Call me dumb, but after 17 years of learning Italian, I STILL can’t get my head around ‘I like’.
So today’s ‘La grammatica ascoltata’ on piace / piacciono is one which I will be listening to again and again, in the hope that it’s going to finally sink in.
Unless you’re new to OnlineItalianClub.com in the last day or two, you’ll know the rationale behind this series of free Italian materials.
Three times a week, we’re publishing a recording and transcript which illustrate just one aspect of Italian grammar.
That way you get to hear / read repeated examples, in context.
Which means that, hopefully, your learning will be more effective than if you were just making notes from a grammar book, as I did in 1997.
And the more times you listen to the recording, the more natural it should sound to you.
A different way to learn Italian grammar.
Plus, you’ll be developing listening/reading skills too!
Go here to study ‘I like’ in Italian.
Or view the whole series on our Free A1 Italian Exercises page.
(Readers who are way too good for this stuff should check out the material at higher levels here.)
P.S.
We have a new simplified Italian reader coming out soon.
The level will be A1/A2, it comes with a full audio recording, and there’ll be a special launch discount!
What’s it about?
Dunno yet, as I’ve only seen a sample chapter, but I think it’s a love story.
But from what I read, I can already tell, it’s going to be good.
My wife said:
‘It makes you want to read more, doesn’t it?’
Yep, it certainly does.
And that’s the point of simplified readers.
They get you learning Italian in a more natural way.
By reading and listening to stories in which you get to know the characters, understand their motivations, and actually care what happens next.
Which creates a ‘virtuous circle’ of learning.
The more you read, the more you get used to reading, and the less difficult it seems.
So you start to include reading and listening in Italian in your study program, or even for leisure.
Which means that you’ll be consolidating and expanding your knowledge of Italian vocabulary and grammar, almost without knowing it!
Go here to check out our e-books for learning Italian.
bruce benson says
Hi Daniel,
I am getting a lot out of la grammatical ascoltata series. If I could make one suggestion, it would be to record them in a smaller room with curtains or other textiles on the walls in order to reduce the echo effect. Right now they usually have a small echo, just like in the Madrelingua classrooms. I hope you don’t mind the observation because you are giving us a tremendous service with this series. My goal is not just to listen but to actually hear, and you are helping me make progress. Many thanks.
Daniel says
Thanks Bruce. That’s a helpful tip. I’ve passed it on to Stefi, who does the recording. We’re getting better at this, but it’s still very much amateur stuff…