More likes and dislikes to listen to and read!

Buondì.

I’m in a rush this morning as I have to go the book-wholesaler (don’t ask) where no doubt I’ll be kept waiting for ages while the guy behind the desk pokes at the keyboard of his nineteen-eighties vintage desktop computer with one finger in that time-honored way that Italian office-workers have of indicating that they have no intention of looking up and acknowledging your presence any time soon, still less of asking how they can help you this fine morning.

After a while the phone will ring and the call, which of course gets priority over the waiting client, goes on for ever. Eventually I’ll start to spit, and curse, and kick at the counter, to zero effect.

To regain my calm, I’ll lie down on the floor and hum meditatively. There are, of course, no seats in the waiting area.

Eventually the phone call will end and the employee with the huge-belly and the fashionable glasses will take a few more pokes at his keyboard, then push back his chair, heave himself to his feet and plod to the counter, over which he will peer acrobatically to look down at me lying on the floor.

“Madrelingua?” he’ll ask, recognising the impatient Englishman from previous encounters.

“Just one moment, I’ll see if your order is ready.”

And the wait will begin again…

Hence, I’d better get this article done before I go, or those of you in Australia and New Zealand will be off to bed and so will miss out on Monday’s Italian fix, which would be a shame.

Today, I have another native-speaker conversation (with transcript).

The kids and their boyfriends have been busy recording their likes and dislikes for you to listen to, and read!

Click this link to get right on with it: ‘Mi piace/non mi piace (2)‘.

Come al solito I’ve added this latest free listening to our ‘New’ page, so it’s easy to find if you fancy coming back to it, say tomorrow, to have another go and see if you’ve improved…

The questions from the interview, as always, are taken from our series of free conversation lessons.

Here’s the link to the conversation prompts on ‘likes and dislikes’ should you want to practice your speaking as well as listening and reading.

Buono studio, allora.

A mercoledì.