50 Ways to Improve your Italian: Teach Yourself

Summary:

Is this the right course for me?

Do you have a working knowledge of Italian, but want to improve? Allow this book to come to your rescue and eliminate basic errors and slips of the pen. Each one of 50 top tips for improving your spoken and written Italian is presented and analysed across a whole double page, with explanations as to where and why people sometimes go wrong. The tips are grouped into grammar, spelling, false friends, pronunciation and cultural faux pas sections. There's even free downloadable audio content available to help you with your pronunciation.

Polish your Italian with this brand new series from Teach Yourself - the No. 1 brand in language learning. 50 ways to improve your Italian touches all essential bases and is divided into easily digestible sections.

Learn effortlessly with an easy-to-read page design and interactive features:

Only got a minute?
A 60-second introduction to Italian to get you started.

Only got five minutes?
Get to grips with Italian and its common pitfalls even if you're short of time.

Only got ten minutes?
Use your free time wisely to learn something about the Italian language.

Insights
Instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on Valeria Malandra's many years of experience.

Test yourself
Tests online to keep track of your progress.

Articles
Extra information to keep you motivated.

Summaries
Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.

Grammar
Easy-to-follow building blocks to give you a clear understanding.

Pronunciation
Don't sound like a tourist - polish your pronunciation before you go.

Audio
Downloadable audio support online to help with key areas - iPod/MP3 compatible.

• Short, snappy sections focusing on simple tips to perfect your Italian

• Simple, accessible explanations

• Free audio download to help with pronunciation

• Expert authors teach at the University of Surrey

Table of Contents:
Meet the author
Only got a minute?
Only got 5 minutes?
Only got 10 minutes?
How to use this book
Sounding right: pronunciation and spelling
Good stress and bad stress
Soft and hard sounds
Say it like you write it
Euro, spaghetti bolognese and più, può, poi
Accent deficit disorder
Monday, January, English: NO CAPITALS PLEASE!
Drop the dead vowel
Word liposuction
Learn to count
Getting the structure right
Adverbs
Strategic positioning of the adverb
Use and abuse of anche
Was the meal well, good or beautiful?
Comparatives and superlatives
Compare and contrast
Don’t go over the top!
Prepositions
Learn to do without di
Is it ‘on’ Monday?
Pronouns
Keep your subjects under control
Don’t be direct with your indirect pronouns
Quel or quello? Demonstrate your point!
Che: the big forgotten one
Articles
The definite article: one in English, six in Italian
Number and gender
The rules of plurality
Some people are singular
The gender of the problem
Possessives
Mio marito, that’s all you need
Adjectives
Orders must be followed!
Agreement
Italian is an agreeable language
Many, few and near: do they agree?
Verbal agreements
Verbs
Essere o avere? That is the question
Perfect vs imperfect
Live in the present, look to the future
Reflect on reflexives
Piacere: put it back to front
Choosing the right words
Careful with what you enjoy!
Prendere: don’t take it for granted
False friends
Going shopping at night
Don’t fail to say how to succeed!
‘In-pressive’ mistakes
Eventually, earlier and possibly – plus some information and advice
How do you ‘stay’?
Do you visit your friends or examine them?
Travel and drive, but don't get too excited!
Cultural awareness
Please – to be used sparingly please
Have you got a title?
Miscellaneous
Don’t mix c’è with è
Do you ‘prefer’ or do you ‘favour’?
Time is of the essence
Sei single?
Work, age, and finally …!
Glossary of grammatical terms
Index

About the Author(s):

Valeria Malandra is a native speaker with extensive experience of teaching, translating and interpreting Italian. She currently teaches at the University of Surrey.

Readership:
Self-teaching adults

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