25 Things Every New Italian Language Learner Should Know

25 Things Every New Italian Language Learner Should Know So you’ve decided to learn Italian? Hooray! Deciding to learn a foreign language is a big deal, and as exciting as it can be to make that choice, it can also be overwhelming to know where to start or what to do. What’s more, as you dive even more deeply into learning, the number of things you need to learn and all the things that confuse you can start to demotivate you. We don’t want that to happen to you, so heres a list of 25 things that every new Italian language learner should know. When you go into this experience with clear, realistic expectations and a better idea of how to handle uncomfortable moments, it can often make the difference between those who say they’ve always wanted to learn Italian and those who become conversational. 25 Things Every New Italian Language Learner Should Know There is not even one â€Å"Learn Italian Quick† program that will be your be-all-end-all. There is no lightning in a bottle for Italian. There are hundreds of great, high-quality resources, many of which I can recommend, but know, above all, that YOU are the person learning the language. As polyglot Luca Lampariello often says, â€Å"Languages cannot be taught, they can only be learned.†In the beginning stages of learning, you will learn a ton, and then as you near that blessed intermediate level, you’ll have a period where you feel like you’re not making any progress. This is normal. Don’t get down on yourself about it. You actually are making progress, but at that stage, more effort is required, particularly when it comes to spoken Italian. Speaking of†¦Learning how to sound fluid and natural in Italian requires a lot of speaking practice and not just listening, reading, and writing practice. As you’re able to form longer sentences an d have a larger stockpile of vocabulary, you’ll want to find  a language partner. For some people, speaking can start from day one, but it depends on your experience, and a language partner can help you stay in this for the long-haul, which is critical because... Learning a language is a commitment that requires devotion (read: studying on a daily basis.) Start with a so-easy-you-can’t-say-no routine at first, like five minutes a day, and then build from there as studying becomes more of a habit. Now that you’re a language learner, you’ve got to find a way to weave it into your daily life.It’s meant to be fun, and it’s also absurdly gratifying- especially when you have your first conversation where you can connect with someone. Make sure to engage in activities that you find joy in. Find fun YouTube channels, work with tutors who make you laugh, find Italian music to add to your playlists. But know that...You will try to like Italian music, but you will probably be disappointed.  You will be able to understand more than you’ll be able to say. This is to be expected since at first, you’ll be taking in more information (listening and  reading) than you’re putting out (writing and speak ing).BUT, EVEN THEN...you may study for a long time and then feel brave enough to watch some Italian TV and not understand more than 15 percent  of what they’re saying. That’s normal, too. Your ear isn’t used to the rate of speech yet and lots of things are in dialect or contain slang, so be gentle with yourself. There is a thing in Italian where you have to make your nouns, adjectives and verbs agree in number and gender. This will happen with pronouns and prepositions, too. No matter how well you know the rules, you will mess up. It’s not a big deal. The goal is to be understood, not perfect.And in that same vein, you will definitely make mistakes. They are normal. You will say embarrassing things like â€Å"ano - anus† instead of â€Å"anno - year.† Laugh it off, and think of it as one entertaining way to acquire new vocabulary.You will get confused between the imperfect and the past tense. Just consider that challenge as a recipe you keep on tweaking. It will always be edible, but it could still be better.You will overuse the gerund tense when you mean to use the present tense. This and a host of other problems will arise from your  depending on English to inform your Italian.  You will totally forget to use the past tense during conversations. Our brains like to go to what’s easiest, so when we’re nervous while trying to have a conversation with a native speaker, it defaults to what’s easiest, which is often the present. And while you’re having those early conversations, you will feel like you lack a personality in Italian. As you learn more, your personality will re-emerge, I promise. In the meantime, it could be helpful to make a list of phrases that you often say in English and ask your tutor for the Italian equivalents.You will say â€Å"yes† to things you meant to say â€Å"no† to and â€Å"no† to things you meant to say â€Å"yes† to. You will order the wrong thing when youre dining out. You will ask for the wrong size when youre shopping. You will get a lot of weird stares from people trying to understand you, and you will need to repeat yourself. It’s all okay, and nothing is personal. People really want to know what you’re saying.When you visit Italy, anxious to put your Italian into action on its home turf, you will be English-ed, and it’s not meant as an insult.You will constantly wonder whether you should be using the â€Å" tu† or the â€Å"lei† form with all people everywhere that ever existed. At some point (or more realistically, several points), you will lose motivation and fall off the Italian studying wagon. You’ll also find new ways to get back on it. You will be impatient to reach â€Å"fluency.† (Hint: Fluency isn’t a real destination. So enjoy the ride.)You will consider using Google Translate for everything. Try not to. It can easily become a crutch. Use dictionaries like WordReference and Context-Reverse first.Once you learn how to use the word â€Å"boh,† you will start using it all the time in English.You will love the colorful proverbs and idioms that differ from English. ‘Who sleeps doesn’t catch fish’  instead of ‘the early bird catches the worm’? Adorable.Your mouth will feel weird pronouncing unfamiliar words. You will feel insecure about you’re speaking. You will think you should be further along. Remember that feeling uncomfortable means you’re doing something right. Then, ignore those negative thoughts and keep studying.You will forget that communication is about more than a perfectly constructed sentence and will try to learn the language through just studying the grammar. Resist the temptation for everything to be structured.But most importantly, know that you will, after practice and devotion, be able to speak Italian- not quite like a native, but comfortable enough to do the things that matter, like make friends, eat authentic Italian food, and experience a new country from the eyes of someone who is no longer a typical tourist. Buono studio!

