Italiano - Baffins
- Andrew Starr
- 4 days ago
- 11 min read
Italiano per principianti - Baffins
This page is for the Baffins group Italian post 10 week beginners course notes, links, and resources.
A shortened link to this page is ajstarr.short.gy/itbaf
martedì, 10 marzo
i compiti...
You have had many worksheets to complete on many topics including verb conjugation in many tenses.
You also have had some model texts about towns to adapt and create a write-up for a tourist brochure which can help you present about somehwere you know in Italian. (Just one complete so far)...
Today (oggi)...
You should be able to explain how to conjugate regular "-are", "-ere" and "-ire" verbs in Italian, in the present, perfect, simple future, near future, conditional and imperfect tenses.
That is a lot to consider, remember and learn.
- You now have access to Italian Verb Drills and Italian Grammar Drills and I advise you work through sections of these (Start with verb drills and those tenses above!).
We can begin looking at daily routine in Italian using a model text for an average working person and then an in depth text about a Franciscan monk in Italy! (It is rather in depth, so it may be too much for two hours)
For homework:
Adapting the texts to be about you life here in Portsmouth would be a VERY useful task.
mercoledì, 4 marzo
i compiti...
You have had many worksheets to complete on many topics including verb conjugation in many tenses.
You also have had some model texts about towns to adapt and create a write-up for a tourist brochure which can help you present about somehwere you know in Italian. (Just one complete so far)...
Today (oggi)...
You should be able to explain how to conjugate regular "-are", "-ere" and "-ire" verbs in Italian, in the present, perfect, simple future and near future tenses.
Today we will look at the imperfect tense in Italian.
Today's Theme
Purchasing of clothing for special occasions. (Listening extracts in folder) [This could be a challenge]
revision of shops and service providers.
the comparative and superlative forms in Italian.
giovedì, 26 febbraio
i compiti...
You have had many worksheets to complete.
You also have had some model texts about towns to adapt and create a write-up for a tourist brochure which can help you present about somehwere you know in Italian. (Just one complete so far)...
Today (oggi)...
Could you explain how to form regular present tense verbs in Italian? What about the perfect tense? The near future (il futuro prossimo) - probably the easiest or the future tense itself?
What about the idea of would, could and should? How do we do this in Italian?
The Italian conditional tense (il condizionale) expresses actions that depend on a condition, polite requests, desires, or doubts ("would," "could," "should"). The present conditional uses a unique set of endings added to the future stem: -ei, -esti, -ebbe, -emmo, -este, -ebbero. It is commonly used for polite requests, such as vorrei (I would like).
Present Conditional Endings (Condizionale Presente)
All three regular verb conjugations (-are, -ere, -ire) share the same endings. Note: -are verbs change the a of the infinitive ending to e (e.g., parlare -> parlerei).
Person | -are (Parlare) | -ere (Prendere) | -ire (Dormire) |
io | parlerei | prenderei | dormirei |
tu | parleresti | prenderesti | dormiresti |
lui/lei | parlerebbe | prenderebbe | dormirebbe |
noi | parleremmo | prenderemmo | dormiremmo |
voi | parlereste | prendereste | dormireste |
loro | parlerebbero | prenderebbero | dormirebbero |
Key Irregular Verbs
Many common verbs have irregular stems in the conditional, which are the same as their future tense stems:
Essere (to be):
sarei, saresti, sarebbe, saremmo, sareste, sarebbero
Avere (to have): avrei, avresti, avrebbe, avremmo, avreste, avrebbero
Potere (can/could): potrei, potresti, potrebbe, potremmo, potreste, potrebbero
Volere (want/would like): vorrei, vorresti, vorrebbe, vorremmo, vorreste, vorrebbero
Dovere (must/should): dovrei, dovresti, dovrebbe, dovremmo, dovreste, dovrebbero
Common Uses of the Conditional
Polite Requests & Desires: Vorrei un caffè, per favore. (I would like a coffee, please.)
Advice or Opinion: Al tuo posto, non lo farei. (If I were you, I wouldn't do it.)
