Rosetta Stone for Italiano

[Guest greatness]

oh my

 

That's hot!

 

 

And oh ma donna! tutti gli uomini a milano sono belle

[raulgmanzo]

...I suggest you contact the Italian Consulate in Chicago...

 

I second that advice. Years ago I spent a few afternoons in some italian classes at the consulate. Really nice folks, and it was fun to see and

meet some of the folks who traipsed through the consulate.

Sadly it didn't work with my schedule, at the time I was working far out in the suburbs. So I checked out the

classes at the Italian cultural center in the western suburbs. Very old fashioned, rigid, dogmatic and one fellow

student said he was learning more English than Italian. I remember one student telling me that the teacher was so great and

so she was enrolling for her like 4th or 5th year of beginning Italian. Hmmm didn't think that was a very good endorsement.

 

In any case I agree with others that there is nothing like going to the country and immersing yourself in it.

[whipped guy]

The three most important Italian words/phrases to know...

 

1. Sciopero... As in we are on "strike".

 

2. Oggi è festa... "Today is a holiday"... and there are about two holidays a week in Italy... for a variety of saints, holy days, luminaries, events, plus at least one for every shape of macaroni as well.

 

3. Chiuso... "Closed"... either because it is a holiday, or the workers are on strike... Plus they have something called "siesta" every day as well!

 

Actually the first Italian word I learned in Italy was indeed "sciopero"... the luggage handlers were on strike and the passengers had to go into the belly of the plane to retrieve their own luggage... so better than Rosetta Stone... and a word that I will never forget! Yes I got totally immersed!!!

 

I guess we live at too fast a pace here in the USA...

[+ ArVaGuy]

Italian Hand Gestures - Let's Not Forget the Hand Gestures

 

One more thing to add to this immersion aspect - Italians communicate with the hands more so than many other cultures. Two Italians can carry on a full conversation and never say a word. Here are a couple of examples. My grandmother used many of these as I recall.

 

 

 

 

 

[+ ArVaGuy]

The Italian Man who went to Malta

 

Three variations of a classic Italian joke. Enjoy!

 

And sorry for going just a bit off topic. :o

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx35ycCaJD8

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfolMi6C81E

 

 

And this one has nothing to do with the above joke at all.

 

[+ Gar1eth]

Wait! My high school French teacher is in this site? He always said he wanted to get his master's in library science and sit in the fifth floor of the Denver library cataloging pornography.

 

I'm betting your French teacher may not be able to define it-- but he'll know it when he sees it!

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

Romann or Anyone Else Interested in Study Abroad Programs,

 

I've known about this place for a long time unfortunately when I've had the time, I've had no money and versa-vice. It's the National Registration Center for Study Abroad. The website is http://www.nrcsa.com

They list several programs in Italy and multiple other countries.

 

Gman

[+ Italiano]

1. Sciopero... As in we are on "strike".

 

2. Oggi è festa... "Today is a holiday"... and there are about two holidays a week in Italy... for a variety of saints, holy days, luminaries, events, plus at least one for every shape of macaroni as well.

 

3. Chiuso... "Closed"... either because it is a holiday, or the workers are on strike... Plus they have something called "siesta" every day as well!

 

Actually the first Italian word I learned in Italy was indeed "sciopero"... the luggage handlers were on strike and the passengers had to go into the belly of the plane to retrieve their own luggage... so better than Rosetta Stone... and a word that I will never forget! Yes I got totally immersed!!!

 

I guess we live at too fast a pace here in the USA...

 

Yes, very important words!

By the way "siesta" is a Spanish word that's not really very much used here. Italians have their "riposo pomeridiano"

 

If you come to Italy these days (I am in Milan right now), it's very important to know also another word: "RUBY".

It's the name of the 17 years old Moroccan prostitute (the most famous of many) that the hidious Prime Minister Berlusconi has been accused of having sex with (of course accusation firmly denied by him!), TVs and newspapers don't speak of anything else!