The Italian Curriculum : An Inspired Journey

• Passaporto: Conversational Italian for Beginners and Travelers
• Intervista A+B: Conversational Italian for Advanced Beginners
• Raccontami A+B: Intermediate Italian Conversation and Grammar
• Prospettive: Advanced Italian Conversation and Grammar
• Workshops and Special Interest: Grammar in Focus, Writing, Cinema Chat. Book Club

• *Italian for Children: After-school, home-school, camps and custom courses.

Not sure of the level? Sign up for a free lesson by contacting us see if it’s right for you, or set up a welcome/evaluation session with one of our Italian instructors.

Upcoming and Ongoing Italian Courses at Speak!

How to enroll:
Fill out our on-line registration form!

How to pay: You can pay on-line with a credit/debit card, or in-person with a check or cash.

Plunge! Intensive Italian for Beginners

May 10-21, 2010
9am-1pm
$425 per person (includes all materials)

Taka a vacation from your normal morning routine to plunge into Italian language and culture! This fun and effective course is ideal for beginners (and travelers) or those who simply wish to start anew. 40 total hours of dynamic instruction by two experienced native instructors is really the next best thing to hopping on a plane and flying to Umbria (with us!).

Buon Viaggio: Italian for Beginners and Travelers

Know before you GO!

Tues and Thurs, 6-8pm
May 4-27
$250 includes all materials and numerous tastings!

Ideal for beginners and travelers, this language and culture course introduces students to Italy and the Italian language in 8 fun, varied, delicious lessons. We’ll explore the 20 regions of Italy, learn about Italian lifestyle, food/wine and talk about the many different ways to experience Italia as a traveler, over time.

Enroll on-line

Passaporto: Conversational Italian for Beginners

You’re still in time to join this course!
Tues and Thurs Mornings
10:30am-Noon
Feb 4-March 9
March 30-April 29

$225/$195

Mon and Wed Evenings, 5:30-7pm with Gabriella
Jan 11- Feb 10
Tuition: $225/$195

Passaporto 2: Conversational Italian for Beginners 2

with Gabriella and Christina
Mon and Wed Evenings, 5:30-7pm
Feb 15 – March 17
Tuition: $225
Enroll on-line

Tues and Thurs mornings, 10:30-Noon
March 16-April 15
Tuition:$225
Enroll on-line

Intervista: Conversational Italian for Advanced Beginners

with Patrizia Johnson
Mondays 12:30-2pm
Jan 18 – March 22
Tuition: $225

Special Pronunciation/Conversation Workshop!!

Playing with Pronunciation
with Elisa Dossena Marcon
Tuesdays, 12:30-2pm
March 16-April 13

Tuition: $125 (includes materials)

CHIANTI – GHIAIA – CINEMA – GENTE – PASTICCERIA – Learn to master the rules of Italian pronunciation and get personalized help with your own unique “trouble spots” in this effective, fun five-lesson workshop. We will focus on the distinction between soft (ce, sce, gi, ge) and hard (chi, che, ghe…) sounds, learn tricks to know where to put the accent and also practice making the most of all of those beautiful VOWELS. Ideal for students at all levels, beginner-thru-advanced.

Italiano in Cucina: Intermediate Grammar, Culture, Conversation

with Silvia Dupont
Mon and Thurs mornings, 9 – 10:30am
April 12 – May 13 (10 classes)
$225/$215 members

Italiano in cucina combines the best of both worlds: Italian Language and Italian regional cuisine. It is not a cooking class, because before cooking Italian food (which we’ll do in our summer Italian cooking class series) we need to really, truly understand la cucina italiana. Our textbook is a recipe book made for teaching Italian with recipes, exercises and a lot of vocabulary! We will explore the differences among Italian regions and we will discover why we can’t really talk about one “Italian” cuisine. At the end of the class we will have a party and at that point each of you can choose a recipe from the book and bring it to share.
Mandatory text: L’italiano in cucina ($15)
Max 10 students.

