What’s Italian with Cher, you ask?
Whether you want to reconnect with your heritage, have been wooed by Italy, or — as it often happens — have been wooed by an Italian, this site can help you gain the confidence to speak and have more fun learning this crazy, beautiful, wonderful language.
Here is how this site will help Italian feel less like an Herculean task and more like a TV show you can’t stop watching.
1.) I emphasize real conversations between real people. – I want you to be able to tell all of your favorite jokes and stories in Italian, so I focus on phrases, vocabulary words, and grammar explanations that help you find your voice in Italian. I just want to help you feel confident talking to people so you can make friends, order the exact meal that you want when you want it, and go beyond the experience of a typical tourist.
2.) I’ll show you a friendlier side of grammar. – Even though I don’t believe that grammar should come first, it’s still necessary. That being said, we don’t to bog it down with words like “intransitive whatsitcalled.” I’m not saying these terms are bad. I’m just saying I like simple explanations… preferably explanations with a dose of humor.
3.) It will encourage you to keep going. – It’s so much easier to stay in the game when you have other people with a shared goal cheering you on. I hope that my enthusiasm and my honesty about learning this language will help you wherever you are in your journey too.
4.) It will support you with becoming conversational WITHOUT needing to live in Italy. – While living in Italy is great and complicated and dreamy, not everyone will have the opportunity to bring that vision to life. That’s why I want to do everything I can to help make becoming conversational in Italian possible for those who can’t benefit from the full immersion method. And, if you’re curious, nope! I don’t live in Italy. I live in Eastern Washington, a place that doesn’t have a Little Italy or much Italian influence at all.
(Psssst. Want to read about the person who put this whole thing together? Me, that is. Click here.)
If you’re ready to start learning Italian, choose a path and dive into the posts.
– Must-Read Articles for Absolute Beginners (A1)
– Must-Read Articles for Upper Beginners (A2)
– Must-Read Articles for Intermediate Learners (B1)
Everyone seems to like these posts, so you might, too:
— 10 Things Italians Wish Tourists Would Stop Doing
— 25 Romantic Italian Phrases (or How to Melt Your Lover’s Heart)
— Parole Pericolose: 5 Embarrassing Words You May Be Saying in Italian
— 15 Ways to Say “That’s Cool/Awesome/Amazing” in Italian
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MY VALUES
I’m deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I recognize that each person is coming here with a unique set of experiences and challenges.
Some of the ways I hope to bring my values to life include:
- Creating accessibility by providing transcripts for audio or video content: While I can’t guarantee that all of the previously-recorded audio (episodes 1-200 of the 30 Minute Italian Podcast) will have transcripts, all audio in and videos in paid courses and videos on YouTube will have transcripts and captions. I’ll also use alt text on all images. I’ll slowly work on providing transcriptions for the podcast episodes.
- Giving back to Italy: I’ll be the first to admit that I profit from my association with Italy without having Italian heritage. That’s why I’m committed to pouring money back into the country through nonprofit donations, working with Italian contractors at a fair wage, and giving credit to the Italian teachers and editors who help me learn.
- Creating a space where everyone feels welcome: I want everyone from every background to feel like they’re welcome in this space. That’s why I’ll use inclusive language, write content from an intersectional lens, and do what I can within this community to make the world a more equitable place.