I studied Italian at school and at university and lived in Rome for nearly 5 years. I have started up an Italian school and have been considering some interesting ways to teach the Italian language. I listed the top 5 things I love about Italy and came up with:
- Amazing food
- Stunning landscape
- Romantic language
- Friendly people
- Beautiful art and architecture
So I thought - what about teaching Italian through love and awareness of these wonderful aspects of Italy? Lesson 2 explores the beautiful Italian landscape of Italy which varies from the nord (north) to the sud (south) of the peninsula and out to the isole (islands). Each regione (region) is different, and the landscapes include:
* Città: Cities
* Campagna: Countryside
* Paesi: Villages
* Montagne: Mountains
* Mare: Sea
* Colline: Hills
* Campi: Fields
* Vigneti: Vineyards
* Fiumi: Rivers
* Boschi: Woods
* Scogliere: Cliffs
* Vulcani: Volcanos
* Laghi: Lakes
* Canali: Canals
* Piste da sci: Ski slopes
* Spiagge: Beaches
To ask for directions to these places in Italian, we would say:
* Dov’ è la spiaggia?: Where is the beach?
* Dove sono le montagne?: Where are the mountains?
* Il lago è qui vicino?: Is the lake near here?
* Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare sulle piste?: How long does it take to get to the slopes?
* È lontana la città?: Is the city far away?
* Come faccio ad arrivare in campagna?: How do I get to the countryside?
To describe the landscape we can see, we can use adjectives like:
* Bello/a: Beautiful
* Stupendo/a: Wonderful
* Favoloso/a: Fabulous
* Fantastico/a: Fantastic
* Impressionante: Impressive
* Straordinario/a: Extraordinary
* Mozzafiato: Breathtaking
* Pittoresco/a: Picturesque
* Animato/a: Bustling, busy
Some example sentences using the vocabulary above are:
* Il bosco è bello: The wood is beautiful
* La vista è mozzafiato: The view is breathtaking
* I canali sono straordinari: The canals are extraordinary
* Il paese è animato: The town is bustling
* Quel vulcano è impressionante: That volcano is impressive
* Quest’isola è stupenda: This island is wonderful
That’s all for now, buon viaggio (enjoy your trip)!
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Italian Language Lesson 1: Amazing Food
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Alesha Keene is an Oxford graduate of Italian who is now back in London after years spent living and working in Rome as a language teacher and PR consultant. Alesha is CEO and Italian teacher at Alesha’s Italian Masterclass, which runs Italian immersion courses at authentic Italian café’ in Borough Market (London Bridge). You can contact her at italianmasterclass@hotmail.com or through Facebook or Twitter. Her website it www.italianmasterclass.co.uk.
