Quelle place accordez-vous à l’évasion, aux aventures vers des lieux inconnus?   Est-ce pour vous une source de bien-être, de changements et d’enrichissement personnel?

Aperitivo Linguistico con Claire!

Aperitif Time with Cristina!

This week Teresa will focus on the following topic: Organic food – is it a healthier option? Does the taste justify the price?

“Hallo! Servizi Linguistici” offers companies a focused, effective, and immediate linguistic training program.

Our linguistic training programs are developed according to the specific requirements communicated by the client. We don’t offer standardized courses; instead, we offer personalized programs prepared on a class-by-class basis according to the requirements of the company and the characteristics of the person or people who need to learn a foreign language.

Our objective is to supply the student with an innovative methodology which is extremely personalized and stimulating enough to focus precisely on the specific field of work, and also to guarantee that the student will feel secure enough with the language to do his or her work more efficiently. We offer a complete course, usable on all levels, which varies naturally according to the particular knowledge of the student.

There are two possible programs:

1. Students at a beginner level up to a pre-intermediate level: we offer courses which can supply the general elements of the language from a grammatical, vocabulary, and communicative point of view. This approach includes material more focused on the specific needs of the company: elements of commercial and economic language are introduced, vocabulary is increased, and this vocabulary is specifically linked to the role of the student in the company. The communicative and presentation capacity is increased with graduated exercises that reproduce real situations in the company environment (for example talking on the phone, writing brief emails, interacting with colleagues).

2. Students from a pre-intermediate to advanced level: in this case, the course concentrates principally on the study of commercial language and economics, on methodical learning of commercial correspondence, on strategies and methodologies to adopt in interpersonal relations or in the presentation of texts, for example in business meetings. Subjects like the company and its environment, the company and its personnel, the company and its operations, and the company and its partners will be explored.

The program of the courses is extremely flexible, given that it is created after having gathered and analyzed the information supplied by the company, having identified its goals, and having evaluated the linguistic resources of the participants. To be able to exactly identify the imperfections and lacks of the student, in order to avoid obstacles to effective work, a written and oral evaluation test is given.  

All of our programs are based on a communicative methodology and guarantee an immediate and effective use of the language; they are based on diverse didactic activities which result in a stimulating and worthwhile course (games, audiovisual material, cue cards, simulations, conversations, use of company material, Internet material, newspapers and magazines relevant to the sector of the company).

All the courses are taught by mother tongue teachers with a degree and with teaching experience. The best teacher for each course is chosen: in addition to basing this choice on the teacher’s work experience, personal characteristics of the teacher are also taken into account.

The student can count on the constant support of the teacher and of our company in resolving linguistic problems. Halfway through the course, a Progress Report is written and sent to the company which contains information on the progress of the course. At the end of the course, the Final Report is given to the company, which contains the language level reached, the attendance of the student, and the final comment of the teacher. At the same time, the student is asked to evaluate the course.

These are designed for those who need personalized training based on their specific requirements. They guarantee total flexibility in the choice of the day and time of the course.

The courses can begin at any point in the year. They can be carried out from 7.30 to 22.00 from Monday to Friday and 7.30 to 13.00 on Saturday.

The student can purchase a package of hours ranging from 10 to 40 hours of lessons.

Before beginning the course, the student is asked to take a written test and take part in an interview in Italian to define his or her level and the training program. (Needs Analysis)

GENERAL ITALIAN courses give you the opportunity to study grammar and vocabulary and to learn to use the language for everyday communication. These are not theory lessons; they are practical, where you learn the Italian used by Italians, thanks also to tools like music, newspapers and TV.

Various teaching materials are used in the lessons: the textbook is accompanied and enriched by handouts given to the students. Also featured are songs and audio dialogues, reading newspaper and magazine articles, reading literary texts, and watching film extracts and television material including advertisements.

In the BASIC LEVEL courses (from beginner to elementary) the objective is to give the basic elements of the language and of Italian culture to facilitate a first encounter with the country. The subjects of the lessons will be useful for managing everyday situations. You will learn to describe yourself and others as well as to give information about your job and free time. You will acquire a ‘survival’ Italian that will help you to face various social situations (in the bar and the restaurant, in the hotel, in shops, at the post office).

The INTERMEDIATE LEVEL courses (from pre-intermediate to high-intermediate) are for those who already have the basic elements of the Italian language and are ready to deepen their vocabulary and grammar. You will learn to use new verb tenses, enrich your vocabulary to be able to describe and express your interests and desires, your opinions and intentions in a more detailed way.

In the ADVANCED LEVEL courses (from upper-intermediate to advanced) the goal is to strengthen your oral and written expression to allow you to gain more confidence and better understand the subtleties of Italian language and culture. You will learn the vast peculiarities of Italian, the exceptions that always prove the rule, the distinctions between various types of language (bureaucratic, journalistic, literary, etc.) and naturally, you will be able to improve your ability to express opinions, to discuss or describe situations.

All the courses are taught by mother tongue teachers with a degree and with teaching experience. Thanks to their passion and energy, and thanks also to their competence and professionalism, students are guided through the mysteries of the language, happily overcoming difficulties. The courses are flexible and are based on the needs of each student: for us each student is unique and so his learning program is unique as well. Even in group courses the teacher dedicates a lot of attention to each student and tries to understand and satisfy needs and requests.

