Cheryl, I love reading your "life" and share so many of the same love of history and charm. The walls in your study are stunning...............just enough glimpse into history and color. I too agree that the sight of that "stage" would be such an insult to a beautiful piazza and the charm that comes with centro storico. Sending best wishes for a Happy New Year.
Thank you, Chiarra, glad to have you along for the ride! I’m always happy to find a kindred spirit. I’m going to keep working on the walls (too curious not to), though I do like the unfinished look too. It’s amazing what people will paint over. Happy new year!
In January I will convene a series of lessons for pre-adolescents from our hamlet in our kitchen. I'll teach them a bit of English (at least I hope I will) but, little do they know, they will be teaching me a bit of basic Italian. Fortunately, my two fabulously bi-lingual grandkids will be at the table to keep the cross-language gears turning. I'll start with the English alphabet, pronouns, articles and basic verb conjugations. I will not get into the mysteries of English spelling until my charges are psychologically ready for the ordeal. My hope and belief: the teaching of English to elementary age children will make me more conscious of the essential elements of learning Italian.
I have begun studying Italian with the help of a very good tutor. We meet on Zoom, he being in Imperia on the Italian Riviera and me being here in landlocked Umbria. We are building the foundations upon which the Italian language rests, which as you know, Cheryl, are are more complicated than their English counterparts because of genderized grammatical rules.
After just two lessons, even while listening to my neighbours, store clerks, gas station attendants, pasticceria waitresses, my barber etc, I can catch more of what is being said, and I can parse out a newspaper headline and make more sense of the story it heads. I can also mumble more, admittedly bad, Italian at them. The homework Simone gives me is where the real work is done. It requires a serious commitment.
I'm 73. I'm patient with myself. Progress is progress. And when it comes to speaking to Italians, well, I have no shame and I don't mind amusing those who are on the receiving end.
Hi Vian, glad you're studying. I don't need a tutor, but thanks for the tip. I speak well and can converse about anything, and I understand everything unless it's dialect or dialect/mumbled, just want to refine and continue to get more idiomatic and less textbook, improve my speed and flow. I learn the most from speaking to my Italian friends every day. Real Italian conversation is far different from textbook Italian. But the more I learn, the more I need to go back and cement things that I didn't lock in well enough the first time around. Plus I find gaps in my knowledge I didn't even know were there. Thus my return to workbooks, etc. I always find some irregular past participle I didn't know or had forgotten—things like that.
Another fun read! I hear your pain re a diminished Christmas for Perugia because the same thing has happened to Como’s magical Christmas. You can hear street conversations lamenting the new Mayor’s decision to all but suspend celebrations. However, we did have midnight mass in the Cathedral. Buon Anno!
Thanks, Cristina! I was in Como a few weeks ago and heard about the Christmas market "wars." At least you have two beautiful trees in the Piazza del Duomo! Buon Anno a te!
I live in a little village (well, very little village, to be honest 😉) in Piemonte, but in Canavese area, closed to Ivrea: and Ossola friends are here too!!! Buon Anno!!!
Yay, more Ossolas! I'm hoping to trace my family back to Piemonte, but so far everyone has been in Lombardia (one line as far back as the early 1600s). Thanks for your note. Buon anno!
After three years of doing a Duolingo lesson in Italian each morning, I've decided to give up once I hit day 1,000 and find another source for learning. I was doing ok learning present tense verbs but now my brain is fried with other tenses and I find the lessons lacking in terms of rules for verb tense etc. Any suggestions for workbooks are appreciated! Buon anno, mia cugina!
Duolingo is useless, in my (unpopular) opinion. It's impossible to learn (well) without understanding the grammar, and Duolingo doesn't teach that. Two suggestions from my early days of study: Prego: An Invitation to Italian (textbook and workbook; pricey since they're used at universities) and Studio Italiano: An Italian Course for Beginners. In bocca al lupo!
Happy New Year, Cheryl! Enjoyed this article very much. My goals are for a new year are large and small. Big, big, big goal is to move this spring. After living in the same house since 1978, this is a major project for me. Small goal is to learn Ikebana as a way to meditate and enjoy the beauty of simple and beautiful things that surround me.
Thank you! Oh yes, moving is a very big thing, especially after so long! Will it be local or out of your area? Ikebana sounds like a great idea. Happy new year!
I studied French for years. Almost majored in it. I was conversational in Italian after 3 months of study with a private tutor at UCLA. (I was in my 20s then.)
I have studied German, Russian and Gaelic as well.
Portuguese? Might as well be Swahili. I am conversational after four years of study with tutors.
So, I hear ya´. I feel ya´!
And I agree, it is much harder when you are older and can´t remember anything!
May I recommend Memrise. An awesome app for language learning. I use it every day.
Also Gymglish, a really fun way to learn. I have used it to brush up my French. I wish they had Portuguese.
Lisa, you made me laugh (or was I crying?). :-) You have my admiration for persevering with a language as difficult as Portuguese. I really appreciate the tips and will take a look at both apps. Happy new year!
Cheryl, I love reading your "life" and share so many of the same love of history and charm. The walls in your study are stunning...............just enough glimpse into history and color. I too agree that the sight of that "stage" would be such an insult to a beautiful piazza and the charm that comes with centro storico. Sending best wishes for a Happy New Year.
Thank you, Chiarra, glad to have you along for the ride! I’m always happy to find a kindred spirit. I’m going to keep working on the walls (too curious not to), though I do like the unfinished look too. It’s amazing what people will paint over. Happy new year!
