OK, so the e-book offer should be finished by now. Thanks to everyone who bought one. Any problems, don’t hesitate to write to me for technical help, or for a refund.
So this week we’ll be ploughing on with the final three exercises in the series of B1 listening comprehensions, ready to start something new next week.
As usual, you should see an image with the task here below, and underneath that, the listening plug-in.
If you don’t see either one, click here to view this article on our website.
The transcript for this listening will be published next time. In the meantime, feel free to post your answers, or your own transcripts, as a comment on this post. Or, if you don’t have the courage, look at anything that others put up and compare your answers…
Have a good week!
Transcript
Here’s the text for the last exercise we published. If you missed it, or would gain from hearing it again as you view the transcript, click here.
Quando Jim e Mary hanno deciso di lasciare il lavoro e di trasferirsi in Italia, in molti, fra amici e parenti, sono rimasti colpiti da questa decisione.
Jim e Mary infatti sono sposati ormai da trent’anni e hanno deciso di cambiare la loro vita.
Da sempre infatti i due coniugi hanno passato la loro vita a Londra, impegnati tra il lavoro e la famiglia.
Hanno deciso di vendere la loro casa e comprare un casolare tra le colline della Toscana e di vivere una vita più sana in campagna.
Dopo aver cercato a lungo il posto giusto hanno trovato una fattoria molto ampia, con animali di ogni specie e vicino ad un bosco.
Inoltre il casolare si trova proprio vicino a quello di un loro caro amico italiano.
Il loro sogno è quello di aprire una scuola in cui i bambini possano conoscere la natura, imparare a prendersi cura degli animali e , ovviamente, imparare l’inglese.
Mary ama molto i bambini e a Londra lavorava come insegnante di inglese.
E’ una grande sfida, ma Jim e Mary sono pronti ad affrontarla.
P.S.
E-mails like this one are the way we publish new materials on our site and make sure our members are aware of them. Usually we commission them from our writers in a series, like this one. We add around 150 new exercises or texts a year. Our focus for now is on listening, because good, graded listening materials are generally harder to find, and because we think that listening (and reading) are fundamental to learning a language, but often neglected with respect to grammar and vocabulary study.
But, and this is the important part, these regular e-mails are not all there is on our site. There are approximately 1500 pages of free materials, including grammar, vocabulary and so on. Some of it is good, some less good, but all of it is original, all of it written by working Italian teachers, and all of it completely free.
(Paid for materials are also available, separately, in our online shop. Revenues from e-books and online lessons pay for the cost of maintaining the site and creating new free materials.)
Now, given the size of the site, and the fact that this is a ‘hobby’, not my main job, I hope you’ll excuse a certain degree of confusion and mess.
The best way to get around is to explore a little, to see what you can find that might be valuable to you.
I’d suggest you start by following these links:
- alphabetical index of ‘grammar lessons’ (not sorted by level…)
- alphabetical index of Italian exercises
- all free Italian material, organised by level from A1 (beginner) to C2 (proficiency)
As a closing note, I’d add that I have a budget for writing new exercises of several thousand euros, and no clear idea right now of what to spend it on.
Our teachers need to pay the rent and are waiting for instructions on what to start on next.
Suggestions would therefore be very welcome….
Is there anything you think we’ve missed?
Or done badly?
Or that there really isn’t enough of for your needs?
Maybe you have some ‘off-the-wall’ idea you’d like us to explore?
Help us develop our Italian club over the coming year – leave a comment on this post with your ideas.
Linda Cooper says
Please keep the listening exercises coming. I am at the A2/B1 level and there is no other online source for what you provide in listening. This is by far the most difficult skill for me. I listen over and over to increase my ability to “hear” what Italian sounds like, not in my head but when spoken by real people. Living in North Carolina, it is my only way to do this. THANK YOU. Grazie mille.
