Instantly Italy

Italian speaking practice and grammar tutoring

Do You Know How To Properly Use Prego When Speaking Italian?

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.

Last week, while I was chatting with a student, I got asked one of the simplest questions ever. 

I was having a Chiacchieriamo session with a lovely lady I get to catch with every morning at breakfast time. She has been living in Italy for a few years now and has a very good command of the language but is still struggling with some very simple things.

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Instantly Italy Has Just Turned Four, Let’s Celebrate!

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 almost can’t believe I have been running Instantly Italy for four years now!

Every year the birthday of my business arrives without me thinking about it. It is always a surprise but also a time to look back and reflect on my work. I always take this moment as an opportunity to think about what I have done, what I could have done better, what was good and what not and to see how can I improve and do better in the future.

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It’s Valentine’s Day! Here Are Some Italian Words Related To Love That You May Need To Know

I have prepared a pdf file with all the Italian words and phrases you’ll find in this post. You can find it in Your Italian Toolbox, a section of Instantly Italy where you’ll find Italian learning materials. You can get access to it by subscribing here.

Buon San Valentino! Do you want to speak of love? Why don’t you do it in Italian?

They always say that Italian is the language of love, right? So, it is useful to know some nice Italian words to use if you want to impress your loved one – whether he or she is Italian or not.

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Some of my favorite Italian classic novels (available in English too)

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.

“Can you recommend some good Italian books?” is one of the questions I get asked the most. 

Reading is one of my most favorite things in life, so this question always makes me really happy. I try to write about books as much as I can, here on my blog, and I am always looking for interesting reads to suggest to you.

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Some English Words That Are Used In Italian With A Different Meaning

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.

The Italian language includes some English words used with a different meaning but also words that Italians think are English when actually they are not. 

One of the funniest things about my work is chatting with people and laughing with them about words with different meanings or uses, depending on the language.

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Some Common Italian Grammar Mistakes That Native Speakers Make All The Time

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.

Are you scared of speaking Italian? Are you afraid of making mistakes? No, worries. We Italians make them all the time (myself included).

I know, I teach Italian and I shouldn’t admit that sometimes I make little mistakes when speaking my own language. That’s very unprofessional of me, right? Well, no, I don’t think so.

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How To Buy Groceries in Italy: What To Say And Do in Italian Grocery Stores and Supermarkets

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.

Shopping for food is one of the activities like the most when I am abroad.

Going to open-air markets or visiting the supermarket is a true adventure and a great way to know a certain town or country better: the farther from your hometown you are, the funnier it is.  There is a lot you can learn about a place if you go grocery shopping, so it’s an experience I totally recommend you, in Italy especially, where food is more than a religion.

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10 Basic Italian Phrases You Need To Know If You Visit Italy (Plus One)

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.

You don’t need to speak Italian if you come to Italy, obviously, but knowing a few basic phrases could definitely help. 

Knowing a bit of the language is a matter of survival if you go to remote or off-the-beaten-track Italian locations but mastering a few basic words and phrases can be a great idea even if you go to tourist places, where most people know English.

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10 Popular Italian Idioms That Come From Movies and TV Shows

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.

Idioms are one of the funniest yet hardest things to learn in a foreign language. 

You can be a very fluent speaker but if in the middle of a conversation someone tells you sei lungo come la Quaresima (you are long as Lent) or that it is time to tagliare la testa al toro (to cut the bull’s head), you may end up with a puzzled look on your face.

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