summary of people of gilded age essays

summary of people of gilded age essays After the Civil War had ended, several soldiers had returned home to find their places of living destroyed. Most of these people returned to practically nothing. The United States had to rebuild itself, and this rebuilding was called Reconstruction. Today historians refer to this era of reconstruction as the part of the Gilded Age. Many people had to pickup and start all over again, while others continued their quests of expanding. Expanding by taking control over the land or by expanding their beliefs, either way lives of these people reflected the social tensions of the Gilded Age. Philip H. Sheridan, who was one of the heroes of the Civil War, was a soldier who had started his career on the frontier and would return there after the war to help the United States in expanding its territory by having to combat many Native Americans in doing so. Sheridan was an extremely important person who helped conquer the frontier. Sheridan believed in the freeing of black slaves, and decided that he would help protect the blacks now that they were free. He expresses his opinion about what is done to black people in Texas by commenting that the black codes are a policy of gross injustice toward the colored people on the part of the courts, and a reign of lawlessness and disorder ensued.(10) Sheridans defense of the black cause much tension in his life, in Texas, that he was later reassigned to command the Department of the Missouri. (11) In 1869 when Grant had became President; he appointed Sheridan lieutenant governor and command of the Division of Missouri. Sheridans past on tactics for attacking the Indians made him the best man for the job in defending the western frontier. Much of Sheridans life involved being enrolled in the army and defending the frontier. He is also known for the quote The only good Indian is a dead Indian, which he became synonymous with. (13) Sheridans life practically ...

Ethical Considerations in Leadership Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Considerations in Leadership - Article Example His message was that, I should keep down my head and avoid drawing any attention concerning the problems that the company was facing in performance. The fact that the control purpose of the meeting was to be affected by the manager’s demand made me very uncomfortable. Covering up the problems that led to poor company performance worried me because this was very unethical. I was also concerned of being accused of things that the manager could not have told me, which could also be affecting the company. Despite these misgivings, I went ahead to attend the meeting, just to avoid being at loggerheads with the manager. On attending the meeting, I had to address issues concerning the company that I had no slight idea about. When I informed the manager about eh meeting and the questions asked, he was very angry at me, accusing me of betraying him. After a month, I was given notice concerning my job contract termination. A month later, I was fired with claims that I was a poor perform er and could not meet the company’s expectations. This really discouraged me and to me, the manager was unethical in carrying out his duties. Problem Identification Real leaders consider doing the right thing irrespective of its consequences when faced by difficult ethical dilemmas (Kidder, 1995). Managers experience such dilemmas when caring out their daily chores as Greenfield (1991) says. Developing moral obligations to the companies and their employees leaves them in a situation where they have to determine what is morally right. Unfortunately, very few leaders are usually able to deal with such conflicts. Until recently, ethical issues were accorded little attention in dealing with organizational conflicts (Kidder, 1995). The problem in this case is that, the manager was not ready to attend the meeting because he well understood the problems. He therefore feared any confrontations from his superiors and thus opted to send me to represent him. Though he could have been co nfronted for the poor performance of the company, he could have handled the situation better than me, because he was more experienced. As for me, I was very new in such issues, despite not being responsible for the problems. The manager could have also sent his assistant who could have also argued out the issues better than me, just a junior staff. It was unfortunate that the questions asked were very unfamiliar to me. On the other hand, the manager knew very well where he was failing but kept on assuming his responsibilities. For example, poor trained staff and late delivery of supply goods were the main problems. These are issues he could have addressed early enough by seeking help from his seniors. On the other hand, these were issues he could have presented before the board during the meeting. However, he was reluctant because he well knew that he was to blame for such mistakes. Another solution was for the manager to attend the meeting and air his views concerning the problems in a way that worked out better for him, since he was in a better position to defend him. As Kidder (1995) says, management crisis are better handled by the affected party than a second or third party. However, the best solution to the manager, which is also ethical, was for him to attend the meetings personally, explain everything, and ask for assistance in proving the company’s performance. For example, since the main problems were delayed delivery of goods and untrained staff, the manager could h