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ho avuto paura di scrivere sul mio blog in italiano perché lo so che continuerò a sbagliare. Mia grammatica è ancora molto male, ma è va bene a sbagliare. È auita a imparare. Quindi, ciao, sono qui è sono provando a imparare Italiano.

#language learning #italiano #principante

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Wow mass input really does work. You really do have to just stick with it, find the right content and immerse as much as possible. It feels excruciatingly slow but its starting to work.

#language learning #comprehensible input

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Bloccato al film drive-in. 

Bollato come pazzo.

Cosa diranno

lunedì a scuola?

#grease #sandy #italian #translation #lyrics

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Scrivottobre giorno 9: Pressure

Il gruppo di avventurieri si muoveva con cautela all’interno del corridoio dell’enorme labirinto. Le luci delle torce baluginavano tremolanti sui muri pieni di criptici geroglifici ed incisioni.

Si raccontavano storie terribili su quel posto: la promessa di enormi ricchezze era messa in ombra dalle oscure e terrificanti storie di massacri di interi reggimenti, e di mostri venuti fuori direttamente dagli incubi più cupi. Ma gli avventurieri erano pronti, o almeno pensavano di esserlo, equipaggiati dei loro oggetti magici faticosamente conquistati, e carichi delle loro numerose esperienze passate di battaglie e vittorie. Erano convinti di poter affrontare qualsiasi cosa.

Alla testa del gruppo se ne stava il ladro, esperto di cunicoli polverosi e trappole. Procedeva lentamente, tastando con cautela le placche sui muri e osservando con la sua vista crepuscolare se fossero presenti fili tesi o altri tipi di mezzi d’attivazione fisica. Per uno strano scherzo del fato, il ladro emise però un grossolano errore: mise un piede su una piastrella a pressione, che si infossò lentamente con un lieve suono di pietra che scorre su altra pietra.

I sensi del ladro si misero immediatamente in allerta, era pronto a scattare e saltare lontano da qualsiasi cosa gli stesse per venire incontro. Delle placche sulle pareti si spostarono velocemente, lasciando intravedere per un solo istante numerosi fori, da cui fuoriuscì solo un lieve fiotto di aria.

Il ladro rimase immobile, sbigottito, poi si avvicinò ai fori per esaminarli meglio. Sembrava proprio una trappola a dardi avvelenati, eppure nulla era uscito. “Molto strano” rimuginò sottovoce, strofinandosi il mento.

“Cosa significa che abbiamo finito i dardi avvelenati?”

Il Lich Archamon, Signore Oscuro delle terre desolate, il flagello dei popoli liberi, ora stava sbracciando e sbraitando in direzione del suo maggiordomo coboldo, che si rannicchiava terrorizzato davanti alla furia del suo padrone.

“Come possiamo continuare a far chiamare questo posto il Labirinto del Dio Impazzito se nemmeno riusciamo a tenere le trappole cariche di dardi? Lo sai quanti avventurieri di altissimo grado e levatura sono morti qui dentro?”

Le cavità oculari del volto scheletrico del Lich emanavano un’intensa luce spettrale.

“Spiegami Arciboldo, com’è potuta accadere una cosa simile?”

Il maggiordomo tremava come una foglia, e si prese la coda tra le mani, quasi fosse una sorta di oggetto di conforto.

“S-sa Padrone, con lo sciopero delle carovane… e q-quel blocco di Altea nei confronti delle rotte commerciali con i labirinti. L-le cose sono state un po’ complicate Padrone.”

In quel momento la porta della stanza si spalancò, e gli avventurieri entrarono nella sala finale.

Archamon tirò un sospiro esasperato, lanciando un ultimo sguardo fulminante al maggiordomo.

“Se sopravvivi a questo scontro te la dovrai vedere con me.”

Arciboldo deglutì sonoramente.

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#ref

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#short stories #yessss

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How I got a B2 in Italian in 1.5 years

Anon requested me to share my secrets with you and I will try my best to do so. I don’t use all of these resources very regularly, but I think they could all help you with your studies. Some of these resources will be in Dutch, because that happens to be my native language. I included them because there might be Dutch speakers reading this and some resources might also exist in other languages.

Dictionaries

Invest in a good dictionary!

Online dictionaries can prove very useful because they’re faster, but books are often more accurate

I use both, but am yet to find a good online Dutch-Italian dictionary

(For native Dutch speakers: I highly recommend Van Dale)

Duolingo

Vocabulary and grammar (app/website)

Took me about 6 months to finish

Use the desktop version: it’s where you can find the grammar

Take notes of the grammar!!

