks for the nice words!! I just wrote them in a notebook and studied them every day. My teach suggested putting several words on large index cards..so it is like flash cards....but more *bang for your buck* Good luck with your studies in Espanol ;)

Michelle~ Yep, Jessica @ JIR is taking the CyberItalian...it did sound like fun;) I talk to myself ALOT in English, so yeah why not make people think I am even crazier by doing in in Italian :) hee hee

[Merisi]

Bravissima,
auguroni!
Have you seen those little bilingual books around, one page Italian, the other English? They are really worth their while. You may even find them at your local library. Eons ago I used a Italian-French version with business letters. I really got a good insight into French business language simply by reading the French versions while being able to verify the meaning without having to resort to "translating" - real learning by doing, applying the won knowledge. I also used a "Legalese" dummy folder (we all know to eschew too much legalese from everyday language, on the other hand there are situations when you need to understand and know what your business partner is trying to tell you when he/she uses words like afforded, etc.) and Italian equivalents of Joseph Stevens' "Legal Language, Plain and Simple," depending always on the specific interests/necessities at hand. One other addition to your Languages Corner would be a "Dizionario dei Sinonimi e dei Contrari", in my experience the one from the Istituto Geografico de Agostini Novara is an excellent choice (and do buy it in hard cover, it will get much use!). I think nothing beats reading this kind of dictionaries if you want to enrich your language skills.
I just looked at my books, the Business Letters are available also in Italian-English (Manuali Professionali, by A. Cantore, Guida pratica - Franco Angeli Editore).
These are of course only examples. If you have any questions or need help with finding Italian books, please let me know.
Btw, there's an Italian Bookseller, SANSONI of Firence, that has a well earned reputation as an International bookseller. While I have worked with them and bought from them, I have no financial interest in promoting their trade, but I can highly recommand them for their professionality.
Tanti auguri,
Merisi

[Linda]

Good stuff Robin! One thing that really helped me learn Italian was watching the news. If you can get Rai International, I'd watch TG1 every day. That way you can hear standard (hopefully accentless) Italian and get a feel of what's going on in the country. You can also see the news on internet (http://www.tg1.rai.it/SITOTG/HPTG1)

In bocca al lupo!

[Erin]

I'm just so impressed with you and your passion to pick up the language!! I would love to learn either Italian or Spanish in my life time. I'm not sure what's stopping me, but you are definitely an inspiration!

[My Melange responds]

Merisi~ Wow!! All great information!!! I did not know all of this. I will check our Sonsoni too :)

Linda~ Crepi! I can get RAI, we were thinking about it, but e troppo caro. Thanks for the news link;)

Erin~ You are too sweet!! I really don't think of myself that way...but hey...If I can do it...than YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

[Denise]

We went to Venice and Rome last November for my 40th birthday. I didn't want to leave - and didn't have time to make it to Tuscany or the countryside. I would love to take Italian language lessons. Where did you take them?? Do you think it is harder than Spanish?

Have a great day!
Denise

[Amy]

Hello,

I live in Dutchess County and have been looking for a continuing ed. class that teaches Italian since we came back from Italy last month. Would you mind sharing where you go for the class??

Many thanks!!

[My Melange responds]

Amy~

Not at all!!! Check out Poughkeepsie High School Continuing Ed. Our teacher is wonderful!! I have taken other classes and this one is much better. She is off for the summer, but her classes will start again in September. Check out this link:
http://www.poughkeepsieschools.org/pages/schools/services/cont_edu.php

Hope that helps....stop by any time ;)

A presto!