Never be afraid to argue with your teacher (some of us talk such nonsense!)
This morning I had an interesting conversation with my online Swedish teacher, in Swedish mostly, which was good.
She wanted me to study a certain area of grammar, again.
It’s important, she said.
I’ve already studied that particular perversity at least twice, didn’t take it in either time, and had doubts that looking at it again would help.
Listen, I said. Do you have any money?
Why? She wanted to know. Then admitted that she didn’t have much.
It’s a metaphor, I told her.
IF you had any money, what would you do with it?
Spend it?
Put it in the bank?
Invest it in the stock market?
Buy a house?
Buy Bitcoins, maybe?
Let’s say you had enough cash to do a couple of these, but not ALL of them.
Which would you choose?
And being a (presumably) unsophisticated investor, how would you know you were making the right decision?
And would you, say, buy Bitcoins, just because I suggested it?
Time is money, they say.
I have maybe six hours a week to study a foreign language.
Perhaps I’ll spend some of that reading a news website each morning, and looking up new words.
I’ll invest a further hour or two doing speaking/listening practice with my online teacher.
And with the small change?
I’ll watch some Swedish TV. A detective series, something with lots of blood and not too many long monologues.
Yes I heard you, teacher.
This grammar is important.
And if I want to speak ‘well’, I’ll need to get to grips with it.
But speaking well isn’t my priority.
Understanding what I read and hear comes MUCH higher up my list.
As does being able to express my thoughts, accurately or otherwise.
Just having the confidence to talk about whatever I want, and make myself understood, would be great!
So that’s priority number one for me.
You think I make a lot of mistakes?
You’re doubtless correct. But at this point that’s not important to me.
Maybe it never will be.
You know what they say about dogs walking on their hind legs?
It’s not that they do it well, but that they can do it at all.
Ditto for me speaking a foreign language.
Staying upright and moving forward is the goal, not working on eventually becoming Fred Astaire.
OK, she conceeded. We don’t have to study grammar the whole time…
Pleased to hear it, I said, and thanks for the interesting conversation. See you next week!
Which brings my back to studying Italian.
And arguing with your teacher.
He or she may, in fact, know less about language-learning than you do.
So, if you’re taking online lessons, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t make your priorities and preferences clear.
Don’t be an ass about it, of course.
Teachers deserve respect, too. And perhaps, sometimes, they’re right.
But if something isn’t working for you, don’t just assume that the teacher knows best.
Drop whatever it is like a hot brick and try something else.
When you find something that works, do more of it.
And as with investing, it’s usually a good strategy to diversify your portfoglio!
Don’t put all your eggs in the one basket.
So, here’s a list of ‘investments’ you might want to try out:
- learn more words (which?)
- study grammar (what?)
- improve your reading skills (which?) / develop a reading habit (how?)
- improve your listening skills (which?) / develop a listening habit (i.e. TV)
- understand typical pronunciation features (which?)
- pronounce common words and sentences appropriately
- read aloud longer texts i.e. a presentation or a speech
- know how and when to use day-to day phrases in speech
- master more complex speech, for example talking about your likes and dislikes, and the reasons for them
- become capable of even more sophisticated speech; describing your work, talking about current issues
- basic writing i.e. exchanging chat messages
- more extensive writing – an email, a short text
- complex writing – a job application, business letter, draft web page, a brochure
- build your ‘cultural knowledge’ about the country, the people, how they think and what they talk about
- do any of the above more easily and/or more effectively
I’m sure there are things I’ve missed.
But anyway, what’s important to YOU when you’re studying Italian?
Maybe it’s grammar, which at least is a familiar problem.
The one thing everyone remembers about studying a language at school, after all, is the grammar.
So great!
Italian has hundreds of thousands of words.
All the nouns are either masculine or feminine and all the verbs are either regular or irregular.
If grammar’s your thing, you’re going to love it.
Or, you could skip the boring bits for now and pick something else from the list.
Life is, after all, rather short…
A venerdì.
