In this exciting course on Italian, you'll learn to speak about the present, the past, and the future through detailed work with verbs, nouns, and adjectives, plus you'll learn vocabulary on numerous, useful subjects. Among Italy's richly diverse regions, you'll discover the romantic beauties of Campania, The Marches", Il Veneto, and Tuscany, in an unforgettable immersion into Italy's splendorous language and culture."
Learning Italian: Step by Step and Region by Region
Learn to speak Italian and explore the passion and brilliance of Italian culture in this ingenious course that teaches you the language through a grand tour of Italy's 20 regions.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
JeffNJ from
Excellent production value
As usual I am so pleased by the great care taken to select a great teacher, and to utilize excellent audio, video and graphics. I am super impressed by the media format - audio, video, and workbook, which are integrated seamlessly and function perfectly. Grazie mille, Great Courses!!!
Date published: 2024-11-10
Rated 5 out of
5
by
juliaeve from
Very engaging
Professor Olson is extremely engaging, and has chosen really interesting content. This is the best course I've seen on Great Courses.
Date published: 2024-09-10
Rated 5 out of
5
by
ital from
Excellent teaching and course learning
Professor Kristina Olson has a lively, engaging and motivated way of teaching. Lectures are easy to follow and remember; with plenty of practice on pronunciation, vocabulary, verbs, and read along paragraphs describing all regions of Italy. We hope she continues to teach more advanced Italian courses.
She is an outstanding professor and follows a step by step comprehensive teaching of the course, along with the book and many exercises that make writing an important part of learning. Textbook includes suggested films and novels for further practice. Excellent course delivery; well thought of techniques to fully engage and motivate the student. Professor Kristina Olson is capable of teaching any language.
Date published: 2024-09-03
Rated 3 out of
5
by
SapientiaBonaEst from
Only take this if you really understand grammar
First, the positives. I like Prof. Olson's warmth, and there is a lot of good information in this course. I have taken Latin, French and Spanish at the college level, so I feel VERY comfortable with grammatical terms. I feel like Prof. Olson's approach reminds me of my college Latin course. First week is first conjugation verbs, second week is second conjugations verbs, and so on. And, we're going to show you all the irregular verbs and irregularities. If you have a REALLY good command of grammar, then I think this course will be okay for you. I also think that there is much more emphasis on reading than speaking in this course. As I said, a lot of good material in this course, but if hearing about the fact that the definite article has to agree with the noun and adjective in number and gender is going to make your eyes glaze over, then I wouldn't take this course. If you feel very comfortable with grammar, then you will learn a lot.
Date published: 2024-08-27
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Foreverlearning1 from
Like it so far
Just a few lessons in and I like it and the approach so far. Trying to get extra exposure to Italian thru other sources as well. The academic approach helps make sense of the conversational systems other resources use.
Date published: 2024-03-31
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Sir Lawrence from
Wow, what a truly gifted teacher!!
I'm nearly 66 years young and a lifelong learner so of course I've encountered all kinds of teachers and professors, the good the bad and the ugly so to speak. Prof Olson is outstanding. She speaks with conceptual clarity born of a deep knowledge of the language, the culture, and the history of Italy. She has a speaking style that is lively but not overdone. She provides insights about the language that I cannot get from the language gaming software that I'm also learning from. I'm about halfway through the course and very inspired to visit Italy based upon what Professor Olson has shared about the country. I hope she produces subsequent, more advanced courses in Italian after this one. I can't find any negatives about this course at all.
Date published: 2024-03-30
Rated 3 out of
5
by
jcp0061 from
Great Courses via Amazon Prime
I subscribe to Great Courses as an Amazon Prime Channel. I'm enjoying this series, but I feel at a disadvantage without the workbook. Is it available to subscribers in Prime?
Date published: 2024-01-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Infanto from
Learning Italian
Il dottor Olsen è un insegnante meraviglioso. Mi sono piaciute le sue presentazioni e mi sento molto esperto nella comprensione della lingua italiana e mi hanno indirizzato sulla strada giusta per padroneggiarla.
Date published: 2024-01-19
Overview
About
Kristina Olson is an Associate Professor of Italian and the Italian Program Coordinator at George Mason University, where she has taught Italian language, literature, and cinema since 2005. She earned her PhD in Italian from Columbia University.
Professor Olson is the author of Courtesy Lost: Dante, Boccaccio, and the Literature of History and several articles on Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch. She is the coeditor of Open City: Seven Writers in Postwar Rome; Boccaccio 1313–2013; and the second edition of Approaches to Teaching Dante’s “Divine Comedy” with the Modern Language Association.
Professor Olson is the president of the American Boccaccio Association and previously served as vice president and treasurer. She was also the vice president of the Dante Society of America for two years and a councilor for three years. She serves on the editorial boards of Bibliotheca Dantesca, an international journal dedicated to Dante studies, and Dante Studies, the annual publication of the Dante Society of America, and she is an executive committee member for the Modern Language Association’s Languages, Literatures, and Cultures forum on Medieval and Renaissance Italian.
