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Worksheet: Phrases to Talk About Your Italian Lessons

We snaked our way through the streets of Florence as we made our way to il mercato di Sant’Ambrogio. I turned toward Mary, “Com’è andata la tua lezione? – How’d your lesson go?” She responded, raising her voice slightly so I could hear her above the clamor, “È andata benissimo, Beatrice è un’insegnante fantastica. –…

Differences in Dating Between Americans and Italians

Ok…First things first…Big shout out to any of my cross cultural couples out there reading this. YOU GUYS ARE ROCK STARS! I know this, because I too am part of a cross-cultural coupling, and while it is AMAZING it also presents its unique challenges. And it can be hard, really hard, to overcome some of…

12 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Learn Italian

Need more motivation for learning Italian? I’m speaking at an online conference called Women in Language on the topic “Are you making the most of your language lessons?” It miiiiight be the push you need to get back to the grindstone with your studies. Other talks cover topics like: Memory for Conversation, Why You’re Struggling…

10 Italian Love Songs

I LOVE LOVE. I’m really good at falling in and out of it, talking about it, and looking for more of it. 🙂 That’s why we’ve written articles about love every Valentine’s Day since The Iceberg Project has started. Turns out, you love love as much as we do — especially when it helps you…

How to Write a Love Letter in Italian

Ohhhh amore! What’s better than being in love? Whether you’re dating an Italian, married to your high school sweetheart, or still on the prowl, everyone knows that love rules the world. Italians in particular are depicted all the time as being some of the most romantic people in the world, and whether it’s true or…

How to Shop at a Market in Italy

Rachel and I walked behind Giacomo, Mary, and Hannah as we snaked our way through the Sant’Ambrogio market in Florence. Giacomo, our cooking teacher and chef, was leading us to a vegetable stall to buy ingredients for the meal we were going to make that afternoon. Deep, red radishes and green lettuce covered with droplets…

Dialogue: Differences Between American & Italian Culture, Pt. II

At The Iceberg Project,e 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 foreign language to learn.) To help you get that real-life experience, we put together this dialogue for you. It’s about two friends — one Italian and…

Dialogue: Differences Between American & Italian Culture, 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 Italian is the best foreign language to learn.) To help you get that real-life experience, we put together this dialogue for you. It’s about two friends — one Italian…

Love Florence? Make Sure to Do This First.

Every time I tell someone I live in Florence, I’m met with the same reaction. “Oh my gosh, you live there!? I LOVE FLORENCE!” And I’m never surprised to hear it, in fact, I totally get it. I too am absolutely smitten with my city and take a lot of pride in being a Fiorentina….

Everything You Want to Know About Chianti

Since I live in Florence, when it comes to wine knowledge, my specialty is Tuscan. In particular, I’ve spent a lot of time learning about and indulging in that famous blend called “Chianti.” It’s a name known all over the world, but it’s not very well understood. Chianti (pronounced “key-ahn-tee” whatever you do, don’t say…

Chi sono i “falsi amici”??

No matter whether it’s your first foreign language or your fifth, the rules of the Italian language can be really confusing. Plus, there isn’t a whole lot of material out there in Italian that offers comprehension practice targeted at English speakers. That’s why I ask my team to create original content in Italian constantly, like…

Our Favorite Places to Visit in Florence, Italy

Confession time: When I first visited Florence, I wasn’t impressed. To be fair, I was also 21 and had very little appreciation for history or art. Don’t get me wrong, seeing the Duomo made my eyes big + shiny, and my jaw definitely dropped. Back then, though, I just didn’t think it was “authentic” enough….