Conversational Italian Audio Dialogue Practice Book

Introduction: How to use Conversational Italian Audio Dialogue Practice Book

Introduction: How to Use This Book

The Conversational Italian Audio Dialogue Practice Book (Volumes 1 and 2) is filled with useful phrases, verb conjugations, and sentences for the student of Italian to read and repeat out loud. Each chapter of the book can be downloaded as an audio file in MP3 format from the web sites www.StellaLucente.com and www.learntravelitalian.com, and has native speakers for both the Italian phrases and for the English translation that immediately follows. The phrases in each chapter start out simply and the complete verb conjugations for the verbs to be covered in that chapter are given for memorization. Then, as the chapter progresses, the phrases build into more complex sentences, using the vocabulary that has already been covered. In this way, word choice and verb conjugation should become automatic. The more the phrases are repeated, the more they become a part of one’s understanding of how the language is actually used, and the more natural and easy speaking in Italian becomes!

The two volumes of the audio dialogue practice book are companion books to the textbook Conversational Italian for Travelers, in that all content in Chapter 1 of the audio book is covered in Chapter 1 of the textbook, and so on, for each chapter. The audio books provide practice that includes and then goes beyond the examples and vocabulary provided in the textbook, in order to make the spoken language truly come alive. Since the focus of the textbook is on adult education for travel purposes, this is also, of course, the focus of the audio practice books.

The textbook Conversational Italian for Travelers is divided into three units, “Transportation,” “City Life,” and “At the Hotel and Restaurant.” Volume 1 of the audio practice books covers the “Transportation” and half of the “City Life” units. Volume 1 starts with beginning material, with basic meeting/greeting phrases, and continues with phrases about how to get around Italy using various modes of transportation, how to purchase items, and how to tell time. Italian present tense verb conjugations, command forms, and reflexive verbs are also introduced later in the volume, so the student can begin to explain actions and feelings to a friend. Volume 2 covers the remainder of the “City Life” unit and the “At the Hotel and Restaurant” unit, with additional material so the student can describe likes/dislikes, and practice speaking in the past, future, and conditional tenses. Of course, Volume 2 also covers vocabulary that will enable one to make reservations, talk on the telephone, and visit a hotel and restaurant.

Can these audio books be used without the Conversational Italian for Travelers textbook explanations? Of course! For those who learn best by listening, the material to be covered is presented simply at the start of each practice session, in both the text and on the audio file. So, one can just listen, listen, listen, and of course, repeat and start to speak Italian immediately!

There is much repetition in the first two chapters of names of countries and of nationalities, which use Italian words that are similar to English and so are easily understood by English speakers; this is in order to focus on the basic ideas of verb conjugation and masculine and feminine agreement in Italian. In later chapters, more and more important vocabulary is gradually introduced – similar to the way we learn our native language as children. Listen to each phrase once, or over and over again – as much or as little as needed, and follow the pace that is best for you!

Purchase the audio book and download the phrases into your own personal MP3 player, and get started today learning to speak Italian like a native! – Kathryn Occhipinti