Instantly Italy

Italian speaking practice and grammar tutoring

[Italian Grammar] Imperfetto vs. Passato Prossimo: When To Use One or the Other?

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Knowing when to use imperfetto or passato prossimo is one of the most difficult aspects of the Italian language, in my opinion.

I have seen many students struggle with this topic. In some cases, they were even advanced students who could use the congiuntivo quite confidently, for example, but would still stumble upon the choice of when to use imperfetto or passato prossimo.

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Pausa Caffè: A Challenge To Overcome Your Fear of Speaking Italian

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“I can write, read and understand Italian well but the real issue is when I have to speak!”.

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this sentence. This is what a lot of people tell me when they contact me for speaking practice but it is also what I am told by my students and what I read in comments and messages here and there.

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Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo!

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It’s that time of the year, again!

We are getting ready to celebrate Christmas, the year is almost gone and it’s the perfect time to look back and reflect on what has happened this year.

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Expats in Italy: An Interview With Sam Rich of Aperilife, a YouTube Channel about Life in Italy as a Foreigner

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be able to interview expats living in Italy. 

Every time, it is an opportunity for me to learn more and to see life in Italy through different eyes. When I began interviewing expats, it was because I didn’t want this blog to be too focused on my personal Italian-native experience and I wanted to offer a more accurate view of Italian life. 

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[Family Recipes] Insalata Russa, A Staple on Our Christmas Table

Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

I have been thinking a lot about Christmas, lately.

It’s been a really strange year – I am being kind, 2020 – and Christmas won’t make an exception. Christmas is all about traditions and knowing that everything will be the same, year after year, but this obviously cannot be said for this year.

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