Where I come from, Garibaldi is a type of biscuit. But according to my daughter, he was one of the most important people in Italian history! And so, of course, there are plenty of streets named after him. Find out why with today’s first ‘street name’ listening: Garibaldi. And for dessert, another victim of fascism: […]
What a clever bunch of Italianophiles you are!
On Wednesday I linked to a listening about Giovanni Amendola, anti-Fascist activist, which includes the information that he was born in Napoli. Whoever recorded the audio for us (it was years ago, so I don’t recall), changed that to Salerno, and several of you wrote in to point out that this is incorrect. My fact-checking […]
Some Italian listenings with ‘passato remoto’ in them
Buondì. First, an apology. One of the listenings I linked to on Monday had an issue with the answers (they were mostly incorrect.) A club member wrote to let me know, and I got it fixed. But if you were quick off the mark, you may have found yourself scratching your head and wondering why […]
Auguri festa dei lavoratori!
I’m running about 7 hours behind schedule today, as it’s not a normal Monday. 1st May is a holiday in Italy. Buona festa dei lavoratori del primo maggio! Hence we slept in a bit, went for a walk in the park, and had a family lunch. Not that it’s exactly a day off – I’m […]
Italian exams, and why I no longer recommend CILS
A lady in the USA wrote to me this week asking for feedback on her study plan, which involves getting to B1 (intermediate) level and taking the CILS exam in December this year. This sort of query is bread and butter for anyone who works in a language school, as I do, so . We’re […]
Buon rientro!
Last week we had the school Easter break, which was very welcome. I went sailing, and ate too much. Then yesterday was Liberation Day (which celebrates the end of the military occupation in WW2.) So today it’s back to normal: the ‘reentry’. If that makes you think about spaceships, then fair enough. But ‘il rientro’ […]
Two FREE intermediate Italian listenings with new tasks
The Easter Sale is over, and it’s back to normal here at onlineitalianclub.com. Thanks to everyone who supported us with your purchases of online Italian lessons and/or ebooks for learning Italian. This week, and for the immediate future, I’ll be writing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as always. And, until I’ve had time to prepare […]
Cogli l’attimo!
Call me boring, but I’ve been doing the family shopping at the same Italian supermarket for the past 17 years. Which means that I can spot a bargain when I see one. For example yesterday, when I passed by a waist-high wicker basket-type display. It was piled high with a jumble of the sort of […]
Last orders, please, ladies and gentlemen!
Nineteen-eighty-four may have been a gloomy year for George Orwell’s characters, but for me and my mates it was the year we discovered pubs. Not yet eighteen, but near enough to get away with it, a whole new world opened up on Saturday nights. My first drink was in the Turk’s Head. Later we ranged […]
24 hours to go (and now comes the hard part!)
Which time zone are you in? Here in Bologna, Italy, as I start writing this, it’s just before twelve noon (on Saturday.) Lunch has to be on the table for around one, when my younger daughter gets back from school. So, internet permitting, this article should be zinging into your inbox in about an hour. […]