Italian Lessons in Dunedin

La differenza tra me e te- Tiziano Ferro

Tiziano Ferro is an Italian romantic singer whose most famous song is La differenza tra me e te. It talks about the differences in attitudes between two lovers. While he’s faithful and loving, she’s cold and elusive. So, this song is a great resource to learn comparative structures and conditional tenses, like “non te lo direi” (I wouldn’t tell you that) or “io verrei da te” (I would come to you). It also uses a lot of direct questions and basic expressions. Why not choose this track the next time your sing karaoke and improve your pronunciation at the same time? Listen to this piece by Tiziano Ferro here!

Solo ieri- Eros Ramazzotti

Looking for an Italian song to take your listening skills and vocabulary to the next level? Give Solo Ieri by Eros Ramazzoti a try! This piece follows a man who feels sad and destroyed when a great love ends. He talks about his desperation but, in the end, he decides to start a new life in a foreign country. The song is great to put into practice your understanding of Italian tenses, as you’ll find verbs in the past (credevo- I believed), present (so- I know) and future tense (parleró- I will talk or inventeró- will invent). Listen to this song by Eros Ramazzotti here!

L’anno che verrá- Lucio Dalla

L’anno che verrá (the incoming year) is one of the most popular Italian songs played on New Year’s Eve. It talks about the dreams of a man who’s been through terrible experiences but looks to the future with hope. So, you’ll learn expressions like qualcosa ancora qui non va (something is wrong here) or e si fará l’amore (and people will be loved). Plus, the tenses and vocabulary used throughout the song are fairly simple, making the song suitable for all proficiency levels, too. Click here to listen to L'anno che verrá!

Chioma

Want to know more about the Italian culture and how people from different communities integrate into society? Then, subscribe to Chioma’s channel. The owner is an Afro-Italian girl who lived in England as a girl and she reacts to the culture of the place she’s living in any given moment. For example, she has a very fun video where she mentions common words from different languages that Italians mistake for English. You can also find content related to fashion, lifestyle and the best places to go on holiday to Italy, so you’re sure to find something to your taste! Click here to subscribe.

Favij

Favij is an Italian gamer who shares his impressions and preferences with his audience on YouTube. Why not follow him to learn vocabulary and expressions not only related to gaming but technology in general? The videos are hilarious, so you’ll increase your Italian skills while having a good time. Favij usually describes what the characters are doing while playing, so you’ll get familiar with basic verbs like jump (saltare), run (correre), sprint (veloz), and more. He speaks very quickly and uses a lot of colloquial expressions, so Favij’s videos are best for intermediate and advanced students. Click here to subscribe.

Marco Montemagno

Marco Montemagno’s channel resembles a TV show: he regularly invites Italian celebrities, singers, actors, innovators and even gamers to speak about their experiences. For example, one of his most well-known interviews was with Steve Ballmer (Microsoft CEO) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO). Some of these interviews are conducted in English with Italian subtitles (a nice starting point for beginners interested in knowing more vocabulary related to technology), but most of them are solely in Italian. This content is great, then, for intermediate and advanced-level students looking to get familiar with the dynamics and expressions used in Italian interviews and conversations. Click here to subscribe.

iTranslate

iTranslate, as its name implies, is an independent translation app that uses voice recognition technology, so the user can say something in their first language (for example, English) and the app will translate it into Italian audio. Text translation will also appear on your mobile phone’s screen. iTranslate is great for practising your Italian, but it can also help you get by during a trip to Italy and you have a basic level of proficiency. You need an internet connection or data for the app to work, unless you download the Italian package, at which point, you can use it without a connection. Try the app and take your skills to the next level!

Easy Talk

This is a great app to practise Italian in a visual way. The app was originally designed for children, so it uses lots of colourful graphics and lively cartoon characters to help you improve your Italian skills. It has hundreds of exercises and flashcards categorized into different groups, like food, work, the family, etc. In addition to fill-in-the-gaps exercises, you can complete activities like listen-and-write or match the word with the correct picture. Also, the app has recordings of real-life conversations by native speakers, so you can also improve your listening comprehension. Try the app and take your skills to the next level!

Mondly

Listening comprehension can be one of the hardest skills to develop when learning a foreign language, especially if you don’t live in a country where your target language is spoken. But don’t worry: you can use apps like Mondly to take your Italian listening skills to the next level. Using the app, you can find countless videos that feature native speakers having real-life conversations in places like the airport, the supermarket, a school and more. By listening to those conversations and completing related tasks, you’ll get familiar with everyday words, phrases and colloquialisms that will help you to sound fluent in Italian in a short time. Try the app and take your skills to the next level!