(To leave a comment on this article, click here, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and fill in the form. Unless you’ve had a comment published before, your comment will be held for moderation, so be patient. Or you could email me, but then other people won’t be able to read your views, which would be a shame, don’t you think?)
Andy P says
That’s a good list. Personally I need to have an underlying activity that drones on everyday (a bit like the drone on bagpipes I guess) I use Duolingo for that, then if I want to add a tune and time permitting I have an on-line lesson, try to read an article in a magazine (Il Venerdì is particularly good) or occasionally dip into a book. My wish I suppose like you is to be able to make myself understood and of course to understand others. As ever though, what seemed like an easy project 4 years ago is turning out to be trickier than anticipated.
Jim Andrews says
You talk a lot of sense, I like your articles.
Annick says
Ciao! Cercheró di scrivere in italiano…non é proprio un consiglio della vostra lista!?? 😉 Mi é piaciuto tantissimo il finale del articolo. In particolare…”When you find something that works, do more of it.” – Il processo di imparare una lingua é lungo, meglio trovare un modo per godere del camino, e cosí assicurasi di non mollare! Io aggiungerei la musica a questa lista perché mi piace tanto le canzoni! Imparare le parole di una canzone a memoria e poi praticarla in karaoke é divertente!!
carlos says
I enjoy a lot your long mails,this one in particular provides me with an excellent road map. Thanks.
Carlos
Kathy says
Daniel,
Just want you to know I appreciate all your encouragement with good ideas to aid in learning Italian. To be able to write a beautiful reply as Annick did, would make me so happy!
I also do duolingo everyday…235 days, have worked through various books and study guides, Italian tv, …
And I bought three of your books… and enjoy the free books you offer!!
I’m really enjoying those!! Mille Grazie! I listened to the audio on those books, then record my voice on my phone, reading in the book what the audio had done… it has helped me to notice where I need to change a pronunciation or accent etc.
But mainly I want to thank you for pushing in a good way, my road to Italian!
Ciao
Kathy
Zsuzsanna Snarey says
The full quote from Samuel Johnson goes,:
— ‘Sir, a woman’s preaching is like a dog’walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all.
Wasn’t he a sexist? Wouldn’t get away with it these days!
I do enjoy reading your thoughts and reading the books. I try to increase my vocabulary with Memorise which is similar to Duolingo but there is a point system and a leave table. I am very competitive and desperate to keep my no1 place for Level 7 all time. There is weekly, monthly and all time list.
I have also found an Italian lady from Rome over here on holiday who talked with me for 2 hours last week and is coming again tomorrow. I am so excited!
Pia Sabina says
Grazie Daniele, quello consiglio era proprio che io debba sentire oggi. Mi sono appena smessa i miei studi lunedi’ e mi sento terribile.e vorrei continuare ma non so come faccia.
Joan says
I agree with prioritizing what is important otherwise the task of learning a new language will overwhelm you BUT I have to take exception with having speaking “well” a lower priority when one of the top priorities is to be able to understand and communicate. No, you do not have to speak as if you had just won the Nobel prize for literature, but using incorrect grammar and pronunciation can mean the difference between communicating effectively or getting into trouble with some very awkward miscommunication. In my case gli italiani congiuntivi have opened up a door to not only speculation but politeness and the mispronouncing double consonants has led me into some embarrassing situations .
Rosemary Wells says
Thank you for this list, it might plug a few gaps! Since my classes stopped I have been trying to learn Italian on my own. I look forward to your e-mails and invariably find something interesting and worthwhile in them. I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into them. I know I need to improve my listening skills so I think Annick’s idea of songs with words we could learn is a good one.. I have enjoyed reading all the books I have bought from you but also know I need to spend more time listening to the text.
Claire says
I totally agree! I recently had an experience that confirmed this. We hosted a South American lady for a week. Her English was very poor but she loved talking! Consequently she had learned a lot of vocabulary and we rarely had to look anything up. When we did it was mostly because of poor pronunciation. Her grammar was very poor, but we could understand her, most of the time. Even when she used the wrong words, we knew what she meant. So she didn’t need a lot of grammar to communicate effectively, though she could have invested more time in listening and practising pronunciation.
