Login

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

March 29, 2024, 10:28:23 am

Author Topic: Italian Questions?  (Read 2932 times)  Share 

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Larry.c

  • Guest
Italian Questions?
« on: March 18, 2012, 02:41:18 pm »
0
Hi,
I have a few questions about preparation for Unit 3&4 this year (2012).
1. What I find most difficult is listening activities. Is there an effective way to prepare or practice these skills?
2. I was wondering whether there is any kind of study guide (same sort of thing as the 'Leading Edge Books' or 'Checkpoints') for Italian?
3. What is the best piece of advice you can give me for Italian this year? I adore the language and honestly can't get enough of it and I really want to do well in the subject. I attempt to speak with my mother who is fluent in Italian too.
Thanks. ;)

Stick

  • Victorian
  • ATAR Notes Legend
  • *******
  • Posts: 3774
  • Sticky. :P
  • Respect: +467
Re: Italian Questions?
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2012, 08:28:24 pm »
+1
Hey Larry. I'm doing Italian Units 1&2 this year, so I somewhat understand what you're going through. Unfortunately there aren't many students on the forum studying this language so help can be a bit sparse.

To answer your questions:

1. Your textbook should have a CD at the back, or have some computer supplement. Generally there are some listening exercises on them. If not, talk to your Italian teacher and she might be able to provide you with some extra resources.

2. I'd recommend swinging by Co.As.It. in Carlton if you ever have the time. Co.As.It a major Italian resource centre and there's a lot of people there that can help you out too. My teachers have used their resources in class and the material is quite good.

3. Practice, practice, practice!!! Once the grammar has been mastered, writing in Italian is very simple. Also try to speak the language as much as possible, because this helps you in both speaking and listening Italian.

Sometimes, a member here called tisaraiscool and myself practice speaking in Italian over the site's IRC chat. If you ever see me online, feel free to start up a conversation and we can practice together. My Italian is pretty good for a Year 11 student, if I may say so myself. :P
2017-2020: Doctor of Medicine - The University of Melbourne
2014-2016: Bachelor of Biomedicine - The University of Melbourne

Starlight

  • Victorian
  • ATAR Notes Superstar
  • ******
  • Posts: 2948
  • Respect: +275
Re: Italian Questions?
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2012, 10:44:03 pm »
0
Hi,
I have a few questions about preparation for Unit 3&4 this year (2012).
1. What I find most difficult is listening activities. Is there an effective way to prepare or practice these skills?
2. I was wondering whether there is any kind of study guide (same sort of thing as the 'Leading Edge Books' or 'Checkpoints') for Italian?
3. What is the best piece of advice you can give me for Italian this year? I adore the language and honestly can't get enough of it and I really want to do well in the subject. I attempt to speak with my mother who is fluent in Italian too.
Thanks. ;)

Yooo, I did 3/4 :)

1. Yep listening was definitely worst for me, start off listening to the text maybe 3/4 times than reduce to 2 times and stuff. You should aim to get as much info as you can for the first listening and the second should be used to effectively fill in the gaps you may have missed out on. Dictation can often help to recognise certain words and just get regular exposure to different people's italian speaking voices, as they will differ in the end of year exam. And of course movies, with/without italian subtitles are great, perhaps watch a movie you've seen in english before and watch the italian version so you know what's going on at first. Then maybe for your third/ fourth time you can watch an unknown italian movie with/without italian subtitles and write a little summary about a seen you saw. Italian music is great too. Also be aware of your timing, you MUST write as fast as possible, and try 'pick out' or if you can write fast enough write as much of the listening passage as you can. Using the notes section in the exam is also important here as it is used to write a fair bit, and for your final answer you extract little bits you have wrote in the notes seciton.

2. I don't think so, it's important to do all sheets given by your teacher though and as stick said, co.as.it is pretty good so i've head. My friends who did it scored really well in italian.

3. You have to stand out in a crowd for italian, show your knowledge by that I mean use things like proverbs, unusual but correct grammar and correct, complex sentences that no one else will think of doing. Things like irregular masculine/feminine/plural fem/ plural masc nouns like  il  lezione to i lezioni are little mistakes that can cost you marks. That's good your mum's fluent in italian, ask her to do some dictation with you and correct your stuff regularly for you.

In bocca al lupo :)
2012-2014. BSc: Neuroscience. University of Melbourne.
2015-2018. Doctor of Optometry. University of Melbourne.

Unlikely to respond to any PMs these days.

Starlight

  • Victorian
  • ATAR Notes Superstar
  • ******
  • Posts: 2948
  • Respect: +275
Re: Italian Questions?
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2012, 10:45:09 pm »
0
My Italian is pretty good for a Year 11 student, if I may say so myself. :P

Stay at that level!
2012-2014. BSc: Neuroscience. University of Melbourne.
2015-2018. Doctor of Optometry. University of Melbourne.

Unlikely to respond to any PMs these days.

Fishyiscool

  • Custom1
  • Forum Obsessive
  • *
  • Posts: 271
  • Respect: +21
  • School: I shouldnt say.
  • School Grad Year: 2012
Re: Italian Questions?
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2012, 09:21:49 pm »
+2

Sometimes, a member here called tisaraiscool and myself practice speaking in Italian over the site's IRC chat. If you ever see me online, feel free to start up a conversation and we can practice together. My Italian is pretty good for a Year 11 student, if I may say so myself. :P

And then my irc existence ceased... :P
But yeah, im always up for talking to people in italian - the more u immerse yourself the better!
I vouch for the fact that stick is pre pro for a year 11. XD

Oh speaking of immersing myself, i was reading an italian book in the train today and went i got off at my platform, a guy asked me, 'sei italiana?' and from there a conversation in italian begun, which just goes to prove that you should read more italian books in public :D i was thrilled at the fact that i could understand and respond to him like an almost normal person.
Happy enough after one hell of a year.

<3 Life goal: ---->  Prosthetics and Orthotics
2013 - bachelor of health sciences/master of clinical prosthetics and orthotics at La trobe :))

Mi piacerebbe aiutare gli altri studenti che studiano l'italiano quest' anno. Mi mandi un messaggio e possiamo chiacchierare x)