In the morning, Italians go to the bar to have breakfast: cappuccino or coffee and a pastry: usually this is done standing and in a hurry…work is waiting! At one, a lunch break: a sandwich, something to drink, a coffee (not a cappuccino!) and then quickly back to work! But what happens around seven in the evening? Bars begin to prepare trays with pizzas, nuts, sandwiches, olives, potato chips, and every other snack you can imagine… why?  

Because it’s APERITIF time! The aperitif is something very special for Italians: it’s the time to get together with friends, to chat and to relax after a hard day’s work..people meet up in their favorite bar (or the trendiest one!) and share news, eating potato chips and drinking a good glass of wine.

So what could a linguistic aperitif be? An opportunity to unite study and fun! These get-togethers offer ‘slices’ of Italian, garnished with a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere, some snacks and naturally, a good glass of Italian wine! The linguistic aperitif is a weekly meeting which lasts one hour in the early evening, where people talk and enjoy themselves. A current topic is chosen for each meeting. Here are some examples:

- X-Factor vs. Big Brother: which one do you watch? The victory of ‘trash TV’: Italy divided on reality shows!

- Advertising: how provocative can it get? Watch this one!

- The deep North of Italy: ‘Malpensa, Italia’ is the new political talk show on Rai Two, hosted by the most right-wing journalist in Italy, who has shouted about anti-immigration measures for years, as well as measures against southerners and practically everyone else…The North and South of Italy: a love-hate relationship which has lasted for centuries..    

- Stereotypes of Italy: pasta, pizza, mandolins, the mafia…is our country really only these things?

The choice of a topic differentiates this ‘linguistic’ aperitif from a normal aperitif: we don’t want the meeting to become a normal chat between friends, where we often talk without following a topic, or where there’s the ‘strong’ person who puts themselves at the center of attention without letting others contribute. We want to maintain the vivacious and familiar atmosphere of the aperitif, without feeling the ‘stress of the lesson’. To this we add a more ‘structured’ conversation, more guided, which offers all participants the chance to express their opinions. The teacher is the guide for the dialogue, the mediator, giving everyone a chance to speak and correcting errors or imprecision.

The course gives you a new way to learn Italian: studying the language through music and songs!

Here are some examples of what Italian music can teach you:

“Viva l’Italia, l’Italia che lavora,
l’Italia che si dispera, l’Italia che si innamora,
l’Italia metà dovere e metà fortuna,
viva l’Italia, l’Italia sulla luna.”

(Francesco De Gregori, Viva l’Italia)

“…e con le mani amore
per le mani ti prenderò
e senza dire parole
nel mio cuore ti porterò…”

(Francesco De Gregori, La donna cannone)

“Bologna è una vecchia signora dai fianchi un po’ molli
col seno sul piano padano ed il culo sui colli,
Bologna arrogante e papale, Bologna la rossa e fetale,
Bologna la grassa e l’ umana già un poco Romagna e in odor di Toscana…”

(Francesco Guccini, Bologna)

“Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate…” (Giuseppe Verdi, Nabucco)

“Volare… oh, oh!…
cantare… oh, oh, oh, oh!
Nel blu, dipinto di blu,
felice di stare lassù.
E volavo, volavo felice più in alto del sole ed ancora più su,
mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiù,
una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me…”

(Domenico Modugno, Volare)

“Ma quanto è bello andare in giro con le ali sotto ai piedi se hai una Vespa Special che ti toglie i problemi…
Ma quanto è bello andare in giro per i colli bolognesi se hai una Vespa Special che ti toglie i problemi…”

(Lunapop, 50 Special)

“E gira gira il mondo e gira il mondo e giro te
mi guardi e non rispondo perché risposta non c’è
nelle parole
bella come una mattina
d’acqua cristallina
come una finestra che mi illumina il cuscino
calda come il pane ombra sotto un pino
mentre t’allontani stai con me forever…”

(Jovanotti, Bella)

“Azzurro.
il pomeriggio è troppo azzurro,
e lungo per me,
mi accorgo di non avere più risorse
senza di te,
e allora io quasi quasi prendo il treno
e vengo, vengo da te,
ma il treno dei desideri,
nei miei pensieri all’incontrario va…”

(Paolo Conte, Azzurro)

If you didn’t understand the lyrics, or if you understood them but would like to know more, then this is the course for you.

In the lessons, students listen to music, look at the lyrics, and talk about the subjects of various songs.

Still don’t believe that a song can offer so much? Still don’t see how you can do ‘grammar’ with music or how your speaking ability can improve?

It’s simple! First of all, listening to songs exercises listening and comprehension ability; the lyrics help to develop and improve vocabulary and can serve as the base for studying a grammar point. And naturally, every song has a subject which can be linked to current events, Italian culture, history, a rhythm or a melody that can trigger memories or sensations to talk about, a singer with a personal history that’s linked to the history of Italy herself.

The courses are principally designed for people who already know some Italian:

The courses begin from the elementary level, to a pre-intermediate level, and go all the way up to the advanced level.

All the courses are taught by mother tongue teachers with degrees and teaching experience.

group courses in GENERAL ITALIAN

group courses in CONVERSATIONAL ITALIAN

individual and “TWO” courses in ITALIAN

Contact us for further information on our Sepetember courses!