How to choose study materials for your level in Italian

Buondì.

Today, some advice on how to choose the right study materials for your level in Italian.

But first, a problem.

‘Level’ is a slippery concept.

The idea of ‘knowing’ a language is itself problematic.

Let’s imagine you walk into a university department in the capital city of your country.

Walking down the corridor, there’s one of your compatriots, someone who perhaps quit school at sixteen or younger, mopping the floor.

You peer into one of the professors’ offices that line the corridor.

There’s a well-dressed, middle-aged woman sitting behind a desk piled with books, reading a foreign newspaper.

She looks up, smiles, and says ‘Hello’.

Her voice has the trace of a foreign accent.

Back to the here and now.

Which of the two people you imagined do you think would cope better if asked to, say, write a report or a scientific article (in your language)?

The native speaker or the visiting foreign professor?

Pehaps they’d both do just fine.

Or maybe neither of them would.

But likely you’d agree that educational level and, in particular, familiarity with that type of task would be key factors.

That’s true for you, too.

If you’re used to writing, you’ll have the experience and skillset to prepare texts, even in a foreign language.

Whereas if not, then not.

The same is true for the other skills.

At our school in Bologna I meet and ‘level-test’ students (of English) every day.

There’s a written test, but also a brief interview, during which I verify the information about ‘level’ gleaned from the paper test that the student has already completed.

Some people’s test scores are consistent with their ability to speak and understand English.

Especially if they’re been studying recently, which evens things out.

Others do well on the test but don’t understand my questions, or hesitate over simple answers.

Others get an appalling test score but throw themselves into the communicative part with gusto!

For the former, I’d recommend lots of speaking practice.

For the latter, some work to consolidate the basic grammar.

You see the point.

People can have different experiences of. and different aptitudes for, foreign languages.

Which puts them in the position to achieve or not achieve different things.

Sales representatives always do well at the oral test.

Doctors invariably score highly on the multiple choice test.

But what about ‘grammar’, you might be wondering?

Traditionally, language courses (and self study materials) were organised around the study of grammar, tenses and so on.

Materials were presented in a linear way, from easiest to hardest.

As you start, that seems appropriate and logical.

In Italian, for example, you won’t get far if you can’t conjugate verbs, at least in the present tense.

But a linear grammar syllabus begs the question, when will you finish?

Do you have to study ‘all’ of the grammar?

Italians study English at school and usually cover the whole syllabus, from ‘I study’ to ‘I will have been studying’.

It doesn’t mean that they can speak or understand the language, though.

Studying something is one thing.

But having the knowledge fixed in your head, in a way that enables you to use it to express your thoughts or to understand others, is quite another!

Another complication is that some grammar areas are more useful than others.

Why not just do the useful bits, leaving the arcanery to those with too much time on their hands?

It’s not a popular choice.

Most people expect to ‘finish’ learning the language.

Consequently, they won’t feel they’re done until they have full command of the major structures, and can use them when speaking, listening, reading and writing.

They’d ideally like to be in a position to avoid ever making embarassing mistakes.

Nobody likes looking stupid…

Walking through the language school door, they hope that, one day, they’ll become ‘fluent’.

Which is usually understood to mean understanding ‘everything’, and speaking with a minimum of hesitation…

Dream on.

Sorry, but experience suggests that, for many of us, such a goal is very distant.

That’s not necessarily a problem, though.

‘Better than now’ is a much more realistic objective!

Which brings us back to how to choose the right study materials for your level in Italian…

1. Find materials that ‘help’

By which I mean, if you’re starting from zero and the lesson or exercise in front of you is too hard, then it’s likely to be hindering rather than helping.

Someone, maybe you, chose badly.

Ditto, if you’re more experienced with the language and you breeze through the exercise or ebook you’re working on, that’s not good.

You could be making better use of your time with more challenging materials.

2. Choose different ‘levels’ to solve different problems

I can read, write, listen and speak well in Italian.

But my grammar is horrible.

So if I were choosing materials for myself, I’d ignore the skills and focus instead on my mistakes.

A competent teacher could help me identify areas of weakness, then suggest things to work on which would bring the greatest improvement for the smallest investment of my time.

3. Look for ‘graded’ materials

Imagine a grammar book with ‘all’ of the grammar for the language you’re studying.

It looks pretty thick, doesn’t it?

It probably weighs a couple of pounds, which is not very practical if you have to carry it around.

It would surely be a useful reference resource.

But would likely be terrible choice as a primary source of study material.

Which area of grammar would you begin with?

And which could you ignore?

A reference work of this type is not ‘graded’ for learners…

Now visualize the same book, but only a sixth as thick.

It only has material for beginners or near-beginners.

It contains material organised in the order you should study it, from easiest to hardest, or according to the frequency and usefulness of each area – approaches vary.

That sounds much more helpful, doesn’t it?

Take our ‘easy readers’ (please).

Those labelled A1 are ‘graded’ so as to be suitable for students with a minimal knowledge of the language.

Once you’re happy with reading the baby stuff, move on to A1/A2.

If that works for you, try A2.

And then A2/B1, B1, B1/B2, and so on.

As you get better, the materials get more challenging, with longer, more complex chapters, faster audio, and so on.

If you’ve never exercised in your life, but are determined to reach the summit of Everest, start with short walks on unchallenging terrain.

Then longer walks, then hills, then small mountains, then larger mountains.

Until finally, you book your flight to the Himalayas!

4. Ensure balance and variety

You’ll have got the idea by now that, as well as broadening and deepening your knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and so on, language study needs to promote a range of skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing, etc.)

The problem is that people tend to ignore the skills they’re most uncertain of…

Non-readers, for example, are likely to ignore simplified texts, however helpful, in favour of grammar study, or speaking, or whatever rings their bell.

Weirdos who enjoy studying grammar always want more of it.

Sometimes at the expense of building spoken fluency.

The trick is to consciously try to balance your study activites.

Plan in different types of activity.

Some grammar, yes, but also some listening, some reading, an individual lesson for feedback and practice…

Avoid always using the same type of materials, however reassuring that may feel.

A multiplicity of sources of material should help you better identify what you need to focus on.

As well as introducing you to activities and exercise types that you might not be familiar with, but could really profit from!

So, ready to study?

Remember:

1. Find materials that ‘help’
2. Choose different ‘levels’ to solve different problems
3. Look for ‘graded’ materials
4. Ensure balance and variety

Visit the club website to find free materials to begin with right now!

Or watch this space for news of next week’s ‘Autumn Sale’.

Everything in our online shop will be discounted…

So you can stock up on ebooks and individual lessons for the long slog to Christmas/New Year!

A lunedì.