The current lockdown is testing for everyone, but we’re also managing to find some silver linings. One of them, for me, is more time to study Italian.

I am working with our wonderful teachers to put together a series of workshops, and the first one is about to launch. 

Italian Literature with Francesca Ricciardelli

Dates & times:

Part 1: Wednesday, April 15th,

Part 2: Wednesday, April 22nd

Part 3: Wednesday, April 29th

At: 18.00 (European Summer Time) which is 17.00 (BST) / 10.00 (Pacific) / 12.00 (Central) / 13.00 (Eastern)

Course Material:

Francesca will post selected material a week prior to each session, but it’s preferable for you to read them in full prior to the start-date. There are links below to Kindle versions on US & UK Amazon websites, if you can’t get them in paper form.

15/04 – In Altre Parole, Jumpha Lahiri [Kindle Version: Amazon US | UK]

22/04 – Seta, Baricco [Kindle Version: Amazon US | UK]

29/04 – L’Invenzione Occasionale, Elena Ferrante [Kindle Version: Amazon US | UK]

Workshop details:

• The 6-hour workshop consists of 3 sessions of 2 hours (+ a 15-minute break) spread over 3 weeks.
• Groups of 5–7 participants, of a similar level, connected via Zoom (Free Video Conferencing) *If you need help with Zoom please get in touch, it’s very easy to use*
• Prior to registration, Francesca will ‘meet’ each applicant via Skype for a 1–1 chat.
• Places are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. 3 session course fee = €90 payable via PayPal on acceptance to the course. 

Your teacher:

Francesca Ricciardelli is currently a PhD student in Language Sciences at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. She received her MA with honours in Italian Studies at California State University, Long Beach, where she was an Assistant Fellow in the Clorinda Donato Center of Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies.

Francesca’s first MA (2016) in Language Sciences is from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where she specialized in teaching Italian as a Foreign Language. Prior to that Francesca obtained a BA in Foreign Languages, Literatures and Linguistics, in English and French (2014) at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna (IT). She has worked as an instructor of Italian and Italian literature with different Cultural Associations and as a Teaching Associate at California State University, Long Beach.

Find out more about Francesca here on Linkedin

If you are interested to know more, please email me at jenifer@liveandlearnitalian.com

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Stella Lucente Italian Language books

Using her experiences as a teacher and frequent traveller to Italy, she wrote the Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books, which follow the character Caterina on her travels through Italy, while at the same time introducing the fundamentals of the Italian language.

This series of books is truly different from other Italian language books. The Conversational books are friendly, humorous, and combine travel tips with language lessons. These books also provide a method for people to understand and remember Italian phrases so that they can create their own. Everything one needs to know to travel to Italy is in this series of books!

Useful links to the book and more from Stella Lucente

The website learntravelitalian.com, which is the home of the books, provides FREE interactive dialogues recorded by native Italian speakers, cultural notes, and Italian recipes to make learning the language really come alive.

• Blog: Conversational Italian! Beginning Italian, Italian Proverbs
• Blog: Learn Italian! Advanced Italian lessons, Cultural Notes, Recipes
• Link to Amazon for Conversational Italian Books
• The Audio Books for the series are found at: Learntravelitalian.com
• Blog: Conversational Italian! Beginning Italian, Italian Proverbs
• Blog: Learn Italian! Advanced Italian lessons, Cultural Notes, Recipes
• Facebook: Stella Lucente Italian
• Facebook Open Group: Conversational Italian!
• Twitter: Stella Lucente Italian
• Pinterest: Stella Lucente Italian
• You Tube: Stella Lucente Italian

Review for Conversational Italian for Travellers – book and website

A methodology created by a student of Italian, as she herself learns. But, this student is not only passionate about learning Italian, she is a scientist - a truly unique combination!  Kathryn Occhipinti has created this book and the many fabulous add-ons to the series, in a truly comprehensive and practical format.

Working her way through the language, building bit by bit, she is always mindful of the conversational, and idiomatic way that Italians think, and speak. Grammar is explained as needed – and comprehensively: an important solid base on which to build.

I heartily recommend this to students and travellers – and certainly to my own guests, some of whom are travelling to Italy for the first time. Although most are already studying Italian, they are not so well equipped when it comes to day to day speaking. Their practical knowledge of useful phraseology is often lacking, but this is what they need the most to enjoy their holiday.