Trailer
01: Benvenuti to Italian and Italy’s 20 Regions!
Begin with a preview of the content of the course, as you will study the Italian language within the cultural context of Italy’s 20 geographic regions. Learn about vowels and consonants in Italian, and important principles of pronunciation. Study the subject pronouns, the verbs essere and stare (both meaning “to be”), daily greetings, and practice the elements of a simple conversation.
33 min
02: Nouns and Articles / Sicily
Discover the island of Sicily, as you build knowledge of Italian grammar and vocabulary. Dive into a text describing Sicily’s topography, history, and ancient treasures. Using the text, explore Italian nouns as they express gender and number. Then, look at indefinite articles in Italian (“a” and “an” in English) and definite articles (“the” in English), and learn a practice dialogue.
28 min
03: Nouns and Adjectives / Sicily II
Delve further into the history and culture of Sicily in this lesson. Study the plural forms of nouns, and how numbers are spoken in Italian. Practice both elements using an imaginary dialogue concerning a Sicilian literary character. Learn how to describe people, places, and things with adjectives; how adjectives reflect gender and number; and practice describing a Renaissance painting.
35 min
04: Verbs Ending in -are / Lombardy
Take an overview of the region of Lombardy; its geography, culture, and food traditions. Learn the present indicative conjugation for “-are” verbs, covering a group of highly useful verbs. Use your new knowledge in talking about daily routines and discussing a classic Italian film, Il Posto. Review numbers in Italian, and look at one of Lombardy’s gems, The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.
31 min
05: Verbs Ending in -ere / Lazio
The region of Lazio contains the city of Rome, and much history regarding Italian art, politics, and society. Take in its cultural highlights as you practice “second conjugation” verbs, ending in “-ere”. Build facility with these verbs in the present indicative, using a text about the iconic film La Dolce Vita. Learn idiomatic expressions using avere (to have), and ways of forming questions.
31 min
06: Verbs Ending in -ire / Aosta and Trentino–Alto Adige
Start this lesson by reading texts describing two of the northernmost regions of Italy, the Valle d’Aosta and Trentino-Alto Adige, focusing on their mountainous geography and beautiful landscapes. Then study “third conjugation” verbs, ending in -ire, taking note of important irregular -ire verbs. Also learn the calendar, seasons, days of the week, and vocabulary concerning sports activities.
30 min
07: Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns / Puglia
Grasp how possessive adjectives (“my,” “your,” and “our” in English) and possessive pronouns (“mine,” “yours,”and “ours”) function in Italian. Explore their use in text describing the geography, scenic landscapes and coastline, and traditional houses of the Puglia region, and add important vocabulary about the family. Practice what you’ve learned in discussing Tre Fratelli and Le Mine vaganti, two films set in Puglia.
32 min
08: Prepositions / Abruzzo and Molise
Travel to the beautiful regions of Abruzzo and Molise, which feature stunning natural scenery, fine cuisine, and much history. Dig deeply into the use of prepositions in Italian (as in “from,” “with,” and “about” in English), which connect all the parts of speech. Also, note how prepositions express unspecified quantities, and learn vocabulary about the weather and seasonal activities.
30 min
09: Modal Verbs, Sapere, and Conoscere / Liguria
“Modal” verbs are verbs that precede another infinitive, as in “I want to eat.” Work with dovere (to have to), potere (to be able to), and volere (to want to), as you discover Liguria’s natural beauties, picturesque towns, and culinary and artistic riches. Then investigate the verbs conoscere and sapere, which relate to knowledge, and look into the creations of Genoese architect Renzo Piano.
29 min
10: The Imperative Mood / Campania
The imperative mood expresses commands, as in, “Repeat after me,” in English. Explore the two types of imperative verbs in Italian, the informal and the formal, and when to use each. Also, study irregular forms of the imperative. Practice the imperative by describing the popular Campania region, famous for its capital of Naples, its ancient sites, beautiful islands, and the scenic Amalfi Coast.
30 min
11: Direct Objects / Emilia-Romagna
Here, your subject matter for practice is the beautiful central region of Emilia-Romagna, which boasts the medieval city of Bologna, stunning Adriatic beaches, and a wealth of famous food specialties. Study direct object pronouns (as in “it” and “them” in English, standing in for nouns), as well as two vital adjectives, buono and bello, and use them in describing the sights of Emilia-Romagna.
28 min
12: Indirect Objects / Friuli–Venezia Giulia
Continue your study with the indirect object pronouns, which function as in “I give the book to him” in English. Also explore double object pronouns, as in “I give it to him.” Then practice the verb piacere, which expresses likes and dislikes, as you explore the multilingual region of Fruli-Venezia Guilia, highlighting its beautiful and diverse scenery and the fascinating city of Trieste.
