Alessandra Visconti - Practice Makes Perfect Basic Italian

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It is intended to supplement the listening, reading, and speaking activities covered in class with a focus on the basic foundations of elementary Italian. Although it is intended primarily for middle and high school students, the materials covered and the vocabulary will be useful to learners of all ages and to anyone needing a quick review. The table of contents clearly summarizes the grammar structures featured in each chapter, which can be done consecutively or in any sequence appropriate to the learners needs. Each chapter starts with a clear and concise explanation of the grammatical points of the chapter and a list of frequently used words. The explanation is followed by graded exercises, which engagingly and effectively drill the new material. The true/false and matching exercises raise awareness of the new form without requiring the learner to produce it.

These are followed by exercises and drills that elicit the production and the repetition of the new form until it can be produced with more fluency and ease. The Culture corner sections are short descriptions of music, art, science, and popular culture in Italy. These readings are designed to develop reading and comprehension skills. The learners are not expected to understand every word, but rather are encouraged to read these sections for general meaning. This will develop the inference skills and the ability to get the main idea from passages containing unfamiliar vocabulary. After this initial reading the learners may want to check their comprehension by reading the English translation in the Answer key, and more advanced students may try doing their own translation, summary, or paraphrase of the text for additional practice.

Here is a summary of what this workbook provides: Reinforcement of material already presented in another format or setting Clear presentation of grammatical structures as they are used in common real-life situations Glosses of frequently used words divided into topics
Engaging exercises that develop the ability to notice, recognize, and use new forms Readings that introduce interesting cultural or historical facts A comprehensive exercise review every five chapters An Answer key to all the exercises An Italian-English glossary of vocabulary used throughout the book The nota bene feature makes learners aware of common errors and helps prevent them! Learning a new language is stimulating and fun, and will open the door to a new world. This book will reinforce fundamental knowledge of Italian so that learners can enter that world with confidence. I would like to thank my editors for their patience and their attention to detail and my students for testing the material for clarity and giving me invaluable feedback. I thank my family for the unwavering support and assistance offered as this book took shape.

How do we know which one to use? A good rule of thumb is this: If we call someone by his or her first name, we usually use