Listening seems to be a recurrent theme at the moment. You would not believe how many people email to say one or more of the following: Listening is so difficult compared to, say, grammar I can’t understand much / anything at all The audio quality of the listenings on the club site is poor / […]
Daniel joins the twenty-first century
Buondì. What with my newish policy of not-working on Sundays, I was left at a loose end yesterday morning, between going for a walk and preparing cabonara for the kids’ lunch. So I downloaded some apps to my smartphone: the Swedish TV news website, some Swedish newspapers, an app that plays Swedish TV programs, and […]
Can I ask you a personal question?
Thanks to everyone who commented on Wednesday’s article. To read what was said, or to add your own thoughts, click here. Incidentally, all previous articles can be found on the club website, here. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘Next Page’ to travel back in time and read years’ worth of my […]
It’s not what you memorised, it’s what you can actually do!
Buondì. I’m late today because I’ve been busy scrolling through the 230-page ‘COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORKOF REFERENCE FOR LANGUAGES: LEARNING, TEACHING, ASSESSMENT – COMPANION VOLUME WITH NEW DESCRIPTORS‘. If you’ve got a couple of days to spare, do take a look. Or… You could just look at Appendix 2, the Self-Assessment Grid, which is only a […]
Want that? Do this.
Want to feel fitter? Walk for thirty minutes each day. Want to enjoy a comfortable retirement? Save as large a chunk of your monthly income as you can, from as young an age as possible. Want a happy marriage? Be willing to compromise. Insomma, identify what you want, then figure out what action or actions […]
If someone had said to me, what you need to do is…
Buonasera. I have a new rule about not working on Sundays (I cook and study Swedish instead.) But it does mean having to do more on Saturdays, which is a drag. Oh well, just a quickie, then. Sixty-nine club members have taken up the Free Trial Online Italian Lesson offer so far this week. But […]
Free One-To-One Italian Lesson! (& “The audio is too fast!”)
Buondì. I’ll start today with a reminder about this week’s Free Trial Online Italian Lesson offer. Odds are you haven’t booked yours yet. And time’s running out… The opportunity to try a free lesson with a club teacher ends on Sunday, and is not to be missed!! Your next chance won’t be until November… Click […]
Step away from that mousepad!
Ever tried cleaning your teeth with the ‘wrong’ hand? Or towel-drying your hair using only one arm? (“Why don’t you use the hairdryer, dad?”) If you’ve ever suffered from tennis elbow, you’ll know what I mean, My elbow (gomito) ‘fa male boia’, as the old lady I was chatting to yesterday put it. She had […]
‘Salute’ and Free Trial Online Italian Lesson offer!
Italians say ‘Salute!’ when they raise their glasses of spumante or prosecco to toast their good-fortune. And why shouldn’t they? They were, after all, born in the world’s best country, one to which no other nation can compare. Undeniably, Italy has the most attractive coasts and landscapes and the most interesting and significant history. It’s […]
Are you supersititious? Some coarse language. And adverbs!
Buondì. Are you superstitious? Yes? No? A little? Well, I’ve another free set of Italian conversation prompts for you. This one’s on Superstizione, credenza e destino (supersition, belief and destiny). Try it with friends from your Italian class, perhaps over coffee and donuts. Or, if you’re taking online Italian lessons, why not suggest it to […]