Archive for 'Italian Language'
The Steam Train Posted by Geoff on Jan 16, 2017
Here’s my English translation of last Friday’s blog Il Treno A Vapore. I’ve also included a few useful notes. Un vero treno a vapore, e per di più a Pontremoli! Non potevo credere ai miei occhi quando la mia amica Clara mi ha mandato una mail con il poster del Treno della Befana! A real…
We Have Been Influenced! Posted by Geoff on Jan 2, 2017
The Christmas and New Year period have been a complete blank for us this year because siamo stati tutti e due influenzati (we’ve both had the flu). Influenza, like so many Latin words that we take for granted in the English language, actually has a very interesting etymology. In order to discover why English speakers…
Uno Su Due – English Translation Posted by Geoff on Dec 30, 2016
Here, as promised, is the full English translation of yesterday’s blog Uno Su Due. Stefano: Ciao Geoff! Cosa stai facendo? Geoff: Ciao Stefano! Sto ricostruendo questo muro a secco pericolante … infatti ne è già crollato un pezzo più di un anno fa, ma finora non ho avuto l’opportunità di metterlo a posto. Ora è…
Uno Su Due Posted by Geoff on Dec 29, 2016
According to my mother, when I was about 2 years old I used to turn my jigsaw puzzles upside down so that I couldn’t see the pictures, and then assemble them by shape alone. Well, it’s been years since I’ve done a jigsaw puzzle, but I still get immense satisfaction from real world problem solving…
At The Fishmonger in Italy Posted by Serena on Dec 2, 2016
Have ever tried to buy fish in Italy? Here’s an opportunity for you to work on your fish shopping vocabulary. The setting la pescheria del nostro amico Beppe (our friend Beppe’s fishmonger’s) The characters Serena, Geoff, Beppe il pescivendolo e sua moglie Gabriella (Serena, Geoff, Beppe the fishmonger and Gabriella, his wife) Serena e Geoff…
A Beautiful November Morning Posted by Serena on Nov 18, 2016
Oggi è una stupenda mattina di novembre: l’aria è fredda ma il cielo terso è di un bellissimo azzurro intenso, e i colori autunnali rallegrano i monti intorno a noi. La mente vagabonda torna ad un’altra mattina di novembre di tanti anni fa. Today is a wonderful November morning: the air is chilly but the…
Gli Accenti Italiani Posted by Geoff on Nov 4, 2016
It can be a strange business, this blogging. Unlike teaching in schools, colleges, and universities, where one has regular direct contact with one’s students, blogging can often feel like sending out messages in bottles. Who are our readers, where are they, what do they know about the Italian language and culture? From a didactic point…