Italian Facts
Italian has always had a different, distinctive dialect for each Italian city, though a well-known Italian turn of phrase describes it as "the Tuscan tongue in a Roman mouth"
Diphthongs (two vowels following each other) in Italian are pronounced as two separate letters
Italian is a Romance language spoken by around 63 million people worldwide, primarily in Italy and Switzerland
Italian
Glossary
Giro d`Italia
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Il giro d’Italia fa parte del vasto repertorio sportivo che contribuisce ad arricchire il patrimonio culturale nazionale. Questo evento sportivo coinvolge non solo il mondo del ciclismo ma anche tutti i cittadini italiani che aspettano ansiosi di poter seguire le varie tappe del giro in televisione o ancora meglio sotto il balcone di casa. Numerose sono le città che da Nord a Sud dello stivale sono state teatro di questa celebre gara ciclistica.
Sulmona, in Abruzzo, è una di queste città che si fregia dell’onore di aver ospitato fino ad oggi sei edizioni della prestigiosa corsa e di cui si può ben dire abbia ereditato un ruolo di prim’ordine. La prima volta fu nel 1911, anche se in realtà i corridori vi erano già passati nel 1909 in occasione della 3a tappa, da Chieti a Napoli: quella in programma era la Ancona - Sulmona di 218 km. L'arrivo venne posto in Viale Umberto I, l'odierno Viale Roosvelt, e in quell'occasione risultò vincitore Corlaita, davanti all'acclamato Lucien Mazan ("alias" Petit Breton) e a Gerbi: come si può immaginare fu un grande successo di pubblico. Ma anche sportivo, visto che quel Giro risultò durissimo, con al traguardo soli 44 corridori degli 86 partiti!
Napoli e Chieti furono, invece, protagoniste di un leggendario episodio riguardante l’atleta Costante Girardengo. Quest’ultimo dopo aver vinto quattro tappe di seguito, entrò in crisi nella salita da Rionero Sannitico al Piano delle Cinque Miglia. Stravolto dalla fatica tracciò una croce nella polvere della strada giurando di non percorrerla più e abbandò il giro, poi vinto da Brunero. Naturalmente Girardengo non mantenne il giuramento andando a vincere, proprio percorrendo le stesse strade, il giro del 1923.
Dopo alcune città italiane gli indiscussi protagonisti di questa grande gara ciclistica sono Marco Pantani, Gilberto Simoni (il vincitore del Giro 2001) e Filippo Casagrande, che purtoppo nel 2001 si ritirò per una caduta nella discesa di Chieti.
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Italian Courses in Bolton
Our native speaker qualified Italian language teachers can train you and your colleagues at your office or home at a time to suit you. Classes can be any day of the week (even weekends) in the morning, afternoon or evening. In certain circumstances, if your home or office is not suitable, you can take your classes at the trainer's office. Course books are provided.
Book now / EnquiryItalian 1 to 1 Business
These Italian lessons are driven towards people who have a requirement to learn Italian to bolster their work output. For novices, you will find it useful to learn basic greetings and business etiquette; and once you have become more proficient then reading and writing will come to the fore. Typical students include those concerned with import/export, those seeking work in multinational companies, international negotiations, and anyone working with international colleagues or administration. Even on our most rudimentary beginners course, students can expect to finish the course with decent telephone and e-mail Italian, as well as a good enough grip on the language for a short trip to the country.
Book now / EnquiryItalian 1 to 1 General
These Italian courses are more general in nature and are targeted at students with a whole range of different needs. While all beginners level students can expect to cover Survival Italian - required for short visits to a country where English may not be spoken and/or the intention is to make good contacts with the local population, students then generally progress in different directions depending on their needs. Typical students include those buying property overseas, spouses of overseas nationals, people about to set off on that long-awaited world trip, Italian culture enthusiasts and those who are keen to pass a particular Italian examination.
Book now / EnquiryItalian Group Lessons
The Italian courses are also available for 2 or more people studying together (Two-to-One Italian Course or Small Group In-Company Italian Course). All participants must have the same level, the same business or general language needs and be able to study at the same time in the same location. The booking must be made for all participants at the same time. Listen & Learn do not recommend group classes of more than 6-8 people although In-Company Taster Italian Courses can be run with up to 12 people.
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Bolton
Situated in the northwest of England, Bolton is a large town with a population of around 140,000. Once one of the largest and most prolific hub of cotton manufacturing in the world (owing somewhat to the damp climate which aided cotton spinning), Bolton grew rapidly as a textile mill town during the 19th century. It is now a mecca for retail and service-based industries (the origin and home of the Reebok label), as well as a bustling centre for tourism. According to a recent survey of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Boltonians are the friendliest people in Britain.
Italian Testimonials
"This is just a quick note to say thank you for arranging our Italian classes. We really enjoyed them and we liked Maria very much. We are interested in having some more lessons, perhaps once a week now. We'd like them to focus on conversation so that we can practise what we've learned so far."
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