Italian Language Studies
Beginners - Elementary - Improvers - Level 3

To join us in these groups you need to be a member of the Dorchester & District u3a

Italian Beginners
1st and 3rd Thursdays

Beginners Italian got off to a slow start with three attending the first meeting in October 2021 but we have steadily recruited new members and now number seven (eight if a recent enquirer joins us).

We have made good progress with the basics and can now introduce ourselves, ask someone we meet about themselves (and understand the answers – including telephone numbers and birthdays).  We can also use numbers for shopping (so much easier now prices are in euro and not in thousands of lire!).  Next we’ll be learning to tell the time and looking at transport and the whole is underpinned by a regular grammar spot so that when we look up new words, we can adapt them for use (form a plural, conjugate a verb, for example).  As well as exchanging information in pairs, we have regular comprehensions from Italian videos to deepen our appreciation of Italian life (and widen our vocabulary).  

So far new members have joined us as and when they discover us, but they have been learners with some knowledge of Italian already.  Genuine complete beginners would struggle at this stage, 12 lessons in, and we have now reached the point where we would struggle to maintain social distancing if the group grew any more.  Anyone wanting to register an interest in learning Italian from scratch should contact the Group Leader, who will be keeping a waiting list.

We meet in the Holy Trinity Centre, Upper Classroom on 1st and 3rd Thursdays​ at 09:30.
For further details contact the group leader, Anneli Fisher.
  Email:  italianbeginners@dorchesteru3a.org.uk
​  telephone number in the newsletter.

Italian Elementary
2nd, 4th and an odd 5th Wednesday

This year we are working through Al Dente 1, a course book with explanations and instructions entirely in Italian and which covers the basics at a faster rate.  The book provides plenty of opportunity for revision and the development of all language skills.   Activities both in and out of the course book therefore include grammar, practical reading, listening and speaking skills, as well as the reading of a chapter of a story during each meeting.  The book itself comes with an extra section of written exercises to give further practice of what is covered in the lesson.  There is also a CD for listening work and a DVD.   The accompanying films can also be accessed on line. 
The class may be full when you read this, so please contact the leader should you be considering access to the course and also for any further information on the course itself. ​

Meetings are in the Holy Trinity Parish Centre, Upper Classroom on 2nd, 4th and an odd 5th Wednesdays, 11:00 to 12:30.
Do contact me for further information.
José Hinton (Group Leader)
    email:  italianelementary@dorchesteru3a.org.uk
    tel:   01305 261494

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Italian Improvers
2nd, 4th and sometimes 5th Mondays

This class is using Al Dente 2.  The book comes with CD, DVD and a wealth of written exercises.     We are using it as a spring board for conversation, grammar revision and extension, plus more practice in all four language skills using a wider vocabulary. Other appropriate materials and activities are brought into the course in response to needs and interests.

Meetings are in the Holy Trinity Parish Centre, Upper Classroom on 2nd, 4th and sometimes 5th Monday​s, 11:00 to 12:30.
​Do contact me for further information.
José Hinton (Group Leader)
   email:  italianimprovers@dorchesteru3a.org.uk
   tel:   01305 261494

Italian Level 3
Thursdays

As the title suggests, Italian for those who have already a good grasp of the language.  This is an informal group whose activities include general conversation, such as might arise at a coffee morning; anecdotes (usually prepared beforehand) from a member who has something interesting or amusing to relate; occasional listening comprehensions (recordings); occasional onslaughts on grammar prompted by an area where the leader has spotted a gap to be plugged or a member has asked for clarification (NB there is no attempt at a systematic coverage of grammar as such); games – anything from ad hoc word games such as l’impiccato (hangman) to Italian Trivial Pursuits or Scarabeo (Scrabble) – has been known to include Strip Poker with an Italian twist – and wading through a weekly chunk of a reader.  As light summer reading we are tackling Agatha Christie’s Trappola per topi (The Mousetrap).

Numbers have dwindled since the onset of Covid for various reasons so that although only one couple is officially taking a year out, there is never a full complement of members at any one meeting so there is room for one or two new members.  If anyone whose Italian is (or used to be) reasonably fluent feels like brushing the dust off it, they would be made welcome.

We meet in the Holy Trinity Centre on Thursdays at 11:10 to 12:45. 
For further details contact the group leader, Anneli Fisher.
  Email: italianl3@dorchesteru3a.org.uk 
​  telephone number in the newsletter.

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Page maintained by Alan Hopwood email: arh@dorchesteru3a.org.uk