Having failed on previous occasions to see the actual races, Jane Keightley finally experiences all the pride and pageantry of Palio week in Siena… Photos by Jane Keightley This was far from the first time I had visited Siena, but never before had I actually been there to experience the Palio. On one occasion I […]
Donald Trump’s election to the US presidency took many by surprise, writes Tom Alberto Bull. But of course the Italians have seen this sort of thing before, in the form of Silvio Berlusconi… Back to the future Here in the UK, Donald Trump’s rise to the White House took everyone by surprise. His background in […]
Our experts are here to help with all your questions about Italy. Today, we look at teaching English in Italy… Q: I will be teaching English as a foreign language at a language school in Italy for six months this year with the possibility of extending the contract if it goes well. I am going […]
Speaking Italian isn’t all about cramming verbs and vocabulary as Amanda Robinson discovers when she takes a language course with a difference in the heart of Le Marche. The fragrant aroma of our morning caffè rises up from the iron lattice table, strewn with notebooks and dictionaries as we wrestle with the basics of Italian. A […]
Forget dull classroom lessons, it’s never been easier to get by in Italian – for instant translation and fun language lessons, just download one of these free apps to your smartphone and away you go… No limits Next time you’re in Italy, get over that language barrier with ease and improve your skills – just […]
A Vespa is, of course, a motorcycle – but it’s also a wasp. Vespa – Wasp It’s obvious, when you think about it, why they called the scooter the ‘wasp’. It sounds like one – and the yellow ones even look like one. The Italian word is clearly very closely related to the English word, and is […]
The ability to speak the language will get you so much further in Italy, and where better to learn it? Why not try one of these Language Learning Holidays? CENTRO STUDI ITALIANI Founded in 1986, Centro Studi Italiani is the first school for foreigners in the Marche region. The school has provided Italian language and […]
Flavia Cresswell-Turner is overwhelmed by the warmth and generosity of the Italians Il mio amore per l’Italia è cresciuto nel corso degli anni, e specialmente dopo la mia visita a Roma quest’ultima Pasqua. Da quando ero bambina, i miei genitori hanno assecondato questa passione, portando spesso me e mia sorella in vacanza in Italia, […]
Pesto (n.m.) Pesto. The word pesto comes from the Italian ‘pestare’, meaning ‘to pound, or crush’, or indeed to ‘pestle’, and is of course also cognate to our noun ‘pestle’ (Italian: ‘pestello’, Latin: ‘pistillum’) – so there is absolutely no need to ever again get confused about which is the pestle and which is the […]
Pronunciation or Intonation? Benny Lewis, author of Fluent in 3 Months (published by Collins) gives us his tips on understanding the ‘network’ of intonation in a language, with the help of a friendly Italian polyglot. At first glance, it can seem that the differences between a native accent and a foreign accent are all […]