Buondì.
This yesterday, via email, from Angela, which I thought might be of general interest:
Please can you advise me re learning Italian. Like most of the world I am at home for a long indefinite period and want to move on from domestic organising which dominated the first week and challenge myself to something a bit more intellectual.
I’m looking for a beginners course which I can work through to get to grips with the basics so that I can then use the other materials which you sell. I don’t want interactive to start with though I would probably move on to that.
I would appreciate your advice.
To which I replied:
I’ll be happy to help if I can, Angela, but a good starting point would be to take a good look at the website – there are literally thousands of pages of free materials, no need to buy anything. https://onlineitalianclub.com/ The A1 (beginner/elementary) materials are here: https://onlineitalianclub.com/free-italian-exercises-and-resources/online-italian-course-beginner-level-a1/
People learn languages in different ways – a beginners’ course, like for example Duolingo.com, is ideal for someone who has no previous experience or who likes plenty of structure and gamification. Others prefer to be more autonomous and choose, for example, in depth study of grammar, or like me, lots of reading and listening. It depends a lot on a person’s learning style and experience.
A good starting point is to try different activities and see if you can build up a portfolio of things that you enjoy doing and that work for you. If you need guidance, there’s an article here https://onlineitalianclub.com/how-to-learn-italian-or-any-language/ and lots more here https://onlineitalianclub.com/best-of-onlineitalianclub-com/
I’d just repeat one of those links, as the linked-to article is an attempt to summarise what I know about learning languages (teaching is a different process…). If you haven’t read it, you probably should:
How to learn Italian (or any language)
But anyway, Angela got me thinking about one of the words she used, a word I hear a lot. Can you guess which one?
“…a beginners course…”
It’s ‘course’, of course.
Italians are obsessed by them, which is one of the reasons the word is so ubiquitous here.
In Italy, you wouldn’t just go to the swimming pool to get a bit of exercise and show off your new Speedos- you’d do a swiming COURSE.
Ditto with salsa, or yoga, or pole-dancing, or language-learning. If it ain’t a vero e proprio ‘course’, then natch, it won’t get you where you want to go.
But hang on a mo’ – where exactly do you want to go when you sign up for ten weeks of, say, ballroom dancing or basic D.I.Y. skills?
It’s not such a daft question, though sometimes the answer’s obvious, for instance when, ten years back, I did an online course to prepare for the ‘patente nautico’ exam.
Here in Italy you need to pass a ‘driving licence’ to sail a boat. You don’t need to actually know how to sail a boat, but you have to memorise the answers to thousands of multiple-choice questions and learn how to navigate with compasses, charts and pencil, despite the fact that these days everyone uses GPS.
Then, once you have your ‘patente’, you can forget it all again, which is standard practice in most of academia here – study for the exam, pass it, then clear your mental caches and start afresh.
While the ‘patente’ itself is clearly a pointless bit of bureaucacy, the purpose of the course was, at least, clearly defined and understood by all – to prepare students to pass the exam.
Which was far from easy, but we did – Mission accomplished, one satisfied customer, and the course organisers earn a reasonable living exploiting this nonsense.
But with a foreign language? Clearly it’s not so much about exams or certificates for most people, more about competences (understanding, expressing yourself, etc.)
Most people intuitively know, and marketers exploit the fact, that a course that could take you from zero knowledge of a language to the point where you knew enough to get by in interactions with native speakers, that could be completed in a relatively modest amount of time, and that required no special skills or previous experience, would indeed be a rare and precious thing.
It wouldn’t even have to be cheap! People who have money would not quibble about shelling out thousands to go from zero to hero in a language in just a few weeks or months, especially if the effort involved and risk of failure were minimalised.
But no, of course, it’s all a scam.
You wouldn’t buy a course that promised it would make you a passable piano player, able to sight-read musical scores and entertain your friends with concertos or jazz classics, in just three weeks?
I hope not, anyway.
It takes years to learn to play the piano (with both hands, mind), which is obvious to any of us who have optimistically bought one for an enthusiastic child, only to see it gather dust for the next two decades.
There are, these days, groovy apps that might get you started on the instrument, and keep you interested long enough to learn something, to feel a sense of progress, perhaps even to play something that would impress your nearest and dearest.
But you’d have learnt ‘something’, certainly not ‘everything’, and probably not even approaching what most of us would assume to be ‘enough’.
I read the other day about a British diplomat, aged in his mid-thirties, who sadly died from a Covid 19 infection while representing his country in Hungary (Europe), poor man. The article mentioned that, before having been posted to Budapest, the guy had spent a year learning Hungarian, which I can believe.
