Archives for December 2017

A couple of months ago I took my first online lesson with a native-speaker teacher. I was, I admit, apprehensive, having never had a conversation in Swedish before, even after studying the language for getting on for a year. My fears went unrealised. In fact, I enjoyed my lesson. Since then, I’ve done around twenty […]

Buonasera. Yes, you noticed. I usually start with ‘Buondì’. But we were driving back from my in-laws’ place on the coast this morning. And I’ve spent the entire afternoon doing this. So I’m only getting around to writing something now, at ‘aperitivo’ time. But no matter – as we’ve been away, there’s nothing cold in […]

Buondì. Hope you had an enjoyable Natale! Perhaps, after all the excitement, you are now scratching around for something useful to do in the next few days, before the New Year festivities bring yet more gluttony. Well, here’s an idea… What about studying Italian? Hence the convenient timing of the club’s annual January Sale. And […]

Buondì. This year I’ve exchanged emails with hundreds of club members, from many different countries. Off the top of my head… ‘Ciao’ to Maria in Canada, who gets through the winter there by dreaming of sunny Italy. Also to Karen in the UK, who hosted an Italian teenager for a few weeks, and survived! Many […]

Free time? What’s that? No, seriously. Well, I suppose I read The Economist each week. Most days I cook for my wife and kids, wash the dishes and go to the supermarket. I study Swedish, and I try to go for a walk, even if it’s only down to the park, round the lake, and […]

Buondì. As I’m learning a language myself, it becomes increasingly apparent to me that listening skills are fundamental. I can keep up a conversation in Swedish, now, for the best part of an online lesson. But I’m frequently stumped by the simplest of questions from my teacher. Yet again I’m forced to trot out that […]

Buondì. This time next week is Christmas Day. Now, how do you say that in Italian, I wonder? Coincidentally, today’s ‘tided up’ page from the club’s vocabulary section covers Festività [Festivals and Holidays]. It’s basically just a list of the names of the main holidays, plus some associated words like Christmas tree and Easter egg. […]

A quickie today as my son’s home from high school wanting to know when his lunch will be ready (Do I have time for some PlayStation…?) I had an online lesson this morning, which was fun. I talked in Swedish for nearly an hour. Bet I bored the pants off my teacher… Then there was […]

Buondì. Another quick one, as I have an online (Swedish) lesson in an hour. You’re impressed, huh? It’s been a year since club members voted that I should study Swedish and, to my amazement, I’m still at it. Level now? Somewhere near the beginning of A2, I’d say. Which is pretty typical for part-time study. […]

Buondì. ‘E’ seems to be for ‘expressions’ in the club’s Vocabulary section. Personally I’m just holding on until we get to ‘F’, as I’m not a great fan of teaching or learning ‘expressions’. Today’s free material covers advanced-level ‘Common expressions with high frequency verbs‘ – that is to say verbs like ‘venire’, ‘andare’, ‘fare’, ‘prendere’ […]