30 min
13: Irregular Nouns / Basilicata
The less-visited southern region of Basilicata contains rich treasures of history and culture. Discover its ancient rock-carved houses and lunar landscapes as you return to Italian nouns, working with their plural endings and irregular forms. Then, add the interrogative nouns and pronouns (“who,” “what,” “why”), as you learn about Carlo Levi’s celebrated novel which made this region famous.
32 min
14: Reflexive Pronouns and Verbs / The Marches
Reflexive verbs direct the action onto the subject, as in “I wash myself.” Practice key Italian reflexive verbs along with their pronouns for talking about daily routines and wellness. In the Marches region, reflect on its picturesque scenery, Renaissance and medieval architecture, and the legacy of Raphael and Rossini, and learn the vocabulary of the body as well as how to tell time in Italian.
32 min
15: Reciprocal Verbs and Negatives / Veneto
The splendors of the Veneto region are your material for this lesson, from its iconic visual artists and the glorious city of Venice to its traditions of literature and theater. In speaking about the region, add reciprocal verbs, which describe actions that are shared reciprocally, as in, “They love each other.” Also, explore negative constructions and the expressive range of Italian adverbs.
32 min
16: Present Progressive and Suffixes / Piedmont
Study text describing the rich attractions of the Piedmont region, its alpine geography, the beautiful capital of Torino, and famed artisanal products. Work with the present progressive construction, which describes actions occurring in the present moment, as in “I’m eating lunch.” Learn about Italian suffixes, word endings that convey extra meaning, and about expressive Italian hand gestures.
29 min
17: Indefinite Pronouns, Ci, and Ne / Sardinia
Indefinite pronouns describe nonspecific qualities or quantities, as in “some,” “any,” or “many” in English. Study how these work in Italian, as you discuss ancient sites, agriculture, and tourism on the scenic island of Sardinia. Also, explore the unique pronouns ci and ne, which replace phrases within sentences. Then, see how the beauties of Sardinia have been depicted in Italian films.
30 min
18: Passato Prossimo with Avere / Umbria
The verdant region of Umbria is known as “The Green Heart of Italy.” Read text about its natural beauties, art and architecture, artisanal industries, and religious history. Work with the basic past tense, the passato prossimo (“Have you eaten?”). Learn to form this compound tense with avere (to have), and use it in discussing Umbrian culture. Also, study regular and irregular participles.
29 min
19: Passato Prossimo with Essere / Tuscany
Tuscany is perhaps Italy’s most celebrated and popular region, and the cradle of the Renaissance. Learn about its breathtaking medieval cities, beloved food specialties, and its iconic artists and writers. See how the passato prossimo tense is used with the auxiliary verb essere. Study expressions of time, and practice your skills in describing the life of Florentine painter Sandro Botticelli.
28 min
20: The Imperfect Tense / Calabria
The imperfetto (the imperfect) describes actions in the past that were ongoing or not completed, as in “I was reading.” Read text about the untamed beauty, prehistory, and Greek/Byzantine legacy of Calabria, noting the use of the imperfetto. Learn to conjugate the imperfetto, and practice choosing where to use it, as opposed to the passato prossimo, in text on the treasures of ancient Calabria.
30 min
21: The Impersonal Voice / Liguria II
Take a second look at the natural beauty and artistic culture of Liguria. Study the impersonal voice, which is used to refer to an unspecified subject, as in “One should” or “Everyone knows.” See how this voice expresses what people can do, see, or experience. Then return to modal verbs, as well as conoscere and sapere, and see how these verbs take on different meanings based on the tense used.
28 min
22: The Imperative with Pronouns / Campania II
Return to the culturally rich Campania region as you review the imperative mood (commands), and learn how the imperative functions with pronouns (where “Eat the pizza!” becomes “Eat it!”). Explore both the informal and formal imperative, double pronouns (“Give it to her.”). Then, practice them in describing Campania’s ancient cities, scenic beauties, and beloved culinary specialties.
30 min
23: The Future Tense / Lazio II
Speak about the sights and history of Rome, the eternal city, as you learn the future tense in Italian (“I will go.”). Practice the conjugation of the future tense, and explore the verb stem changes that characterize it. Take into account the different meanings of the future tense, including its use to express probability, as well as the future perfect construction (“I will have gone.”).
31 min
24: Comparatives, Superlatives, and Arrivederci! / Tuscany II
Conclude the course with a return to the beloved region of Tuscany. Expand your knowledge of the past tense in discussing Tuscany’s topography; food culture; and literary giants Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio. Learn to make comparisons, of equality (“as good as”) and of inequality (“better than”). Finally, explore Italian superlatives (“the worst”, “the best”).
35 min
