mood music

Today's Italian resource is a link to the web's best mood music. Not Barry White, we're talking music to set the mood for the study of Italian. Buon ascolto!

italian table talk

And to accompany your savoury Winterlicious victuals, some Italian table talk vocab, compliments of the fine folks at Bertoli olive oil - this week's tutorino Italian resource. Dig in!

italian dictionary

One of my students Stan tipped me off to today's Italian resource - a fast, clear, user-friendly online dictionary. Grazie Stan!

italica

Ciao ragazzi, e buon anno. Today's Italian language learning resource goes straight to the source - an online course created by RAI (Italy's CBC). Buono studio!

omni television

Start the New Year off right with a resolution to watch fifteen minutes of Italian TV every other day. This will tune your ear to the sounds of Italian, improving both your pronunciation (especially intonation - when to raise and lower your pitch and volume) and your listening comprehension. You'll also pick up lots of handy idioms. The visual cues will clue you in to a lot you'd miss on the radio and other audio-only formats. This is how many immigrants to Canada learn English, my parents among them.

A great source for Italian TV is the OMNI News Italian edition, because most of the stories are local, so they'll be familliar from the English media and therefore easier to follow. Felice anno nuovo!

italian indigo

He doesn't have a website but today's Italian resource is Mario Ciccoritti at Librital, your go-to-guy for Italian books - from textbooks to Grisham in Italian! Here are his digits:

Librital Italian Book Center
2908 Dufferin Street, Toronto ON M6B 3S8 (west side of Dufferin, south of Lawrence)
1.800.421.0970 (toll free)

A great destination for those last-minute regali! Buone feste!

neorealist web exhibit

Ciao amici! This week's Italian resource is a cultural one - a web exhibit by RAI (Italy's CBC) on Neorealist Cinema. Enjoying Italy's cultural riches - these masterpiece films among them - will recharge your batteries for the sometimes dreary slog of learning the grammar. Divertitevi!

bonus resource

I'm considering this a resource entry (and not a musica one) because of the motivational nature of the lyrics. Enjoy!

La Nostra Lingua Italiana

by Riccardo Cocciante

Lingua di marmo antico di una cattedrale
lingua di spada e pianto di dolore
lingua che chiama da una torre al mare
lingua di mare che porta nuovi volti
lingua di monti esposta a tutti i venti
che parla di neve bianca agli aranceti
lingua serena, dolce, ospitale
la nostra lingua italiana

Lingua di lavoro e lingua per onore
nei mercati stoffe, gioielli e ori
lingua di barche e serenate a mare
lingua di sguardi e sorrisi da lontano
lingua ordinata da un uomo di Firenze
che parla del cielo agli architetti
lingua nuova, divina, universale
la nostra lingua italiana

Ed è per strada mentre lavora tra la gente
e l’onda dello stadio e l’urlo della folla
in trattoria mentre mangia e beve allegramente
e un sorriso nelle tue labbra di donna
e la tua voce mentre dice "ti amo“
e nei bar di chi si perde in un bicchiere
con chi ha sbagliato a piangere, a scherzare
e in ogni gesto cercare un po‘ d’amore
un po‘ d’amore

Lingua che parla di palazzi e fontane
lingua d‘ osteria tra vino e puttane
lingua di grazia nelle corti e nell‘amore
lingua d‘ amore che è bella da sentire
lingua che canta lungo l‘Arno al mare
fino alla sabbia del continente americano
lingua ideale, generosa, sensuale
la nostra lingua italiana

E un aeroplano che vola
sull‘Atlantico tranquillo
sulla rotta polare o quella delle Antille
una rosa rossa color del sangue
spina di una rosa ti punge e sei sua amante
e una donna snella che vince nella moda
e guida un‘ auto rossa prestigio della strada
poi si sposa con la luce e come un faro
proietta al mondo il grande cinema italiano
il grande cinema italiano

Lingua dell‘opera
lingua del bel canto che canta con violini
e gioca col suo accento
lingua dello spazio e termini in inglese
della scissione a freddo e formule in francese
lingua di pace
lingua di cultura
dell‘avanguardia internazionale

La lingua mia, la tua
la nostra lingua italiana

ciao!

Here's a great Italian resource "designed to make repetition and brushing up easy." It doesn't exactly teach or explain much, but if you know certain topics already, it will help you keep them fresh. Divertitevi!

one for the bambini + christmas bonus

Today's Italian resource from Toronto's most popular in-home Italian coaching service is a rarity on the web (and believe me, I've searched) - a good Italian site for bambini. This one has it all - rhymes, stories, games - you name it. It's unilingual though so the little ones need some Italian to benefit. A great complement to lessons at the Columbus Centre, Central Eglinton Community Centre - or with a tutorino coach!

And, in honour of the holidays, Italy's favourite carol. (Click play on the player at the bottom and adjust the volume.) Buon Natale!

bilingual editions

Here's an awesome find if I do say so myself: side-by-side English-Italian editions of numerous great English and Italian books. The Italian books are contemporary so the language is easier to follow. Spend 15 minutes a day reading and watch your ability soar. Auguroni!

picture dictionary

Today's Italian language learning resource from Toronto's favourite Italian language training service will help you build your Italian vocabulary. Enjoy!

letteratura italiana

Today's Italian resource is a goldmine of a site that gives you PDF files of millions of great masterwoks of Italian literature indexed by author and title. These aren't all easy reads but something to work up to at least. Buona lettura!

pinocchio

This week's Italian resource is a gem: the original unabridged text of Italy's most internationally famous literary creation, Pinocchio. Buona lettura!

corriere canadese

This week's Italian resource is the Corriere Canadese - Canada's only national Italian-language daily. I recommend it to all my students as a great way to practice reading because the stories are familiar from the English media. Buona lettura!

word reference

Salve amici! Today's resource is a really clear insightful usage forum. More than a dictionary definition, you see the word in action, the many subtly different ways in which it's actually used. Very valuable. Enjoy!

italianissimo

Here's a nifty resource for Italian language learners - video lessons from the BBC. A little grainy and low res but for free even a needle in the head is good. Ciao for now!

conversation exchange

This week's Italian resource is a goldmine. It finds you an email penpal in Italy who will touch up your Italian in exchange for helping her improve her English. Che meraviglia!

field guide to the italian mind

Today's Italian resource is a two-in-one. Both the article I link to and the book the article is about (also listed in my libreria) are useful guides for foreignors to the Italian way of life. Buona lettura.

better @ languages

Here's one of the most helpful language learning resources I've ever come across. Great U.K. colloquialisms too.