Autumn is here, it is time to cozy up and get back to your Italian practice.
If you have been taking a break during the summer months, a speaking challenge is a perfect way to get back on track and start working on your Italian again.
But it is a great practice in many other cases: if you have never stopped studying and want to test your ability to speak Italian, if you feel you are stuck and want to find a new way to improve your Italian, especially when it comes to speaking, if you would like to practice Italian but don’t have much time, or if you feel shy when you need to say something in Italian and want to be (gently) challenged to speak.
This is exactly why I have created Pausa Caffè, a speaking challenge that is fun, simple, doesn’t take much time but has many positive effects. I have organized this challenge a few times already and every time students were really happy because they got to speak Italian, learn a lot of new words, and also felt more confident, which is the thing that makes me happier.
If you have been following me for a while, you probably already know what Pausa Caffè is. If you have never heard of it, let me briefly tell you about it. Basically, Pausa Caffè is a challenge to help you practice your Italian every day for a month.
It is called Pausa Caffè because a coffee break usually doesn’t last long, maybe just 10 minutes, and this is exactly the time you need to work on the challenge every day. If you sign up for Pausa Caffè, every day you will get a short video from me with a question for you and an idea for a possible answer.
What you need to do is simply answer the question in either video or audio form. I will be using VideoAsk, a platform that gives you the chance of a conversation via asynchronous video. The length of each video on the platform can’t be more than 2 minutes, which makes it perfect for a quick question and answer.
If you do not feel confident enough to show your face – which I totally understand – you can reply in audio form and it will be totally fine. Also, I will listen to your reply and send you feedback on your reply via email. I will do it every day, for each reply you will send me.
Since it involves conversation, in order to be able to enjoy this experience at best, you need to be at level B1 (intermediate). But let’s see things in detail.
How does it work?
It’s super easy: you sign up for Pausa Caffè and will get a video every day for one month (Monday through Friday). Each video will contain a question for you and an idea for a possible answer. You have to reply to that question – in audio or video form – with your answer. For each video you send me, I’ll email you with feedback and I’ll correct possible mistakes if needed.
Keep in mind that, in order to be able to enjoy this experience at best, you need to be at level B1 (intermediate).
When does it start?
It starts on Monday, October 3rd and ends on Friday, October 28th. In that period, you will get an email every day from Monday to Friday with a video recorded by me. Each video will never be more than 2 minutes long, making it super easy and quick for you to watch. I will use VideoAsk, which is a platform that gives you the chance of chatting via asynchronous videos.
How much does it cost?
It’s 49 USD, which is more or less the cost of one coffee a day for a month.
What will you get?
– the chance to speak Italian consistently, every weekday (Monday through Friday)
– a safe and relaxed environment – your own home – where you can speak freely
– tips and recommendations to improve your speaking skills
– more confidence when speaking Italian
Let’s summarize:
– Pausa Caffè is a challenge to make you speak Italian daily, for a month
– it begins on Monday, October 3rd and ends on Friday, October 28th
– every weekday (Monday through Friday) you get a video with a question you need to answer in either video or audio form
– for every daily answer you send me, you will get an email from me with feedback
– it costs 49 USD, which is more or less the cost of a daily coffee for a month, here in Italy
– it won’t be back until next year, so grab it while you can!
Ciao Cinzia. I am interested in signing up for the Pausa café. However, I want to better understand the requirement of being Level Intermediate B1 and what that means. Thank you!
-Francesca
Ciao Francesca! Basically, you need to know how to use the passato prossimo, imperfetto and condizionale presente. Most of the questions are in the present but some of them require those tenses.
Cinzia