Catherine F Mitchell says
I agree. I’m an Italian teacher. To be more accurate I am teaching conversational Italian classes to adults. I do it as a volunteer and was not a teacher in my work life. However, I have a B.A. and M.A. in Italian language and culture and lived in Italy for 10 years. I’m teaching conversational Italian because that’s what I would have liked to learn. I spent my junior year in Italy. I could read Dante, but couldn’t order a meal in a restaurant. So, I understand your comments completely.
That said, when I did start to speak I had an excellent background in grammar. I feel some grammar is important and try to strike a balance – not always easy. Also, not everyone learns that same way, so it’s hard to suit everyone’s needs. One thing that I emphasize – and you seem to do the same – is that in order to learn you should do something every day AND when you find something that works for you, keep at it. In the meantime I try to do a little of everything. Why do I teach? I’m hoping to groom a bigger Italian speaking community so that I have people to talk to in Italian.
Leslie says
Thanks again, Daniel –
Your message helps temper some of us who are driven by precision. Ah, if only those of us could.be as relaxed as you about what we’re individually willing to accept as a reasonably decent online lesson! Thanks for helping remind us that perfection probably isn’t going to happen, but basic communication is achievable.
Danielle says
Thank you for your article. It was very interesting and a dilemma I constantly battle with. My aim is to be able to speak italian. I wanted to learn it properly and if anything, I found that has been a hinderance. Grammar is important and necessary. Sometimes I find I don’t want to speak in case I make a mistake. I have conversation lessons and sometimes come away very frustrated because I am being constantly corrected. I understand that is my teachers job but I sometimes feel I am not moving forward.
In contrast I went to Bologna a couple of years back and we stayed in a little bed and breakfast where the owner spoke a bit of English. We spent over an hour discussing all sorts of topics where I probably made many mistakes but the elation I felt when I left. If I could do that more often I wouldn’t have the feeling I want to give up. Having a lesson is not the same as speaking with a person in normal circumstances.
I also find going to Italian towns annoying in terms of language. Too many speak good enough English. When I try ( I suppose because the group is English ) they always reply in English! When we go in more rural areas they are often glad that they don’t have to try and manage in English. My point is grammar is important but also being able to realise that you can communicate is important as well.
Lynne says
Thanks Daniel, as always your articles are useful and amusing., It is easy to ‘get lost’ when learning a language.. it is not ossible to focus on everything at once so yes I agree you need to prioritise and remember that your priorities will change.. Keep up the good work
Edwin says
As usual you make sense Daniel your E mails are always enjoyed & appreciated,just as a little encouragement to others I started learning Italian when I was 60 Anni ,I had been made redundant &I wanted something to keep my mind active ,I am now 77 &still going !,no I am not fluent but if spoken slower I can understand Italian &can reply even if it is not perfect grammatically,but surely that is the point,I prefer to go to places in Italy where English is not widely spoken &if English is widely spoken ask the other person if they would speak Italian to you slowly, usually the Italians are pleased that you are learning their language, don’t despair &don’t give up
Martha Owens says
I am one of those who has been studying the language completely on my own on the computer. I have always gone from one place to another and saved all the bookmarks I can. I was hesitant to speak because I knew enough to know how bad I spoke, so I din’t…..I am a performance phob, ahahah. Other people were more worried about me not speaking than I did. Now I have improved enough and learned enough to know I am doing very well with my Italian so I hesitate but do it and enjoy it. A language partner willing to write is the best and I was lucky to find one that I have been writing with for close to four years. I have delved into reading now more than before with the specific intent of improving my vocabulary…. I look up words and the related forms and context (when I am being super studious), and I try to make note of sentence structuring.
All in all, you do what you do and if you don’t stop, you get there. It’s always good to go back to the things you turned away from and revisit them. The second time (or third or fourth) you may be surprised and grasp it easily.
I am rambling. ahahaa, but maybe someone will get something out of this anyway.