Hypotheses/Uncertainty: Andrei in Italia, ma non ho soldi. (I would go to Italy, but I have no money.)
Unconfirmed Information: Secondo i giornali, il presidente sarebbe malato. (According to the newspapers, the president is allegedly sick.)
Past Conditional (Condizionale Passato)
Used for actions that would have happened in the past, it is formed using the present conditional of avere or essere + past participle:
Avrei mangiato, ma non avevo fame. (I would have eaten, but I wasn't hungry.)
Saremmo andati al mare, ma ha piovuto. (We would have gone to the beach, but it rained.)
Today's theme...
We have looked at buying things, asking for favours and services...
So, now we will continue in the vein by looking over things and themes we have covered in a different way.
Festivals throughout the year.
Purchasing of gifts and clothing for special occasions. (Listening extracts in folder)
How much of this tourist guide video can you understand?
venerdì, 20 febbraio
i compiti...
You have had many worksheets to complete.
You also have had some model texts about towns to adapt and create a write-up for a tourist brochure which can help you present about somehwere you know in Italian.
Could you explain how to form regular present tense verbs in Italian? What about the perfect tense?
Today, we will look at forming a near future tense in Italian - The equivalent of 'I am going to walk into town'. We will also look at the future tense (often called the simple future). It is not so complicated.
Theme
P135 - Mi può dare la chiave?
Asking for services or a favour... materiali di ascolto Tracks 26 - 31
Nuovo Contatto Capitolo 2 - I Negozi - Cervaco qualcosa.
Le Feste.
martedì, 10 febbraio
i compiti...
You have had many worksheets to complete.
You also have had some model texts about towns to adapt and create a write-up for a tourist brochure which can help you present about somehwere you know in Italian.
Today, we make sure you are familiar with the formation of the perfect tense in Italian and all its foibles!
In English we have an equivalent tense whose regular pattern is thus:
"I have played", "he has watched", "she has danced", "we have wished" etc... (However, there are so many irregular verbs in English and also in Italian...) e.g. I have seen, you have eaten, she has drunk, etc...
See here for a post about the most common Italian verbs and some patterns in irregular verbs that can help you learn/remember them.
Italian also has the added complication of verbs that conjugate with "essere" this is the same as in French, German and Spanish among other languages and it is verbs related to motion and change of state on the whole that conjugate in this way. Here are some of the main Italian verbs that conjugate with "essere" rather than "avere".
Revision Reading and Listening files from Buongiorno Italia p119 - 123.
materiali di ascolto Track 15
Andare - to go
Arrivare - to arrive
Cadere - to fall
Diventare - to become
Durare - to last
Entrare - to enter
Esistere - to exist
Morire - to die
Nascere - to be born
Occorrere - to occur
Partire - to leave/depart
Restare - to rest
Rimanere - to remain
Ritornare - to return
Scappare - to escape
Stare - to stay/to be
Svanire - to vanish
Tornare - to return/come back
Uscire - to exit
Venire - to come
*Also, Reflexive Verbs tend to use Essere as their helping verb as well as verbs that behave similarly, such as piacere (to like), mandare (to send), servire (to need).
Laura K Lawless has written much on the Perfect Tense here.
This video can also help you get to grips with this tense!
venerdì, 6 febbraio
As you have not had lessons for a while...
I would suggest you look over ALL the worksheets you have been issued with and see if you can complete all of them.
It would also be good to use the vocabulary matching cut out cards you have been given to learn the vocabulary for things in an average town.
Today...
Let's look at the formation of the present tense... Compared to many languages it is relatively simple to learn the regular fomation of verbs in the present tense.
It is so relatively straightforward, that the use of personal pronouns in Italian is often not required at all.
I will show you a self-study book, that once we have covered the formation of various tenses in Italian, you could use as a way to hammer them home (or drill them!).
Irregular verbs will just have to be learned... This is an online write-up about irregular verbs in Italian.
Today's Theme:
Cosa prendiamo? - What shall we have?
P.95 of Buongiorno Italia... materiali di ascolto Tracks 2-9
There is a lot of food vocabulary here online
Talking about different courses of a meal - usually in a restaurant and on the menu...
