Great Book on Italian Language
If you are using Fluenz Italian and are getting excited about the Italian language like I am, this book is a must read. It's La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales, a beautifully written book with insights and stories about the Italian language. Reading it makes one understand how significant their language is to Italians and how intertwined it is in their lives, beyond just speaking it.
I purchased my copy in Florence two weeks ago––my wife and I are vacationing in Tuscany and my Fluenz language studies have really helped us significantly. I still can't get over being amazed when I speak to an Italian and they understand what I'm saying! Even better when I understand their response––that doesn't always happen, but it's getting better. I'm also starting to recognize some of the subtleties of pronunciation in the Tuscan dialect by listening to native speakers.
Another books I've found useful are "Collins Italian Grammar" (2d ed., 2011) and "Barron's Italian Verbs" (2d ed, 2012). I'm also working my way through "Scandolo in Toscana," in Italian, by Nancy Shroyer Howard. It's a children's book about the adventures of "Cinta," a pig of the 'cinta senese' breed portrayed in the famous 14th-century fresco cycle The Effects of Good and Bad Government in the City and Countryside by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the Palazzo Pubblico, Siena. This reading level is perfect for me, not too complicated.
Status:
Open Jun 04, 2012 - 04:34 AM
Italian, Italian > Culture