How to learn Italian numbers
One of the first items on the list if you wish to learn Italian is the numbers. These are mostly easy to grasp, have a predictable pattern and, in no time, you will be able to count from 1 to...
Elsa Morante L’ISOLA DI ARTURO – Italian Book Club
Elsa Morante L’ISOLA DI ARTURO Title: L’Isola di Arturo Author: Elsa Morante Published: 1957 Why we read this book in our book club For this session of our book club, we have chosen L’Isola di Arturo by Elsa Morante. Morante...
Alessandro Baricco SETA – Book Club
Title: Seta Author: Alessandro Baricco Published: 1996 Why we read this book in our book club For this session of our book club, we have chosen Seta by Alessandro Baricco. We have chosen this book because the story is intriguing...
Three steps for reading in a foreign language: solving the jigsaw puzzle
Three steps for reading in a foreign language Why is reading in a foreign language so important for learning it? Why is reading in a foreign language difficult? Are there any techniques to make it easier? Read on to find...
Book Club Reading: Un ragazzo normale
Learning Italian by joining a book club Book Club Selected Reading Title: Un ragazzo Normale Author: Lorenzo Marone Published: 2018 The author and the book Lorenzo Marone was born in Naples in 1974. He worked as a lawyer for ten...
Book Club: La lunga vita di Marianna Ucrìa
La lunga vita di Marianna Ucria di Dacia Maraini Book Club – 7 giugno 2021 È un romanzo storico, pubblicato da Rizzoli nel 1990 e vincitore del Premio Campiello. È stato pubblicato in 24 lingue ed è il libro di...
The Italian Book Club
Italian book club Now that you have achieved a higher level of Italian you might want to read authentic material. Reading Italian literature and specifically novels is one of the best ways to improve your Italian language, expand your...
Lesson 1 Italian for beginners – Introductions
Introduction in Italian language Here are the basic phrases that you need to get you started in Italian: Your very first phrases… (click on the pictures to enlarge) For example: Ciao, mi chiamo Laura e sono Italiana. Can you write...
The Italian alphabet – l’alfabeto italiano
Italian alphabet What is a phonetic language? Italian is a phonetic language and this means that – for the most part – it is pronounced as it is written. This is good news if you are learning Italian. Consequently, compared...
Il carnevale italiano (level A2+)
What is Carnevale in Italy all about Vi siete mai chiesti in cosa consiste il carnevale italiano? Perché si celebra, quando si celebra e perché si portano maschere e travestimenti? Perché gli italiani dicono: “A carnevale ogni scherzo vale”? Continua...
The Italian Carnival
Italian carnival traditions So, what is the Italian Carnival, why do people celebrate this, when do they celebrate it, why do they dress up in costumes and what is the importance of the masks? And furthermore, why do Italian say:...
Learning Italian at Parla Italiano: what to expect from our zoom classes
Learn italian language online Have you ever thought how great it would be to start learning a new language, but never really did anything about it? Perhaps you felt it was daunting or thought that you were never good at...
Il nostro Natale (livello A2)
Learn Italian culture 28 Dicembre 2020 Il blog Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language)....
Il nostro regalo di Natale (livello A2)
18 Dicembre 2020 Il blog Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language). Come inizia la...
Le vecchie decorazioni (livello A2)
Italian christmas decorations 11 Dicembre 2020 Il blog Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language)....
A year to forget and a learning revolution to continue
How difficult is italian to learn A year we will remember 2020 has been a year that most of us will remember; a sad time for some and a difficult time for most. To say that the virus has changed...
La prima neve (livello A2/B1)
Italian alps snow 4 Dicembre 2020 Il blog Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language)....
Il Presepe (livello A2)
Traditional italian nativity 27 Novembre 2020 Il blog Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language)....
Un cielo stellato (livello A2+)
Italian night sky 20 Novembre 2020 Il blog Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language)....
Il confinamento in Italia (livello A2)
Italian cities lockdown coronavirus 13 Novembre 2020 Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language). Sono...
La misteriosa cassetta di kiwi (livello A2)
Italian kiwi Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language). I kiwi misteriosi Oggi sono scesa...
La riscoperta di casa (livello A2/B1)
Italian landscape 30 ottobre 2020 Ecco un’altra puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language). Sono un’insegnante di...
Il nostro autunno in Italia (livello A2)
Autumn in Italian 21 ottobre 2020 Ecco la seconda puntata del nostro blog. Questo può essere complementare alla vostra lezione di italiano (Italian class). Può aiutarvi a capire la cultura italiana (Italian culture) e la lingua italiana (Italian language). La...
La nostra nuova vita in Italia (livello A2)
Moving to Italy Ottobre 2020 Sono italiana, ma vivo a Londra da decenni, sono sposata con un uomo inglese e abbiamo due figli. Abbiamo una casa in Italia e tutte le estati passiamo lì le vacanze. La nostra casa si...