The second listening conversation we had is also in this video starting at around 2' 12".
In the text I gave you about Chepstow, there was a mention of Mari lwyd - This is the event in 2026.
Things to do in your own time...
You may like to try reading parallel texts - e.g. Pinocchio?
venerdì, 23 gennaio
I have looked into the sort of examination you could take in the UK and where it is possible. If the colleague at Uni does indeed return, I will also ask him if it is something he has ever/could ever organise...
The Università per Stranieri di Siena does CILS Exams at most levels. It seems as although they do offer courses, you could just sit the examinations with this language school in London that offers this examination from Siena.
Have a look at the site, you can take exams in April, June, July, October or December. You would need to enter about 4-6 weeks before the dates of the exam. I imagine similar dates would be added for 2027 etc.
Oggi dedicheremo un po' di tempo a vedere come parlare di ciò che c'è da vedere e da fare in una città media. È qualcosa che potresti aggiungere a una presentazione su un paese, una città o un centro urbano che conosci.
Cosa c'è da vedere?
Vado usare il libro di testo della BBC e alcuni dei suoi materiali di ascolto. (78-84)
Alle pagine 77 - 94.
Presentazione PowerPoint (nella cartella principale)
Worksheets on Giving Directions and Buildings Vocabulary. (nella cartella principale)
lunedì, 12 gennaio
As you all passed A1, we can begin to focus on A2/B1 materials more. We may still still need basic vocabulary building though. At some future point we will attempt the A2 papers, particularly once you have chosen which exams you would like to sit.
In order to maybe help with pronunciation and intonation, you could use this AI website for around 5 to 20 minutes each use to help you, depending on the voice you choose.
I would suggest using a record sound/memo app to retain the exceprts you have used in the program.
Oggi studieremo frasi sul tema dei viaggi in treno, autobus, aereo, ecc.
Useremo il libro di esercizi per ripassare le frasi di base in italiano. Poi vado usare il libro di testo della BBC e alcuni dei suoi materiali di ascolto. (66-74)
Alle pagine 67 - 70.
Se ci sarà tempo, forse inizieremo il prossimo tema, che consiste nel presentare ciò che c'è da vedere e da fare in una città italiana o britannica media.
venerdì, 16 gennaio
I have marked your A1 Level Assessments and as we did not do a marked speaking assessment, the mark is out of 80.
I have converted this into a percentage, as people often prefer a percentage.
However, in order to pass you needed 60% of the 100% of marks available.
We only completed 80 marks. So, 60% of 80 = 48/80.
Therefore the minimum pass mark is 48 on the assessment you did.
If you return the memory stick, I can now arrange to get the A2 papers ready for a further date in the future and replace the listening file on the memory stick with the releavant file.
Today, I have a reading and a listening exercise for you to begin with (Track 64)
Then...
Time and travelling (timetables, train tickets etc.)
Useremo il libro di esercizi per ripassare le frasi di base in italiano. Poi vado usare il libro di testo della BBC e alcuni dei suoi materiali di ascolto. (66-74)
Alle pagine 67 - 70.
lunedì, 12 gennaio
Se avete completato i compiti A1, preparerò i compiti A2 per la prossima volta oppure preparerò del materiale di ripasso per eventuali errori riscontrati nelle vostre risposte A1.
Useremo anche il libro di esercizi per ripassare le frasi di base in italiano. Poi vado usare il libro di testo della BBC e alcuni dei suoi materiali di ascolto. (45-54)
Primo - Alle pagine 38 - 42.
Secondo - Vocabolario di vestiti.
venerdì, 2 gennaio
Oggi, se avete completato i compiti di livello A1, possiamo dare un'occhiata ai compiti di conversazione di esempio, così saprete tutti cosa ci si aspetta da voi a questo livello.
Useremo anche il libro di esercizi per ripassare le frasi di base in italiano. Poi vado usare il libro di testo della BBC e alcuni dei suoi materiali di ascolto. (30-31e 34 -43)
Primo - Alle pagine 25 - 27.
