We’ve all been there. Sometimes it’s a simple gaffe (anyone read my other post, Parole Pericolose? If not – check it out for some serious mixups), and sometimes it’s a bigger error that involves actually offending your new Italian friend. If it hasn’t happened yet, over the course of your language learning journey, unfortunately, it…
Basic Italian Vocabulary: Animals
One of the first words children learn is that of animals. Be it their household pet or a beloved toy, babies and toddlers quickly learn the names of their furry friends. Learning Italian as an adult shouldn’t be much different – it’s just as useful to learn Italian animal words as it is for children….
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…
What It’s Like to Move Houses in Italy
Before Friday, 16 March, I will have moved 23 times since I was 17 years old. After March 16, I will have moved 24 times. At this point, I consider myself a bit of an expert in this matter. I pack quickly, unpack quickly, throw away or donate anything even remotely useless to me, and…
Worksheet: Phrases to Talk About Your Italian Lessons
Click play on the player at the bottom to listen to this podcast or listen to it on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts.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,…
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…
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…
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….
5 More Tips to Make Your Vino Dreams Come True in Italy
Want to experience wine in la bella Italia? This article is a continuation of my first 5 tips for wine tasting in Italy…you can read it here. If you’re ready for the next 5 read on! 5 More Wine Tasting Tips 1. Go Wine Tasting in the Morning It may seem silly to think about…
Unique Activities in Florence: Renaissance-Style Ceramics Painting
For someone as artistically challenged as me, I know A LOT about traditional Renaissance ceramics painting. I know about mixing iron oxides with water, I know about glazing and how to use traditional squirrel fur brushes and a million historical tidbits. All this and more I learned from my friend Enzo. Besides his…