In January I will convene a series of lessons for pre-adolescents from our hamlet in our kitchen. I'll teach them a bit of English (at least I hope I will) but, little do they know, they will be teaching me a bit of basic Italian. Fortunately, my two fabulously bi-lingual grandkids will be at the table to keep the cross-language gears turning. I'll start with the English alphabet, pronouns, articles and basic verb conjugations. I will not get into the mysteries of English spelling until my charges are psychologically ready for the ordeal. My hope and belief: the teaching of English to elementary age children will make me more conscious of the essential elements of learning Italian.
I have begun studying Italian with the help of a very good tutor. We meet on Zoom, he being in Imperia on the Italian Riviera and me being here in landlocked Umbria. We are building the foundations upon which the Italian language rests, which as you know, Cheryl, are are more complicated than their English counterparts because of genderized grammatical rules.
After just two lessons, even while listening to my neighbours, store clerks, gas station attendants, pasticceria waitresses, my barber etc, I can catch more of what is being said, and I can parse out a newspaper headline and make more sense of the story it heads. I can also mumble more, admittedly bad, Italian at them. The homework Simone gives me is where the real work is done. It requires a serious commitment.
I'm 73. I'm patient with myself. Progress is progress. And when it comes to speaking to Italians, well, I have no shame and I don't mind amusing those who are on the receiving end.
My tutor's name, by the by, is Simone Bugini. His email info@learnitalianwithsimone.com
Hi Vian, glad you're studying. I don't need a tutor, but thanks for the tip. I speak well and can converse about anything, and I understand everything unless it's dialect or dialect/mumbled, just want to refine and continue to get more idiomatic and less textbook, improve my speed and flow. I learn the most from speaking to my Italian friends every day. Real Italian conversation is far different from textbook Italian. But the more I learn, the more I need to go back and cement things that I didn't lock in well enough the first time around. Plus I find gaps in my knowledge I didn't even know were there. Thus my return to workbooks, etc. I always find some irregular past participle I didn't know or had forgotten—things like that.
You might like this video on memorization techniques. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_LYDTFt8wQ&t=174s
Another fun read! I hear your pain re a diminished Christmas for Perugia because the same thing has happened to Como’s magical Christmas. You can hear street conversations lamenting the new Mayor’s decision to all but suspend celebrations. However, we did have midnight mass in the Cathedral. Buon Anno!
Thanks, Cristina! I was in Como a few weeks ago and heard about the Christmas market "wars." At least you have two beautiful trees in the Piazza del Duomo! Buon Anno a te!
I live in a little village (well, very little village, to be honest 😉) in Piemonte, but in Canavese area, closed to Ivrea: and Ossola friends are here too!!! Buon Anno!!!
Yay, more Ossolas! I'm hoping to trace my family back to Piemonte, but so far everyone has been in Lombardia (one line as far back as the early 1600s). Thanks for your note. Buon anno!
BOY, that sounds like Italy! Each administration finds a way to really eff things up.
We need a new mayor! And advisory council, I guess. :-(
After three years of doing a Duolingo lesson in Italian each morning, I've decided to give up once I hit day 1,000 and find another source for learning. I was doing ok learning present tense verbs but now my brain is fried with other tenses and I find the lessons lacking in terms of rules for verb tense etc. Any suggestions for workbooks are appreciated! Buon anno, mia cugina!
Duolingo is useless, in my (unpopular) opinion. It's impossible to learn (well) without understanding the grammar, and Duolingo doesn't teach that. Two suggestions from my early days of study: Prego: An Invitation to Italian (textbook and workbook; pricey since they're used at universities) and Studio Italiano: An Italian Course for Beginners. In bocca al lupo!
Move will be very far from snowy Colorado. Spain is calling me. Lots to do but my Italian citizenship will be a great help.
Wonderful! In bocca al lupo!
Another great article, thanks, those of us who struggle to learn Italian appreciate your comments, misery loves company right?
Is there a way I can send you a message that only you can read? No ulterior motives. Thanks
Thanks! If you're a subscriber, you can reply to the email you get from me.
If not, let me know.
Happy New Year, Cheryl! Enjoyed this article very much. My goals are for a new year are large and small. Big, big, big goal is to move this spring. After living in the same house since 1978, this is a major project for me. Small goal is to learn Ikebana as a way to meditate and enjoy the beauty of simple and beautiful things that surround me.
Thank you! Oh yes, moving is a very big thing, especially after so long! Will it be local or out of your area? Ikebana sounds like a great idea. Happy new year!
Omg sister, can we talk?!
I studied French for years. Almost majored in it. I was conversational in Italian after 3 months of study with a private tutor at UCLA. (I was in my 20s then.)
I have studied German, Russian and Gaelic as well.
Portuguese? Might as well be Swahili. I am conversational after four years of study with tutors.
So, I hear ya´. I feel ya´!
And I agree, it is much harder when you are older and can´t remember anything!
May I recommend Memrise. An awesome app for language learning. I use it every day.
Also Gymglish, a really fun way to learn. I have used it to brush up my French. I wish they had Portuguese.
Buona fortuna sorella!
Lisa, you made me laugh (or was I crying?). :-) You have my admiration for persevering with a language as difficult as Portuguese. I really appreciate the tips and will take a look at both apps. Happy new year!
Yup. This. Also YOU. Thank you!
- Ellen
Thank you so much, Ellen! Glad to have this thread of connection with you. Happy new year!
I will always be part of you if you have me with you my angel
Good writing: "...it's all still a blob of evolutionary thought."
Not-so-good writing: "...the second daughter of King Vittorio Emmanuele III of Italy who died in 1944 at Buchenwald.". Ambiguous!