Italian grammar epiphany

Ciao a tutti

Am still trying to get through indirect objects on level one. Frustrating to say the least. I have decided to just have fun with this and am not going to get uptight about the grammar side of things. My main goal is to speak it. Having learnt Portuguese as a small girl, don't speak grammatically correctly. At the end of the day, could go to any Portuguese country and have most conversations. 

My main goal is to be able to get around Italy and be able to read instructions and ask for things. When I was travelling in Germany, could ask for a meal a room etc. Even if it wasn't quite up to snuff could make myself understood. Most people spoke English, but not in the out of the way places. If it came out a bit wrong, didn't really matter. 

I homeschooled 4 kids. At first started in a typical formal classroom format. Had a mutiny on my hands. We never had very formal lessons after that except maths. Somehow we muddled through. They were all avid readers and somewhere along the line, they learned to spell and grammar etc. So I am going to take this approach with Italian.

Am still going to do the grammar sentences, for pronunciation and flow, but am not going to stress too much about understanding it all. In theory it should all gel together eventually

Ciao sebongela

Come stai oggi? I just saw this, and wondered how things have panned out since your post.

I'm still wading through level 2 grammar plus revision, and have hit the almost inevitable early intermediate plateau, in the sense of things feeling as hard as, if not harder as I progress.  There is just so much content to take in not so much with vocab, but grammar.

Languages are never easy, and it's still very enjoyable though.

A presto

Chris

Buon giorno ChrisM108

Sto molto  bene, grazie. All good here. Looking forward to autumn and the rain. Dry and warm here and love the rain. Very West Coast and I love it. Woke up this morning and decided I officially hate grammar. Since then I have got over that

I'm am thinking of getting my Italian grammar book out and start working through that.  I need a framework that enables it all to gel together in a comprehensive way.

An alternative approach is the bit about grammar from this polyglot: https://www.mezzoguild.com/how-to-learn-italian/

And here: https://onlineitalianclub.com/studying-grammar-and-vocabulary-is-a-waste-of-time/

I prefer those strategies!

Ciao

Chris

HI ChrisM108

I use books all the time, as then have time to ponder it and lots of practice. I can then take it in small bites. That said, Rocket is so convenient, but as I have said before am not going to sress too much about it. I use the grammar in Rocket all the time and it eventually starts to make sense. Combining indirect and direct pronouns still has been puzzling and battle to get my tongue around some of them. I use several books to practice and each one brings something to the table.

I have started using the Travelogues, really enjoy them. I am big on Vocabulary and am convinced it will all come together like one big puzzle. 

Am beginning to think I will never get to Italy at this rate or back to Europe at all for that matter. Luckily have no close family in South Africa anymore. So no visits there, as that is an awful trip.

Ciao

Sebongela

 Hi ChrisM108

Saw you on points today and wondered how you are doing. My language studies have been at  a minimum level. Been doing our road trip across Canada. Long, long days in the car. By the time we book into a hotel just too tired to do much. Will be home on Saturday and will resume. Have missed not doing it all and can't wait to start up again, as have missed it. Quebec was more French than France. Most people spoke French as well as English in France. In Quebec not much English. Almost regretted not doing French instead of Italian. My French is very rusty, but generally got by. The countryside was beautiful, but Philip got so frustrated  not being able to communicate or not being understood.  Made me laugh.

Have a great day 

Sebongela

Hi Sebongela

Welcome back! That's a wonderful chunk of scenery you've travelled through, for sure. The Quebec experience was interesting. When I got to intermediate French, we holidayed with the family in Provence.  In my experience, the French were very patient and supportive of less than perfect use of their language there, but far less so in Paris.  The Italians seem more surpised that someone is trying to speak the language, but far more embracing of it.

A presto

Chris

Hi ChrisM108

I read his emails every week. He writes well and amuses me from time to time. I like his approach too. Sensible, practical and down to earth. Enjoyed his medieval lessons over the summer. Not that I understood all, but got the general gist.

We found in France that people were more than happy to help even when it was garbled and I was crucifying the language with an appalling accent. At least with Rocket the amount of speaking one does help perfect pronunciation.

As for Quebec one can't say that for everyone I found many Quebecois were happy to help me along. Maybe Philip just had as luck. 

A presto

Sebongela

hi ChrisM108

We are finally home and can now ramp up my learning again. 15100 km's to travel from Vancouver Island to Nova Scotia. Was good to see the Atlantic Ocean from this side. Always been from Africa. have really missed my language studies and can't wait to get going again. It is Thanksgiving here in Canada, a big holiday, bigger than Christmas. Here in Canada it is earlier, as harvest is earlier here due to being further north. It is going to take a bit to settle into the routine again, my brain has missed the challenge of learning a language. Still would like to go to Italy for 3 months, for immersion, but that is not going to happen for awhile yet.

Ciao

sebongela

It's always good to get back.  It's also an opportunity to not go back to business as usual, but to look at taking a fresh approach.  Like you, it'll be some time before I travel in Italy, but with the technology available to us all, there's no reason not to take big steps forward!

A presto

Chris

Hi 

It has actually been good for me to take a break. Yesterday when I was speaking and practicing, I found I felt all tongue tied and not as fluent. Just shows you that revision and consistent practice does make one more fluent. Also a reminder how quickly we loose that. We were quite comfortable travelling across Canada, mostly got take out as we had the dog with us and generally people were responsible and respectful. But sadly it is going to be awhile before I get onto an aircraft. In the meantime just keep perfecting my Italian

Sebongela