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Imperfect Harmony: Using the Passato Prossimo and Imperfetto Together

Note from Cher: This article is MUCH more detailed than the types of articles we usually publish, and that’s on purpose. The topic that Kevin covers here is really complex, and it causes a lot of students grief. That’s why I like having an alternative perspective explain it and while it might not work for…

Phrases for Enjoying Your Time at the Beach

The sun is shining, and you’ve just arrived at your seaside resort hotel in Taormina. Before you even reach your room, you’re already thinking about what the ocean breeze is going to feel like once you roll out your towel and lay underneath the big umbrellas lining the shore. Even if you’re just going to…

9 Reasons Why You’ll LOVE Visiting Florence in September

Note from Cher: Okay, we’ll admit it. We’re biased about the whole visiting Florence in September thing because we host a retreat during it every year called the Not Your Typical Tourist Retreat. 6 people who are obsessed with learning Italian come with Rachel & I to eat fresh pasta, make incredible friends, and become…

Dialogue: Going to a Museum in Florence, Pt. II

At The Iceberg Project, we believe the only way you can truly learn a language is by using it in real life. (We also believe that Italian is the best language to learn EVER.) To help you get that real-life experience, we put together this dialogue for you. It’s about two friends — both Italian —…

Dialogue: Going to a Museum in Florence, Pt. I

At The Iceberg Project, we believe the only way you can truly learn a language is by using it in real life. (We also believe that chianti wine is an acquired taste.) To help you get that real-life experience, we put together this dialogue for you. It’s about two friends — both Italian — who are…

Tips for Navigating the Train System in Italy

Taking the train in Italy is a reliable, easy, and fast way to get around and explore new places. However, it can also present challenges to those who are unfamiliar with how it works or come from a non-train taking culture. Fear not! It’s actually really easy, once you break it down. Ready for un…

Dialogue: Taking a Day Trip to Chianti

At The Iceberg Project, we believe the only way you can truly learn a language is by using it in real life. (We also believe that burrata is one of the best cheeses around.) To help you get that real-life experience, we put together this dialogue for you. It’s about two friends — both Italian —…

How to Create the Ideal Language Learning Flashcard

So, you’ve discovered the power of flashcards, and would like to finally use them to help memorize Italian words. In theory, all you need to do is create a flashcard (physical or digital) that displays two pieces of information: A target language word The translation of that word in your native language Once you’ve done…

Books to Read for the Beginner Italian Student

We get a lot of readers who check out Cher’s top 10 books she loves in Italian and many who read about how to discuss these beloved (or hated) libri but both of these articles are for the more advanced learner. After seeing emails come through asking for beginner books, we thought it would…

75 Vocabulary Words for Talking About Sports in Italian

When you think about sports in Italy, I’ll bet the first one that comes to mind is the infamous calcio, or soccer. And if you have spent any length of time obsessing about Italian culture or in Italy–or both–team names like Juventus and Gli Azzurri will come to mind. But beyond calcio, there are lots…

Dialogue: Shopping for Clothes

How to Supercharge Your Vocabulary Flashcards for the Digital Age

I have a confession to make: I hate language learning flashcards. Well, I used to, anyway. Before you reach for your pitchforks, hear me out: The traditional vocabulary flashcard suffers from two key problems. Flashcards are, in my opinion: — Cumbersome – Flashcards take up space, and lots of it. If you’re using index cards,…