ITALIANO all’OPERA : Lingua, Cultura e Conversazione

with Mary Ann Archer and Patrizia Johnson
Saturdays, 10:30am-12:30pm
March 13-May 1
Tuition: $225
4 week option: $150
Enroll on-line

Could there be a more inspiring way to practice your Italian than this special course devoted to the history, plots, passions and, of course, language, of Italian opera? Join opera insider Mary Ann Archer – former flutist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra – and Italian instructor Patrizia Johnson for this delightful Saturday indulgence. Operas discussed will include Puccini’s La Boheme and Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. And remember, you can even attend the MET Live broadcasts a few blocks away at The Paramount after class! Find out more about this class at our preview reception on March 10, 5:30-6:30pm.

VERBS IN FOCUS : INTENSIVE WORKSHOP

with Christina Ball and Silvia Dupont
Thursdays, Noon-2pm
March 11-April 15l
$175; $40 per session drop-in
Enroll on-line

Can we ever have too much practice with verbs? Non credo proprio! This workshop will review all of the major verb tenses in Italian through a combination of exercises and conversation activities: present reg. and (especially) irregular verbs, imperative/command form, passato prossimo, imperfetto, passato remoto, future, etc. Ideal for all levels, from advanced beginners through advanced.

Buon Viaggio: Italian Boot-Camp for Travelers

Saturday, April 24
9:30am-5pm
$150 ($225 per couple)

Know before you GO!

Our fun and effective single session boot-camp for travelers teaches you the basics of the Italian language (greetings, pronunciation, ordering) and includes cultural tips and situations (shopping, restaurant and caffe’ ordering, asking basic questions) that will help you make the most of your trip. We can also customize a Buon Viaggio class for your travel group (personal, business, school trip).

Italiano al Cinema

with Elisa Dossena Marcon
January 28 – April 1
Thursdays, 5:30-7pm
Tuition, full course: $150
Tuition, partial course: $50 for 3 lessons, covering one film discussion

Do you like Italian Films? Do you want to learn more about Italian culture while improving your listening comprehension and speaking skills? Join us for a special, super-fun course of Upper-Intermediate/Advanced level Italian! This course is a perfect combination of language, content, and culture. It provides students with ample opportunities to think critically and communicate meaningfully. We will watch three recent, well-known Italian movies and, by focusing on some of their most fascinating scenes, you will improve your understanding of important grammar forms and vocabulary by experiencing them – in action -as they appear in the dialogues. It’s also a chance to familiarize with different accents and expressions from different Italian regions. A great enrichment course to combine with your other studies and ideal for more advanced students, too!

Step-up-to-the-Plate ITALIAN!

with Christina Ball and Gabriella Valsecchi
for advanced beginners-intermediate students

Do you find yourself at a loss when it comes to quick responses to different situations in Italian? Would you like to have more words and phrases at the tip-of-your-tongue? Join us for this special course that focuses on practicing a variety of appropriate responses to common, everyday situations, such as: greetings and wishing people well, expressing likes and dislikes, clarifying your own meaning and asking for clarification from others, congratulating people, appropriate and useful dining phrases – and more! Through repetition and role-playing, we will practice until the proper phrase becomes natural for everyone! Limit: 6 participants per session.

Friday mornings, 9-10:30am
This popular class will recommence April 9
$25 drop-in, inclusive of materials.

Penna e Piuma: Italian Writing Workshop

Writing is the perfect way to work on perfecting your Italian!

In this intensive two week workshop you will learn to identify and correct those small, pesky errors (subject-verb/adjective agreement, articles and pronouns, etc.), expand your vocabulary and express your ideas with more clarity and confidence. Inspired by models both literary and artistic, we will work on writing in several different genres: narrative, descriptive, letter/e-mail writing, and opinionated essay. Ideal for Intermediate Students.
Limit 6 students per session.

Grammar in Focus

Join us for this intensive series of workshops. Each workshop focuses on a single point of Italian grammar and allows ample time (2-3 hours) for review, exercises, explanations and, as always, lots of practice.

Upcoming Workshops : TBA

Italian for Kids! – Summer Programs TBA in March

Unicorni: 4-7year olds

Aquiloni: 8-12 year olds

Also forming home-school groups, based upon request!