For one, Hungarian is a really unusual language, and also, as anyone who has had experience with diplomats (from any country) can testify, these people are professionals – they don’t mess about. Learning the language of the next place you’ll be working is part of the job, and due time and money is devoted to it.
We’ve had diplomats at our Italian school (currently closed, unfortunately), and they are without fail intelligent, serious and hard-working people, who’ll devote many hours each day for months on end to acquiring the linguistic abilities that will be expected of them.
What magic methods do they use?
Nothing more than is readily available to you or I, high-school student, pensioner or enthusiastic amateur language-learner that we may be.
There’s no ‘diplomats only’ special course with gold-plated extras, or secret techniques only revealed to black-belts and above.
There is, though, a special sauce.
Think about it for a moment – what do these smooth fellows have that you and I don’t, apart from the fact that the government is paying for their classes?
Yup, that’s it, you’ve got it.
They’re MOTIVATED – extrinsically, I mean, in the sense that success in learning the next language is expected, and fundamental to their careers. Failure would be frowned on, and damaging.
Also, they have the OPPORTUNITY – devoting months on end to learning a language is a necessary and accepted part of their professional lives, and doesn’t have to play second fiddle to, say, earning a living.
And not least, they likely also have EXPERIENCE (of learning other languages) and INTEREST (call it ‘intrinsic’ motivation if you will) – for who would apply to the diplomatic corps if she/he were not interested in foreign places, people, and by extension, languages?
But back to you and I, non-diplomats, probably only modestly-privileged, and with motivation that will likely ebb and flow over time.
Most of what I know about language-learning is here: How to learn Italian (or any language)
And the resources that you need are mostly free. Start here.
As soon as you can, do this too.
And, if you have cash to spend, this would be an excellent way to spend it.
Additional resources recommended by club members can be found on the ‘Other Resources‘ page.
A venerdì, allora.
Customer Service Triumph Of The Week
This from Nancy, now an ex-club member, by way of thanks for the refund that she asked for and received:
Sad that you are in the wrong job, Daniel. You haven’t the slightest idea what “customer service is” and if you had had a clue, it would have been a sale. Praying your employer fires you before the company goes under. I am sharing the 13 friends who I sent to your company. No way will they purchase another item from your company.
I think I deserve a beer.
Renee Bosma says
Is Nancy another marketing ploy? haha. You don’t need to reply to this comment. I just can’t believe that people take the trouble to write such mails. And especially in these anxious corona-times. But if it’s true, you deserve definitely another beer!
Richard Harris says
If I could get to Bologna and we could get to a bar – I’d buy you that beer, Daniel! Keep up the good work.
Best wishes, Richard
Daniel says
Mille grazie, Richard. And cheers!
Daniel
Babs says
How true that article was Daniel. I have purchased ‘courses’ and learning alone was difficult, I didn’t really get anywhere and I certainly took longer than expected. I felt really thick. Two Italian teachers have given up on me through Skype but I have learnt quite a lot however ask me to speak and I’ve had it. But I plod on, I’ve purchased books through you and now I have the time to read them. Will I ever achieve a decent conversation, that remains to be seen but plod on I will.
Daniel says
Prioritise listening, Babs. The speaking follows after. It’s just the way the brain works – think of small children who can follow what others want/mean long before they’re able to use words to express their own needs. TEACHERS can be thick about this (I know because I am one, and because I employ a bunch of them.) But students rarely are. If you’re not learning, then you need to adjust your expectations or approach or both – trash-canning the grammar and the dictionary would probably be a good place to start, so focus instead on meaning (reading, listening) and then when you’re ready on interacting (speaking, writing). You’ll get there in the end!
Sylvia May says
Daniel, I wish I had a laughing emoji for the stupidity of your Nancy person. I don’t know what you did to upset her, but all I can say is that it takes all sorts, and I for one am glad you’re doing what you’re doing, so please don’t fire yourself! You’re well free of such horrible people.
I have a student who got very cross with my organisation (WEA) because the admin staff couldn’t tell her the day Lockdown started exactly what was going to happen to our courses now we couldn’t teach face-to-face. No-one knew. The underfunded digital group (we are a vountary sector organisation and have, in common with most, lost a proportion of our funding over the last few years) are in a form of perpetual motion at the moment, pulling online resources from nowhere, attempting to train up to 2000 tutors in the joys of Zoom, and working out which courses can successfully run online. How a student could expect anyone to know what was happening the very day of Lockdown is anyone’s guess. Anyway, she ‘came clean’, and said she didn’t really want to cancel her course booking, so all is well.