It’s not always 100% accurate but the basics are explained very well

Write down the vocabulary

I made a word document that went article + Dutch word/article + Italian word/article + Italian plural

(shoot me a message if you want it!)

I finished the tree before starting books, because I don’t like the idea of working with two (or more) different “full” resources at the same time

With “full” I mean that they’re not additional information you look up so you can understand a concept better, but actual resources that you’re going to study as a whole

Tinycards

Flashcards (app/website)

This app is also from Duolingo: for Italian, they’ve got flashcards for the Duolingo tree, so you don’t have to make them anymore! Sadly I only discovered this months after I finished the Duolingo tree so it wasn’t useful for me anymore, but honestly I think that’s a blessing if you want to repeat vocabulary! 

You can also make your own flashcards: you can keep them private or not and they’ve got audio.

Memrise

Vocabulary (app/website)

I heard a lot about it, saying it was good for vocabulary so I thought I should give it a try.

I didn’t like it, I don’t really know why: I think it’s a good app, it just didn’t work for me.

Quizlet

Flashcards (app/website)

Make your own flashcards or use decks made by others.

There are also other things like diagrams but I haven’t tried that so I wouldn’t know how it works

Tandem

Conversation practice (app)

It’s an app to chat with natives of the language you’re learning

Possibility to send voice messages, there’s an in-app dictionary, you can send pictures, you can video chat or call and most importantly: if there might be any problems, you can report and block.

I have not encountered a single person who is not there for learning, a problem that apparently exists on other apps.

You can also pay to get classes by teachers on there, and they’ve also got Tandem Pro without adds and probably some other advantages, but the free version is great as well

Beelinguapp

(Audio) books (app)

It’s mostly short stories and fairy tales

Some are paying, some not

You can turn on the audio

La Repubblica

Newspaper (app/website)

I turned on notifications for this one, so I can see what the important stuff is in Italy right now

I don’t often read whole articles, but I should because it’s great reading practice + you learn about politics, culture…

Newspapers often use a more difficult language, so I recommend this to people who are intermediate

Assimil Italian

Vocabulary + grammar (book)

I started this after finishing the Duolingo tree and then it’s not useful, because it starts from scratch.

Good alternative if you don’t like using apps like Duolingo

It has audio’s

(Got it from @lovelybluepanda)

Colloquial Italian

Vocabulary + grammar (book + CD)

I only got the book and not the CD (I got the book from lovelybluepanda‘s account, idk if she’s even got the CD?)

I liked it, although too easy because I had already finished Duolingo.

Very good grammar explanations

Modern Italian Grammar

Grammar (book)

Just plain grammar, but great explanations

I started taking notes from it, but rn I’m redoing it because 1) I should revise my grammar 2) the first notes I made were awful 3) I didn’t even get to 1/3 of the book

It’s a lot, but I love it

It has a workbook! Great exercises!

I also got this one from lovelybluepanda

Snelcursus Italiaans: grammatica

Grammar (book)

As you might have guessed, it’s in Dutch. But because it’s a translation from German (Durchstarten in Italienisch-Grammatikk) I thought there might be other translations out there :)

I use it to look up stuff, not so much to actually study from

Qui Italia più: corso di lingua italiana per stranieri: livello medio (quaderno di esercitazioni pratiche)

Exercises (book)

This one is completely in Italian

Varied exercises

Nuovo progetto italiano: quaderno degli esercizi

Grammar, vocabulary, exercises (book + CD’s)

Got this one at my language school in Rome and I quite like it (I got the B2 version)

Lots of different exercises, listening practice, reading, conjugations…

Diary

I’m not the type of person who keeps a diary but I’m trying to keep one for Italian and Norwegian. Just talking a bit about your daily/weekly activities, feelings… can make you feel more familiar with the language

If you’ve got a bullet journal, maybe you can do it in Italian?

Visit Italy

Easier said than done? You’re right about that.

I’ve recently spent 3 weeks in Rome with a language school while staying in a host family and honestly I learned so much. I don’t speak Italian with anyone here and speaking Italian all day long improved my level so much.

So if you have the possibility: plan a trip to Italy, talk with natives (in my experience: they’ll be more than happy to chat with you).

If people start to talk to you in English, don’t be scared to switch to Italian. Most of the time they’re very excited you speak the language!

Other tips

Switch your phone/tablet/computer/… language to Italian

Learn the alphabet!! 

A thing I was too lazy to do so after 1.5 years I still don’t know it and believe me, that can be annoying

Look for other resources! Especially in your native language!

