Buondì.
In the last few years ‘Take back control!’ has been an effective way for unscrupulous politicans to convince voters, sometimes in defiance of common sense, to vote against the status quo and even against their own long-term interests.
‘Throw the bums out!’
I write as a Brit, resident in Europe, married to a European, whose kids have E.U. (not G.B.) passports.
I’m not a citizen of the country my children were born in, they’re not citizens of the country their father hails from. That could get awkward…
Sadly, I had no vote in the Brexit referendum, having been abroad too long to matter to politicians back ‘home’.
The consequences of 2016’s referendum will certainly affect me, though.
Any limitations on E.U. citizens living in the U.K are likely to bounce right back at Europhile and/or expatriate Brits.
What a shame it has come to this.
But anyway, ‘taking back control’ isn’t just a rallying cry of chauvinistic politicans – it’s also a useful strategy for language learners!
After last week’s Free Trial Online Italian Lesson offer (now ended), I was considering what I could write today that would help the hundred and fifty or so people who signed up for one.
What can I suggest that will help them get the most out of their 30-minute interaction with a native-speaker Italian teacher?
One thing that I’ve personally found indispensable when taking lessons is having to hand phrases I can use to effectively manage the flow of conversation, and even of the lesson itself.
The idea is to not just sit there, passively letting the teacher run the whole show, waiting for her to decide what should happen next, what the topic of discussion should be.
Given a few useful expressions, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t take your turn in the driving seat!
Below are a few examples, off the top of my head.
If you have others, rather than emailing me directly, leave a comment on this article that other club members can see.
A mercoledì, allora.
Asking for help
Cosa vuol dire (word you didn’t understand)?
Cosa significa (word you didn’t understand)?
Come si dice (word you don’t know how to say in Italian) in italiano?
Come si pronuncia (word you can’t pronounce)?
Come si scrive (word you can’t spell)?
When you don’t understand
Scusa?
Cosa hai detto, scusa?
Non ho capito. / Non capisco.
Non ho sentito. / Non sento (bene).
Non ti seguo.
Potresti ripetere?
When you’re struggling
Non mi ricordo la parola…
Non mi viene (in mente) la parola…
Restating, clarifying
Voglio dire che…
Intendo che…
Checking you’ve been understood
Mi spiego?
Hai capito?
Ho ragione?
E’ vero?
Agreeing
Hai (proprio) ragione!
E’ (assolutamente) vero!
Passing the ball
E tu? Che ne dici?
Che ne pensi?
Sylvia May says
Hi Daniel
I have an Italian grandson who lives in London with his mother. I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered he has dual nationality. But what of his mum, and my son, his dad, if all this madness actually happens. Don’t worry, there are plenty of us who want to see this lunacy overturned. Because I don’t know what will happen to any of us otherwise. Stupid crazy racists (I know, because some of them are in my family), socialist dreamers (as a socialist, I know plenty of them, too), and people who wanted to ‘save the NHS’ and believed the Big Red Bus lie. I often ask what the world is coming to, when Donald Trump can be president. But it hasn’t happened yet, and ‘taking back control’ is what I hope we Remainers can do before things go completely pear-shaped. There you are, another expression I have no idea how to translate into Italian.
Mary E Donato says
These phrases are great! Thanks. Just a comment, even your British English can make me stop and think “what does he mean?” Since I’m American and our construction differs from yours from time to time.
Nancy Lee says
Suggerimenti (suggestions)
E’ piu’ facile a dirsi che a farsi (it is easier said than done)
Che fico! (how cool) but be careful with pronunciation
Non preoccuparti (don’t worry)
Ce l’ho sulla punta della lingua (it is on the tip of my tongue)
Molto gentile (that’s very nice of you)
Daniel says
Some good ones there, Nancy!
Sorry it took so long to publish your comment – it got lost in the Spam…
Daniel