What some people fail to realise is the work that goes on behind the scenes, and how few people are doing so much work. We live in a world of Amazon and Google, where resources are unlimited and everything is shiny and perfect on the surface because they have the money and resources to make it so. If it’s any comfort, many of my students love your resources, and only the other day, one of my beginners passed on the link for your beginners’ grammar information because she found it so useful and thought others would benefit during lockdown. So Daniel, I know you know which side your bread is buttered. Thanks for sharing, and I hope you enjoy your beer.
Sylvia
Nadia says
I agree with your analysis, it’s difficult to find students that are both motivated and rich enough to afford their own fit-for-purpose course over the necessary time to learn the kind of skills they aspire to. Many tend to want a quick fix…and indeed competition means people are attracted to the ”così dette” quick fixes. This seems to be the world we live in now.
Ahimè.
Not sure why you give any space on your newsletter to those whose only motivating force seems to be to criticise.
Thank goodness passion shines through!
Margaret Lois Jansen says
I appreciate greatly your work…and the Easy News is a gem…I’d buy you the beer in a heart beat. And when this mess finally has a vaccine, the first thing I am doing is re-booking the anticipated trip to Italy. I was there in January in Florence (before all this started where we knew about it in Milan/Lombardy) and was able to use the Italian I had learned. I take it that I was understood because folks answered me in Italian (however, I could not always grasp what they were saying…that’s when I knew that I needed “listening” exercises like your Conversations and the News).
Everyone does learn differently. I have to “see” and understand structure (the joy of having been an English major in undergrad). I eventually found a course that has given me that so that I can now enjoy the “listening” part of things and learn from them. The secret, as you note, is knowing one’s “learning style.” Instructors and providers cannot be faulted because a particular approach doesn’t fit a person’s learning style.
Keep going. I’ve done a donation to the News portion, and when some financial things even out, I’ll do so again.
Colleen Gilbert says
So right, Daniel! Listening and reading!!! I am looking forward to the Book Club! So sorry you get emails from people like nancy. Thay are clearly clueless. You deserve a pint of the best-and a snack as well!
Steve says
Your witty and good humoured missives cheer and encourage me, and I’d enjoy nothing more than to be able to return to Italy one day soon and buy you that beer. Thank you for all that you do and keep up the good work.
Helen Hensley says
Ciao Daniel. Like many of the above replies, I look forward to your emails and do so enjoy them! I think you are in the line of work which suits you perfectly.
I have experienced you fantastic customer service, and applaud it!!
Grazie mille, Helen
Helen says
Hi Daniel, I have just read & can’t believe Nancy’s post. As you are aware, I have purchased numerous ebooks from you & regularly make use of your bountiful oline resources. There has never been any problem downloading anything at this far place!! I know I ribbed you recently about “Il Nome della Rosa” but seriously, no offence was intended – that was just my twisted Aussie humour coming to the fore!
Please keep up the excellent work and as I don’t like beer (I know, that’s really unAustralian!!) per favore, ti diverti un bicchiere di vino rosso con me quando i confini riapriranno e potremo di nuovo viaggiare (la mia sorpresa)! Salute!!
Carol Re says
Hi Daniel, you deserve more than a beer after ‘that’ Nancy’s comments I’d say!
I have a back log of books to read that I have bought from you. Always received promptly without ever having a problem. During this down time that we are all experiencing I hope to catch up and write the reviews you ask for. Me too I hope to return again to your wonderful school in Bologna and in the meantime I send love and best wishes to you all. Keep those witty enlightening and informative news letters coming.
Lesley Hayward says
I am finding the speaking quite hard too. It is more about the replies as the Italians talk so fast and one word merges with the next. Our college has closed ue to C19 so we have no more classes.
I love the Easy Italian News – I try to repeat what is said and I watch Montalbano [bless him!]
I wondered if there was any mileage in using video calls to put an Italian in touch with an English learner so they couold speak to each other?
Thank you so much for all you do.
I am glad you highlighted Nancy’s comments but there is always someone who compalins…
Regards
Lynne F says
Ciao Daniel, as we say “You can’t please all of the people all of the time” but you do pretty well. Like many my starting point was duolingo, Trying to find clarification on something I stumbled across Online Italian Club. The variety of resources provide for all whatever , whatever level or learning style. Like most the speaking and listening and reading meaningful text are the most difficult . I look forward to the book club although I know it will be a challenge. The regular articles are an added bonus full or advice, information and humour. I too will join the other who have commented here and be happy to buy you a beer when we are able to return to Italy and especially Bologna, you deserve it . Let’s hope we don’t all arrive together or you will be waking up with one almighty hangover . Cheers and Keep safe