Comments on: Yes, You Can! (Speak Italian)

By: Emalene Renna

Emalene Renna — Fri, 21 May 2010 22:16:24 +0000

So right about Florence, think I heard more English walking down the street in Florence then walking down the street in New York City. I’m planning to go to the school in Ragusa for three weeks in October. Any suggesgtions Also great practice is through conversation exchange I use Skype and made an exchange friend, he helps me with my Italian and I help him with English.
It’s great fun we talk about politics etc. he claims Berlosconni is Italy’s Bush but loves Obama. A great cultural exchange, except thanks to the banking crisis his company went bankrupt and now hhe is unemployed. I really feel for him

By: Elmer Kotas

Elmer Kotas — Sat, 01 May 2010 14:39:41 +0000

Andrea Bocelli is truly a master. He has a super great voice that sounds heavenly.

By: Jann

Jann — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:28:32 +0000

Thanks Catherine for all these good tips! I laughed when you recommended NOT going to Florence. I think you’re absolutely right about not having to use much Italian there!

By: passagetoitaly

passagetoitaly — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 06:11:29 +0000

Hi! Let me first say that I love your blog and the photography that accompanies it.
And I’ve even subscribed to it! As for your question about tips, if you have the
opportunity, do a study abroad program. It’s a must, and it’s the best way to really
learn the language. I wouldn’t recommend going to Florence. Many people speak English there, and I think it will hinder your potential to learn. If you can’t make it to Italy, enroll in an Italian conversation class at a community college, in a university, or at a language school. You should have at least a basic understanding of Italian, before going into such a class. But once you can going into a conversation class, it will really help. It will force you to speak the language, but only if your teacher strictly enforces speaking just Italian. It’s ok if you make mistakes. You won’t speak perfect Italian, and Italians don’t expect you to. They will be happy you are trying! With time, your pronunciation and grammatical errors will get better over time.

Hope this has helped, and good luck!

Catherine

By: jann

jann — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:03:53 +0000

Ciao Antonio–e se vengono gli amici a Ibla, dimmelo. Forse posso essere utile (I was going to write “Forse posso aiutarli/aiutargli/aiutarle” This is what always trips me up!)

By: Anthony J. Zangara

Anthony J. Zangara — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:50:21 +0000

Cara Jann, hai ragione che Ibla e’ bellissima e molto barocca. Ho dei amici che potrebbero essere interessati in questa scuola. Grazie per averci avvisato. Antonio

By: jann

jann — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:38:52 +0000

Quien sabe, indeed. Maybe the locals decided to trick her and speak in their local dialect…

By: Janet

Janet — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:39:34 +0000

Thanks for the links to the language websites, Jann. I’m going to mail those to my sister who has studied Italian for years. Even so, she told me that when she went to Italy to find some our family members, she could barely understand what people were saying. Was it her? Or the type of studies she had received? Quien sabe.

By: jann

jann — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:08:20 +0000

I know what you mean about still struggling with the native tongue!

By: Susan Ploplys

Susan Ploplys — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:41:13 +0000

I’m still struggling with English. Wish I could be of more help. S

By: jann

jann — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:40:05 +0000

You are so right. I remember listening a thousand times to Andrea Bocelli’s Con Te Partiro when I first started getting into Italian–the words from the song just stuck (and I also learned future tense). DId anyone see him the other night on the Grammys? Hair a little grayer, but still amazing. Here are the lyrics:
CON TE PARTIRÒ
F. Sartori / L. Quarantotto

Quando sono solo
sogno all’orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
Si lo so che non c’è luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole,
se non ci sei tu con me, con me.
Su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso,
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada.

Con te partirò.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivrò,
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più,
con te io li vivrò.

Quando sei lontana
sogno all’orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
e io sì lo so
che sei con me,
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,
mio sole tu sei qui con me,
con me, con me, con me.

Con te partirò.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivrò.
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più,
con te io li rivivrò.
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più,
con te io li rivivrò.
Con te partirò.
Io con te.
© 1995 Insieme Srl / Double Marpot Ed. Musicali

By: Giovanna Bellia La Marca

Giovanna Bellia La Marca — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:25:47 +0000

Dear Jann,
I taught Art, Medical Illustration and Computer Graphics for twenty years at my Alma Mater, the famed Bronx High School of Science, where I also introduced Italian which I taught for the first two years. I always urged my students to listen to songs in Italian and to sing along. You learn phrases, vocabulary, you gain fluency, and you enjoy yourself at the same time.
Divertitevi a cantare mentre imparate la bella lingua Italiana.