Do not solely rely on this one post please

Follow as many Italian langblrs as you can: search for Italian vocab lists/grammar posts/… and follow the people who made them, there are also posts out there with lists of Italian langblrs (I’ll make a list with the ones I follow below)

Translate: I like to translate parts of wikipedia articles, Dutch to Italian or Italian to Dutch

Make a topic jar: lovelybluepanda has got a post with topic ideas

Listen to music, podcasts…

Watch Italian tv! Italian tv is unbelievably shitty but I like to watch quizzes in particular because if you don’t understand one part, that’s no problem: the next part will be about something different.

Read books! You can start with children’s books, from B1 books like the first Harry Potter books are doable, What I also find a good idea is reading a book in Italian that you’ve already read several times in your native language. That way you already know the story line and it’s not a problem if a certain part is too difficult for you

Italian langblrs/tumblrs

@langsandlit @italianformygirlfriend @italianwithilaria @organizedstudy @lingolden @dreamingindifferentlanguages @welcometoitalia @foxlanguages @songiprilingvoj @uranusstudies @languageswithceles @gollyplot @universallanguagelearner @livinglanguages @baronessoflanguages @a-study-in-shakespeare @fritalianblr @italianlangblr @sayitaliano @sciogli-lingua @languagestudyblr @suplanguages @learninghowtopasta @polyglottraveler

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Language learning tip #1

Learn a new language in a foreign language that you already know well

So I‘ve seen this idea somewhere, but I can‘t remember where it was. The trick is to learn a new language translating from another language that isn‘t your mother tongue. For example I started dabbeling in French by doing a Spanish Duolingo course. In my opinion this has following Pros:

You use both languages at the same time, so it‘s easier to incorporate them into your daily life since it can save you some time and even if you only want to learn one of the languages you need to use the other one anyway. That way you can be sure that you won‘t get rusty in one because you haven‘t used it in a while.

You learn to avoid mixing up the languages if they are very similar (e.g. If they are both romanian languages like French, Spanish or Italian). I feel like it helps because you get used to seeing them both next to eachother and you can see the differences between both pretty well.

If the “old“ foreign language is English, you probably will have a lot more material available.

I know it can be hard at the beginning and you obviously should be at least at an upper-intermediate level in one of the languages. But in my opinion it can be really effective on the long run, especially if you learn several languages.

Let me know in the comments, what you think about this tip and if you tried it!

Hope you are having a great day (or night)!

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Can Apps Make You Fluent?

So you downloaded Duolingo and you’re ready to start learning Spanish (or whatever language). You don’t really have many other language learning resources, but you have high hopes for your new language learning buddy. So the question is, how far can Duolingo or other language apps take you? What should it be used for and how can you take full advantage of it?

What Kinds of Apps Are There

The one’s that I have experience with are:

Fluent U – Various languages -Totally immersive app (recommended)

Lingodeer – Korean, Japanese, Korean only

Duolingo – Various languages – five minute a day image based studies

Babbel – Conversation based app for various languages

DuChinese – Only for learning to read Chinese (recommended)

Memrise – Various languages – Only flashcards (recommended)

Drops – Various languages (best for Asian languages) – uses beautiful images to help you retain vocab

Skritter – Only for reading Chinese characters

iTalki – Language learning community and online tutors

Seemile – Only Korean (recommended)

Hello Chinese – Like Duolingo but only Chinese

Chinese Skill – Ditto

Mondly – Various languages – practice conversation based learning

How Far Can Language Apps Take You?

Duolingo and other language learning apps are an EXCELLENT resource for beginners to learn initial vocabulary on the go. It has lots of reinforcement and cute little graphics to help you remember what you learn. However, once you reach lower intermediate in your studies (you are able to communicate basic ideas) these apps will become too elementary for you. They only serves as a mobile flash card system for learning vocabulary and perhaps grammar points. If you are a serious language learner, language learning apps will not even get you close to the conversational goals you may have. The reason is, they are not made for intensive study or for those who want to learn to speak or understand more complex language. They are made for five minute a day simple stuff that you can fit into little pockets of free time in your schedule.

Language learning apps also aren’t immersive enough. They present snippets of language sentences with some audio then the English equivalent. This is actually not too good in the intermediate level as you will need to remove yourself from your dependence on English and understand exactly why what word is being used where so you can USE WHAT YOU LEARN TO CREATE YOUR OWN SENTENCES. Apps don’t provide in depth explanations as to why words are placed where they are and what they REALLY mean. You also need constant conversation at normal, native speeds, not short sentences presented at small snippets at a time. So do not rely on language learning apps as your foundation for language learning ever! You should just treat them as just games.

Apps should be trusted at the beginner level and then it will be time to move on to more immersive resources like Yabla or Fluent U online.