Learning Italian during the pandemic
How to learn italian language online The last few months have been a difficult period due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been a sad time for some and a difficult time for most due to the lockdown restrictions. Although...
Learning Italian: It only takes a 1000 words
Learn 1000 Italian words The other day, I came across this bit of information which I thought was really interested: it only takes a 1000 high frequency words to understand most of what is said ordinarily in a foreign language, in fact between 80% and 95% of what is said. Considered from...
What to expect from your Italian class
Learn italian classes So, what can you expect from our Parla Italiano classes, what can you expect to learn after a term, and what kind of teachers and methods are used in our classes? Here is the answer: Parla Italiano,...
Learning a language successfully: you only need one rule
How to successfully learn a new language After many years of teaching Italian to adults I have come to the conclusion that for learning successfully there is only one rule: don’t give up! Recently, a person that I don’t know...
Italian classes for children and the importance of movement
Italian classes for children In our Italian classes no matter what the student age is, we never just sit on a chair but we offer a variety of activities so that our students can move. We believe that learning takes...
Seven Italian words you think you know
English italian words Latin influence in the English language Latin and later the Italian language have had a strong influence on the English language in the past. This is usually an advantage when learning Italian as a great deal of...
Learning Italian at Parla Italiano: what to expect
Is Italian hard to learn for English speakers Have you ever thought how great it would be to start learning a new language, but never really did anything about it? Perhaps you felt it was daunting or thought that you...
5 WAYS TO BE MORE ITALIAN IN LONDON THIS SUMMER
You don’t necessarily have to hop on a plane to feel like an Italian this summer! London is bursting with Italian culture; amongst its many restaurants, events and art, there is no excuse for you not to practise your language...
Seven habits of highly effective language learners
7 habits of highly effective learners In language learning, no matter where you start from, you can achieve your goal if you believe you can. Looking at what the most successful learners do can be inspirational. Learning a language is...
Successful language learning: learning from the children
How to successfully learn a language The fundamental elements of learning a language are only a few: being exposed to it by hearing lots of it and putting it into practise by speaking at any opportunity are two of them....
Three simple steps to enable children to learn a second language
How do children learn a second language Children’s brains are designed for learning and they are natural at learning languages. Find here three simple steps to help them. When it comes to languages children are like sponges, they are able...The story of our school
Palmers Green Tales has visited our school and asked about our story. Please see their video:...
Teaching Italian to children – storytelling
How to teach Italian to a child Parents who are interested in our courses for children have been asking us, how do you teach? So here is a small example of a teaching technique that we use at Parla Italiano....
Children learning: hidden benefits of a second language
Should children learn a second language? Learning a second language might be good to enhance a person’s career prospect and often comes in handy when you go on holiday. However, there are deeper reasons and benefits for offering your child...
Interview for Palmers Green Tales
Palmers Green Tales has visited Parla Italiano, our school of Italian for adults and children in Palmers Green and interviewed Laura Scaramella to know more about the school and her projects. Please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sQeE3HBdmE...
Italy, the cultural cornucopia
What is the culture of Italy Italy is so rich with cultural and natural attractions that even if you have been before, you can easily choose different and less obvious places to visit. When I talk to people about Parla...
Italy and its food etiquette: when in Rome do as the Romans do.
Find out how to eat and drink in Italy, what are the authentic customs and rituals, and what is the Italian food etiquette. If you want to make the most of your holiday to Italy please read on. In addition,...
Italian is the language of music
Why is italian the language of music This beautiful language is the language chosen by Mozart for many of his most famous operas. Indeed, it is considered the language that sings, and it has been associated with music for more...Enigma and the game of learning a language
Learning a language is like a game, not necessarily because it is easy, but because that should be the spirit when you attempt it. Have you seen the film The Imitation Game? This is about Alan Turing, an English mathematician...
The secret fountain of youth: learning in later life
Learning in later life It is only after having had children that I discovered the Palmers Green community. Now, when I go out each day, I always meet somebody I know either from the school, the nursery, the tennis club,...
The magic of learning: understand and love the process of learning and you can learn anything.
The process of learning a language Isn’t this statement alluring? I can learn anything I want. If you are cynical, you might think: here it is another of those big statements that are in fact pure marketing or one might...
How to learn a language effectively: a few ideas to complement your class
How to learn a language effectively First of all, if you are interested in learning a language find yourself a class. Even Bill Gates tried to do it alone and didn’t manage. A tutor will help you strengthen your motivation...
Learning a foreign language as an adult: my experience
Best way for adults to learn a foreign language There are a lot of people who believe that it is not possible to learn a language as an adult. They think so because there are a lot of misconceptions about...