Secondo - Alle pagine 28 -3 - Studieremo come acquistare oggetti e chiedere il prezzo nei banchi del mercato.
Se avete completato i compiti A1, preparerò i compiti A2 per la prossima volta oppure preparerò del materiale di ripasso per eventuali errori riscontrati nelle vostre risposte A1.
lunedì, 22 dicembre
Oggi provvederemo a organizzare per te gli esami di livello A1 e cercheremo di fissare un calendario delle date per gennaio. Probabilmente inizieremo il 2 gennaio.
Useremo anche il libro di esercizi per ripassare le frasi di base in italiano. Poi vado usare il libro di testo della BBC e alcuni dei suoi materiali di ascolto. (19-28)
Alle pagine 16-19.
Studieremo anche i luoghi di una città media e come chiedere indicazioni stradali in città.
Studieremo il vocabolario relativo ai cibi tipici consumati a Natale nel Regno Unito e in Italia.
Self Study...
This text has some references to the theology behind the festivals of Christmas and Easter.
Reading it through, can you prepare (using your own thoughts and reference materials, making a glossary of new terms to study) a summary in English about the information it contains?
venerdì, 12 dicembre
Oggi useremo un libro di esercizi per ripassare le frasi di base in italiano. Poi vorrei usare un libro di testo della BBC e alcuni dei suoi materiali di ascolto. (4-15)
Alle pagine 7-11.
Studieremo situazioni quotidiane che potrebbero verificarsi per i turisti in Italia. Poi il capitolo 1 dal libro di esercizi.
Una mappa dell'Italia.
Dove ti piacerebbe andare?
Mi piacerebbe vivere a Milano.
Places in the town
Buying things at a market. (A hectogram)
The definite article with prepositions (settimana due nella cartella principale)
I compiti
Along with any worksheets you may have not completed during class.
I would suggest you watch the first section of this video (below) if you can up to 8'50".
Answer these questions...
Cosa ti piace mangiare di più?
Cosa ti piace bere di più?
venerdì, 5 dicembre
Oggi inizieremo con l'italiano e parleremo di San Nicola, un personaggio molto famoso in Italia, le cui reliquie si trovano nella basilica di Bari, nel sud Italia.
fogli_ls
Basic introductions
Numbers
Alphabet
Days of the Week
Months of the year
Studi culturali
San Nicola
St. Nicholas (San Nicola) is a significant saint in Italy, especially in Bari, Puglia, where his relics are housed in the Basilica di San Nicola, making it a major pilgrimage site for both Eastern and Western Christians, with celebrations on December 6th (feast day) and May 9th (translation of relics) featuring traditions like children receiving gifts and the miraculous "manna". While popular in the North (gifts on Dec 6th), his cult became deeply Italianized, especially in the South, with distinct local traditions and reverence for him as a powerful protector.
Key Aspects of St. Nicholas in Italy:
Bari: The Major Shrine: the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari holds his relics, attracting many pilgrims, particularly from Eastern Europe, who venerate the "manna" (a fragrant liquid) exuded from his tomb.
Dec. 6th Celebrations: In some northern regions (like Trieste), children leave out shoes or plates for San Nicola on the night of December 5th and find small gifts or sweets (or even coal) in the morning, similar to German traditions.
San Nicola vs. Santa Claus: Italians often see San Nicola as a distinct, powerful patron, different from the Americanized Santa Claus, focusing on his protective roles for sailors, children, and young women.
Regional Variations: Celebrations vary; in the South, it's more about religious veneration, while the North blends traditions with Christmas customs.
Patronage: He protects children, sailors, merchants, and unmarried women, with specific prayers offered for betrothal at his shrine in Bari.
Notable Traditions & Locations:
Bari: Celebrations on Dec 6th (Mass, parades, sweets) and May 9th (Festival of Translation, manna distribution) are major events.
Trieste: Grandfathers dress as St. Nicholas to give gifts and sugar-coal.
Venice: Also holds some of the saint's relics and has its own traditions.
Puglia: Strong cult, with the Basilica as a focal point, attracting diverse groups
Qualche links A1
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