How to Use Language Learning Apps

Language learning apps cannot make you fluent alone (surprise, surprise!). But they are wonderful if used in addition to your other language learning resources when you are on the train, on the bus, waiting for your food at a restaurant or you can schedule a couple of minutes per day to sit down and use your app. I recommend planning at least 15 minutes of usage per day to get the most out of your language learning app. They’re fun right? So it should be easy to pop ’em in your schedule. It may help to treat your app time as your relaxing time. Your real studying should be more intensive and involved, so the time you spend on your apps should just be fun time!

Happy learning!

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language learning tips from someone with autism

as a person with autism, i personally have a lot of trouble with processing speech in general—even in my native language, english. this is why i’ve struggled learning my family’s language, tagalog, and why i take a higher liking to writing than speaking. so, here’s some stuff that helps me learn languages easier!!

involve your body

this actually helps in general. pace around, move your body, mime/act out the words or sentences you’re memorizing. this is part of why learning ASL was so easy for me: i was able to utilize my hands and not just leave them to stim while i studied.

have a system, but make sure it’s clear and defined.

the hardest thing for my brain to comprehend is what to do when i get stuck or how to do things on my own. it helps when i have a clearly defined system—from tracking what i’m doing each day to how to motivate myself to reach further heights. just make sure to write your system down so you don’t forget and make sure you can physically track your progress. having a system also helps when you feel unmotivated, since it eases your anxieties and doubts about having made any progress at all.

when it comes to spoken languages, say the words out loud when doing flashcards.

hearing a word while reading it helps me comprehend it better. it also helps with pronunciation, reading, and thinking in your target language—especially since you’ll hear yourself say the word when you’re reading a text or something.

don’t know where to start? start with a dictionary!

what i mean by this is: start with an online dictionary with separated sections of vocabulary. learning vocabulary is key at first when you’re just starting to learn a new language. when information is grouped together, it always helps me remember it easier. besides, it provides an easy structure to follow.

find a grammar resource and stick with it.

once you find a resource to learn grammar from, use that as your main textbook. and only have one. it’s much easier to manage at first when you’re referencing one grammar system. later on, add in more sources if need be.

find your preferred way to practice.

for me, i love writing. therefore, i love texting and writing (or telling, depending on if it’s a non-spoken language like asl) stories in other languages. so, my preferred way of practicing language learning is writing sentences and reading them out. however, yours can be different. it can be like a game, where you score a certain amount of points based on what you got right in an exercise or every sentence you got right using a language grammar checker. it could be a completion tracker of sorts or a small snack. whatever way you love practicing or studying, use it here.

talk to yourself while you’re out and about.

the beauty of this is that you’re practicing a language but no one has to hear you personally. at least this way, you could go to a market where no one speaks that language and point out things and make sentences verbally. you can connect your body and speech to your environment better too.

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Tips for language learning.  Pt. I - The big stuff.

1. Download a language learning app. Before you groan, please listen. Apps such as Duolingo, Babbel, and Mango Languages are excellent for building up a basic vocabulary. Vocabulary words are the building blocks of language. 

2. Attain grammar and vocabulary exercise books. Apps can’t do it all for you. Traditional language learning materials feature professionally drafted explanations and exercises, and the good ones have answer keys in the back appendices. Apps generally don’t get into grammar; actual books will cover that base for you. 

3. Little by little makes a lot. Aiming to study 4 hours a night every night will exhaust you, especially if you intend to spend four hours taking in new material. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Spend whatever you can do without tuckering yourself out, be that ten minutes a day or 45 minutes a day, but don’t push yourself too hard. Know how you best learn, and apply that strategy.

4. Watch videos in your target language, preferably with target language subtitles and your native language subtitles turned on simultaneously. Even if the material is far above your level, you will pick up on the cadence of the language, idioms, and slang. When ready, turn off your native language subtitles and read along with the target language subtitles as it is spoken. When comfortable, turn those off, too, and prepare to go off-roading with only your listening skills. 

5. Keep a target language journal every day, and practice reading it aloud. You can write about what you did that day, or you can follow easy writing topics such as How do you like to spend your summer? What is your work schedule like? Where do you live, what is your home like? etc. Journaling like this will increase your conversational skills, because these are topics that frequently come up. 

6. Talk to yourself in your target language as much as possible. Many of us don’t have the luxury of native speakers at our disposal at all times. Narrate your day as you go through it at home in privacy. You will gain confidence will simple phrases and become comfortable with using the language.

Following the above tips will exercise the target skills of: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

***Remember: learning a language is like learning a musical instrument. You can read books on the concept of it all day long, but if you don’t ever actually practice the instrument, you will be lost. So read, listen, and speak as much as you can!