If you have been reading this blog for a while, I bet you know what Pausa Caffè is.
But if you are new here, let me tell you that it is a fun way to speak Italian daily for a month and therefore practice the language in a fun and engaging way.
Pausa Caffè was born two years ago as a way to help students overcome their fear of speaking Italian. In fact, one of the things students tell me most frequently is that they can read and understand Italian quite well but the struggle comes when they have to speak.
Some of them are just too shy, while some others think that they should only speak when they can do it perfectly. Since the only way to improve speaking skills is to speak, the only thing I can tell them is to overcome their fear and just use the language.
Well, this is easier said than done. Sometimes it is not that easy to find the time to commit to a language conversation practice, or maybe for some students speaking for 30 minutes or an hour is just too much. But since constant practice is the key to improving at basically anything in life, I came up with the idea of Pausa Caffè.
Pausa Caffè is a challenge that gets you to speak a bit of Italian every day, without taking up too much time. It lasts one month only because it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It is easy, fun, and useful if you want to find the confidence to speak Italian or simply practice the language consistently for a period of time.
But let me tell you more about it.
First of all, the challenge 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. 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 Tuesday, March 1st and ends on Thursday, March 31st. During 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 it. 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.
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 Wednesday, March 1st and ends on Friday, March 31st
– 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 just a bit more than the cost of a daily coffee for a month, here in Italy
– it won’t be back soon, so grab it while you can!
[Subscriptions are closed]
Do you have a Pausa program for beginners? Even at my level, upper beginner, I would love to speak in present tense on simple subjects.
On another subject, do you also work with Italian native speakers to teach English? I would love to help Italians gain confidence in speaking English. Grazie Janet.
Ciao Janet!
Questions are super easy and conversational. Some of them might require the use of past tense or conditional but most of them are about simple subjects. If you want to have an idea of the type of questions, just check my Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/instantlyitaly/) I am currently having a project about Italian questions and they are quite similar to the ones in Pausa Caffè.
Regarding teaching English, no I don’t work with italians. Are you an English teacher?
Ciao Cinza,
Will you be having a Pausa Caffe this summer? In July? I would love to join if you are going to have one. I’ve been studying Italian language since September and our class is finished at the end of April. I’m at level B1 Intermediate.
Please let me know.
Gracie,
Therese
Ciao Therese,
Pausa Caffè will be back in the fall, I hope you’ll be able to join it!
If you want a personalized program, you can check Italiano Mordi e Fuggi. That one is always available!
A presto,
Cinzia