Daniel says
Hi Linda,
Yes, we’ll definitely be staying with the listening material. And lower levels. But what would you like to listen to? Monologues are easier, but the possibilities for topics are many…
Daniel
Nina Rault says
I dare to offer a transcript:
L’agenzia per la cerca di lavoro avverta che l’hotel Reale, struttura che si trova in Piazza Dante 11, cerca due lavatori per la stagione estiva, da maggio a settembre. I due lavatori si occuperanno di accogliere clienti, registrarli e consigliare loro la chiave della stanza. Inoltre si occuperanno di fare le prenotazioni delle stanze e di rispondere al telefono. Infine dovranno anche dare informazioni ai clienti sulla città, i luoghi a visitare e su come usare i mezzi di trasporto. È richiesta la conoscenza delle lingue italiano, inglese e francese. Coloro che verrano sunti riceveranno la buona paga e degli sconti al ristorante dell’hotel. Per fare domanda per questo lavoro è necessario consegnare il proprio curriculum vitae conforto presso l’hotel e entre le ore 20 di sabato 18 aprile. Chi verra scelto dovra far un colloquio con il direttore.
Daniel says
Brava, Nina!
John Thomson says
Hi Daniel
Two possibles –
1 the little words, and phrases that make the Italian language so beautifully Italian such as
a prepositions – da a di della etc. with examples of their use, it is easier for me to remember new concepts in context
b adverbs – sempre spesso etc
c conjunctions – allora quindi etc
d phrases non vale la pena
.
2 spoken conversion scenarios where a series of questions is posed and the pupil responds, his/her response is sent as an audio file (I believe ‘audacity’ is a free program ) your team respond with any corrections
e.g.shopkeeper “buongiorno desidera ?”
pupil “tre limoni e un eto di Mortadella”
shopkeeper “mi dispiace Mortadella non c’e altro?”
etc. etc.
Daniel says
Some good ideas there, John. That’s given me something to think about.
Karen says
I would agree with John and Linda. These listening exercises, at this level are essential to me at the moment and I almost need a daily. As you know, I also want loads more adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions as they can be slippery little word to remember particularly as they often don’t quite correlate with english. Idioms and phrases would be great because you cant tell from books which once are in current use. Language changes constantly and I live in dread of saying something quaint or old fashioned, overly formal or worse vulgar. I got in to a habit of saying “Dopo di Lei” to strangers in shops and queues which seemed to work ok but then I accidentally said it to a good friend who thought it was hilarious. So the real everyday stuff, polite but informal chit chat as well as important stuff. I rather like John’s idea I presume he means winging MP3 file to each other? A little less nerve wracking than Skype?
Is “Non ho capito un acca” still valid, because that got a laugh too! I am not confident to use the little gems like Boh(which I cqnt pronounce) uffa etc eh ehi but am getting the hang of a shrug. I think you are so right to point us at reading and listening.
Daniel says
Thanks for the ideas, Karen. The trouble is, with expressions and such like, that there’s so much of it, and it’s very context dependent and personal. Still, I’ll have a think about what you’ve said.
Daniel
Maria Iramendy says
Ciao Daniel:
Moltissime grazie per facilitare la conoscenza della lingua italiana gratuitamente tramite questa attività di ascolto.
Ci sono qualche parole che non ho potuto capire perché non le conosco. Nonostante, ecco il mio compito:
1) L’Hotel Reale circa lavoratori
a) per la stagione stiva
2) I due lavoratori dovranno
a) accogliere i clienti
c) rispondere al telefono
d) dare informazione
3) è richiesta la conoscenza di:
c) del inglese, francese e italiano
4) i candidati possono fare domanda
a) portando il curriculum vitae al Hotel
5) Bisogna fare domanda
a) entro le ore 20 di sabato 18 aprile
Daniel says
Ciao Maria, e brava!
Daniel
Sergey says
Ciao Daniel!
Le mie risposte sono queste:
1. b
2. a, c, d
3. c
4. a
5. a
Grazie!