Italian Beginners Level 1 (Friday)

This fun and practical course is perfect for those with no prior knowledge of Italian or anyone who wants to refresh their beginner skills.

You'll learn how to communicate in everyday situations through interactive activities that build your confidence and introduce you to the rich culture of Italy.

Each week will focus on essential grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation to help you understand and use common expressions. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to greet people, introduce yourself, order at a café or restaurant.

Lessons are engaging and supportive, using games, role-play, audio-visual materials, and conversation practice to make learning enjoyable. The course also weaves in cultural insights to deepen your understanding and appreciation of Italian life.

Topics include (from unit 1 to unit 3):

·      Basic greetings, introductions, and exchanging personal information:

·      Introducing yourself and others.

·      Asking for and giving personal information like name, age, and nationality.

·      Ordering food and drinks

 Course Breakdown:

Week 1, 2, 3: 

Review units 1, 2 through guided conversation and practical exercises 

Unit 1

Greetings and introducing yourself; asking and saying your name and where you come from; asking and saying your phone number and email address.

Grammar and vocabulary: Subject pronouns, the verb essere, interrogatives, definite articles, notes on formal and informal, adjectives, nationality, numbers from 0 to 20; The sounds c/g

Unit 1 is titled "Primi contatti" (First Contacts). It focuses on enabling absolute beginners to introduce themselves, exchange basic personal information, and handle initial social interactions in Italian. 

Grammar:

Verbs: Present tense of essere (to be) and avere (to have).

Interrogatives: Come (how), di dove (from where).

Articles: Singular definite articles.

Formal vs. Informal: Introduction to using Lei (formal you) vs. tu (informal you). 

Unit 2

Unit 2 is titled "Persone e professioni" (People and Professions). It is designed to help beginner students move beyond basic greetings into describing people, their jobs, and asking for personal details. 

Grammar:

           Regular verbs ending in -are (present tense).

           Negative sentence structure (e.g., non + verb).

             Prepositions a and in.

             Interrogative words (che, chi, dove, quanti).

Week 4, 5, 6,7

Unit 3

Unit 3 is titled "Buon appetito!" (Enjoy your meal!). This unit focuses on culinary vocabulary, ordering food, eating habits, and essential grammatical structures for everyday situations, particularly in a cafe or restaurant setting.

Key Themes and Topics

Dining Out: Ordering food and drinks in a bar or restaurant.

Menu & Services: Asking for information about the menu, booking a table via telephone.

Grammar and Vocabulary

Verbs: Regular -ERE verbs, conjugated verbs like volere (to want) and potere (to be able to).

Nouns: Singular and plural noun forms.

Articles: Singular and plural articles.

Vocabulary: Food items, drinks, and restaurant-related terminology. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students are expected to be able to:

·       Order a meal in a restaurant or a snack at a bar.

·       Understand and discuss menu items.

·       Talk about what they eat or do during the week. 

Week  8:

Revision key point unit 4 through guided conversation, role-play, and videos.

Materials:

We recommend the textbook Dieci A1 (Alma Edizioni along with a notebook and pen.

Book: Dieci A1 - Dieci A1 (by Alma Edizioni) is an innovative, fast-paced Italian course for beginners, featuring 10 short, modular lessons that combine grammar, vocabulary, and real-life communication. It includes a video course, audio, and an interactive e-book for comprehensive, self-guided learning. 

Dieci A1 :corso di lingua italiana per stranieri (Alma Edizioni) available at www.abbeys.com.au

Term Dates 

Term 1 runs from Friday 6 February to Friday 27 March 

Term 2 runs from Friday 24 April to Friday 26 June (10 week course)

Term 3 runs from Friday 24 July  to Friday 11 September 

Term 4 runs from Friday 16 October to Friday 4 December

Parking Discount for Students

 Students who participate in this course will receive a 50% discount at Ridge Street Car Park. Simply speak to our team when you visit the Centre, and we’ll register your plate number in our system (please note you’ll need to register your plate each time you attend the course). This discount applies to courses held at the Centre during office hours (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 5 pm).