Talk Like an Italian

Table of Contents Dedication Acknowlegements Introduction 1. History of the Italian Language 2. Dialects of the Italian Language 3. Our Language “Exchange” with Italy 4. Some Initial Thoughts about Learning Italian 5. A Few Hints to Get Started 6. Intro to Phonology and the Alphabet L’alfabeto 7. Italian Vowels 8. Italian Consonants 9. Pronouncing Italian Words 10. The Articles 11. Nouns and adjectives 12. Numbers, Days, Seasons 13. Italian Verb Forms 14. Subject Pronouns and the Present Tense 15. Auxiliary verbs: Essere e Avere 16. Simple Prepositions 17. Compound Prepositions 18. What time is it? 19. Irregular Verbs 20. The courtesy form 21. Possessive Pronouns 22. Passato Prossimo Tense 23. Irregular Past Participles 24. The Comparative 25. The Superlative 26. The Imperfect Tense 27. Difference between Imperfetto and Passato Prossimo 28. The Simple Future 29. Think Like an Italian 30. Translated Groupings 31. Some Cognates 32. Idiomatic Expressions and False Friends 33. Common Errors to Avoid Summary About the Author Italian Survival Phrases Vocabulary Lists Final Practice Exercise: Finding Our Way Appendix Answers to Practice Questions Final Practice Exercise Talk Like an Italian Rick Zullo Talk Like an Italian Rick Zullo Copyright © 2013 Richard S. Zullo All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored electronically, or transmitted in any way or form, whether physical, electronic, or otherwise without the expressed written consent of the author. DISCLAIMER: The content of this book is for informational purposes only. The author has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the material. However, no guarantee is provided regarding the information put forth. Furthermore, the author accepts no responsibility for the quality or nature of the content found within the external websites linked throughout the text. The links are provided as a convenience to the reader and does not imply an official endorsement by the author unless specifically stated. DEDICATION This book is dedicated to all of my Italian teachers in the past who have shared their passion for this beautiful language with me. Please visit my blog at: rickzullo.com “The limits of my language are the limits of my mind. All I know is what I have words for.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein ACKNOWLEGEMENTS I'd like to thank Jessica for her continued help and support - and for her determination in whipping my Italian into shape. I'd also like to thank my father for being my reader and editor. Grazie! INTRODUCTION Thank you for buying this book, and I hope that together we can accelerate your understanding of the Italian language. And when I say “understanding,” I’m talking about more than just grammar rules and a list of vocabulary. Yes, we’ll need to study those things, but we’re not going to stop there. We will also explore the evolution of the language and its interactions with Italian culture and history. This will give us a deeper awareness of why Italian exists in its current form, which will allow us to know more than we’ve actually studied. What do I mean by this? Well, what I mean is that we will sometimes be able to figure things out based on patterns that we’ve learned instead of relying on the things that we’ve memorized outright. At first, this will very much be a conscious process of deduction. But further down the road our brains will begin to do these “calculations” automatically. That’s why you’ll occasionally say something (correctly) that you didn’t even realize you knew. The truth is you didn’t know it until that very moment! Make no mistake: it’s going to take a dedicated effort on your part. Buying a book (or CD or software program) is a great first step, but none of those things work unless you commit to using them on a daily basis. It sounds obvious, but the majority of people who purchase these products never really use them, or at least not to their potential. Don’t be one of those. If I can give you one “magic tip” to help you along the way, it would be to make the decision to enjoy the process of language acquisition without focusing on the ultimate, long-term goal (to become fluent in Italian). It is a marathon, not a sprint, and it can be a satisfying journey if you view it that way. Find the joy in the small daily victories and don’t worry too much if your overall progress is slower than you’d like. In fact, I’d say this is a philosophy that we could borrow from our Italian friends: slow down and enjoy. So what makes this book any better than the rest? Well, to be honest, I don’t believe that there’s any one “best” way to learn a foreign language. You have to find the method that works best for you —but a good guidebook is essential no matter what your preferred system of study. Some might find watching Italian movies useful. Others benefit from the guided structure of a software program. Chatting with Italian friends via the Internet is a great way to practice. Indeed, a mix of all these exercises would probably be the best formula. But having a good lesson book in front of you is an essential tool regardless of those other resources. In moments of doubt, you can double-check yourself here. After you’ve read through the book once and absorbed the larger themes, keep it handy as a reference source to clarify a grammar rule or explain a general topic. ABOUT ME You may ask why I feel qualified to write a book on learning to “Talk Like an Italian” when I’m not a native speaker? An excellent and very fair question. But in fact, I would argue that having gone through the process of learning Italian as an adult myself, it actually makes me especially qualified to teach the topic to others in a similar situation. There is something called “The Curse of Knowledge.” This is the “curse” that some experts have which makes it hard for them to impart their expertise to a person at the beginner level. Having struggled through the various steps in the process myself, I believe that I’m more empathetic to the needs of an Italian learner than someone who grew up speaking the language naturally at home. I am therefore, perhaps, better able to explain things in a way that any beginner can understand, since I was in your shoes not so long ago. Furthermore, I’ve lived in Italy for several years and I am married to an Italian—an Italian language teacher, no less! (She helped me write the grammar sections of this book.) I have studied Italian both at the university level and at private language schools in Italy. And finally, I’m also a language teacher—an English teacher to Italians, which has given me further insight into the language learning process. I’ve witnessed this process from the reverse direction, which has given me a unique perspective as to the similarities and differences between the two languages. MY PERSONAL ITALIAN LANGUAGE JOURNEY After studying the language on and off for several years, I can say proudly and with confidence that I speak Italian. Maybe with a slight American accent, but I feel OK in affirming that I speak the language quite well. People back in the U.S. often ask me, “So what’s the best way to learn Italian?” My answer is simple: Come live in Italy. Yes, that’s sarcastic, because what they really mean to ask is, “What’s the best way to learn Italian without moving to Italy?” That, as they say, is another story. Here’s what happened to me during my first trip through il Bel Paese: I was travelling from Rome to Umbria and I had my plan all worked out: get off the train at Assisi, find a taxi at the station, and take it to my hotel in the nearby village of Spello. I even had an Italian friend write out the directions on a piece of paper to give to the driver. No problem, all set. I sat back on the train with my journal in hand and enjoyed the view of the Umbrian countryside slowly passing by my window. Then the train unexpectedly stopped at a small, non-descript station. I glanced out the window and lo and behold the large blue and white sign said, “Spello.” Should I get off? I wondered. It seemed to make sense—why go 15 kilometers past Spello all the way to Assisi only to take a cab back again? Much easier to just jump off now and go directly to the hotel, no? I tried to solicit the opinions of random folks on the train, but alas, nobody spoke a word of English. And my handy phrasebook was buried deep in my backpack—not so handy after all. Damn it! I had 30 seconds to decide. Impetuously, I grabbed my other suitcase and hopped down onto the platform just as the whistle blew. The train slowly pulled away and I turned around to gaze wistfully at the majestic Monte Subasio in the near distance. And there: the charming town of Spello, about 6-7 kilometers away, tucked up high on the mountainside. Ah…che bella! (This was nearly the full extent of my Italian vocabulary at the time). After enjoying the lovely panorama for a minute, I turned back around to find the station and locate suitable transportation to the town center.

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