Let’s start with the Italian proverb: ‘Sbagliando, s’impara’ by making mistakes one learns. We also say that it is neither necessary to have an Italian school close to home, nor to be kid or young people to learn Italian. We conclude by saying that an important part of learning to speak Italian is building your self-confidence. Why to face the effort to learn Italian? Because, let me say, it makes you happy!
The effort that makes you happy: imperfetto or passato
One of the great dilemmas for students of Italian as a foreign language is always: when do I use the imperfetto and when do I use the passato? I use the imperfetto to tell about habitual actions and underline their indeterminate duration. To talk about repeated actions an indeterminate number of times.To talk about events simultaneous to the past and to describe. I use the passato instead for actions that are punctual and concluded in a defined period. To specify the number of times the action has been repeated. To talk about subsequent actions and to make the story proceed over time. Do you want more, see this video.
The effort that makes you happy: pronouns
Another nightmare for non-native lovers of the Italian language are the pronouns. There are so many and different kinds: the direct object pronouns, the indirect object pronouns, the combined pronouns, ‘ci’, ‘ne’, the pronominal verbs and so on. How to manage them? One step at a time and giving you the time not only to understand how they work but also to be able to use them autonomously and obviously to make mistakes. Remember: you learn by making mistakes! If you want to go deeper here are some useful links to start or to master it.
The effort that makes you happy: prepositions
And finally something truly rebellious, which does not submit to any rules and whose variability terrifies students and teachers: prepositions. As children we learn a harmless little song: di, a , a , da , in , con , su , per , fra, tra. Then, things get complicated and we understand that prepositions introduce some obscure complements with the funniest names: of agent, of state, of efficient cause and so on. Don’t be afraid and consult these useful links to get started!
Do not forget that Italyamo has created modules on these topics: passato versus imperfetto, direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, combined pronouns and prepositions to help you gradually and actively learn and use them. Follow us and you will no longer be afraid of Italian language!