Chat to the locals by the Trevi Fountain
This group is for anybody who has no previous experience of learning Italian and would like to learn enough to “get by” when on holiday in Italy. We begin with very simple phrases, such as introducing ourselves, and then gradually develop them in to something useful. We will focus on everyday situations encountered when on holiday such as ordering drinks in a bar, checking in at a hotel and so on. We do not use a particular text book. The group leader draws on a wide variety of printed, audio & video material, much of which is freely available on the internet, e.g. Coffee Break Italian Season 1 and Open University MOOCs. We focus on listening to Italian spoken by native speakers, watching simple videos, reading aloud in the group to practice pronunciation without worrying too much about the meaning to begin with, and exploring simple grammar. We hope that speaking skills will gradually develop as knowledge of the language grows. Participants are encouraged to subscribe to the free internet site “Duolingo” and to practice a little each day to start building up vocabulary.
The group meets twice a month, usually on alternate Monday mornings. Sessions normally start at 10:30am and last 90 minutes to two hours.
Venue the group leader’s home.
The leader takes the view that participants are learning for pleasure and so there is no pressure to complete any homework and the atmosphere in the “classes” is relaxed and informal. The maximum number of participants at any one time is eight. The group leader makes no claim to be a natural linguist or to speak fluent Italian. However he enjoys trying to learn languages and aims to encourage others to discover the pleasure to be had in studying Italian.
The group is currently full and a waiting list is in operation.
Comment from current group member
“Paul is a great group leader. What’s not to enjoy in learning one of the world’s most beautiful languages and sharing experiences of one of our favourite countries in a friendly atmosphere with a group of similarly minded people. We have lots of laughs and hopefully make progress with our Italian at the same time.”
Contact Group Leader
Or Email or sign up at the next monthly meeting in the Town Hall
You can only join a group if you are a current member