Italian Speaker

La crisi della pizza nel Regno Unito, c’è troppo offerta: ora i ristoranti puntano sul pollo Raggiunta la saturazione sul mercato britannico, scrive il “Financial Times”. E le statistiche dicono che i gusti alimentari prendono nuove direzioni e molti l…

September was a month to remember! A group of our students enjoyed a wonderful week in Brescia, immersing themselves in Italian language, culture and traditions. From morning lessons to afternoon explorations and delicious local cuisine, it was a true celebration of Italy’s beauty and charm. A special highlight was our visit to the Santa Giulia Museum, where we saw La Croce di Desiderio – a stunning piece of Lombard artistry.

Meanwhile, our photography group, guided by Stefano Montinaro, spent an engaging day at the Heller Garden in Gardone Riviera – a unique space where nature and contemporary art live together in perfect harmony.

A heartfelt grazie to everyone who joined us!

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New Term Begins – Week Commencing 27 October

A reminder that our new term starts the week commencing 27th October. If you haven’t already, please make sure to book your classes to secure your place.

www.bookwhen.com/reallanguageexperience?tag=term2 =ev-sb77-20251027103000

🇮🇹✨ Italian Tip: “Contro di te” or “Contro te”?

Many learners (and even some native speakers!) wonder which form is correct: should we say “gioco contro te” or “gioco contro di te”?
The answer is simple: ✅ the correct form in standard Italian is “contro di te”.

Why?
The preposition “contro” comes from Latin contra and, when it’s followed by a strong personal pronoun (me, te, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro), it needs that little connecting word “di”.

📌 Examples:
- Tutti sono contro di me → Everyone is against me.
- Loro erano contro di noi → They were against us.
- Ha corso contro di te → He/She ran towards/against you.

👉 “Contro te” is sometimes heard in informal speech, but it’s considered non-standard or colloquial, not appropriate in writing or in formal Italian.

I came across a great article on Libreriamo about this very topic — it explains the grammar and even traces the history of the expression. A fascinating reminder that small words often carry big meaning!

Did You Know...?
You can now learn French and Spanish with us too – not just Italian!

Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refresh your skills, we offer small, friendly classes for all levels.
And if you're new to the school, you're welcome to try a FREE taster session – no pressure, no obligation to enrol. Just come along and see if it’s the right fit for you.

Contact us: [email protected]

Did you know Italian has shaped unique hybrid languages around the world?

When millions of Italians emigrated between the 19th and 20th centuries, they brought their dialects and traditions with them.
Mixing with local languages, they created amazing hybrids that still survive today:

📌 Talian – Venetian + Portuguese, still spoken by about 500,000 people in southern Brazil.
📌 Lunfardo – Spanish from Buenos Aires enriched by Italian words like laburo, morfar, mina.
📌 Chipilo Veneto – a “frozen-in-time” Venetian dialect spoken in a small Mexican town.
📌 Cocoliche & Italiese – creative blends of Italian with Spanish or English, born from immigrant communities.

These languages are living stories of migration, resilience and cultural creativity.

I discovered a fascinating article about them on LearnAmo – highly recommended for language lovers!

👉 Which of these have you heard of before?

“In bocca al lupo” (Into the wolf’s mouth)

🟡 Meaning: a way to wish someone good luck, especially before something important like an exam or performance.
🟡 Literal translation: into the wolf’s mouth
🟡 Usage: "I have my final exam tomorrow."
— "In bocca al lupo!"
— "Crepi!" (May the wolf die!)

📚 Originally from the hunting world, the idea is to “face danger” and come out safe. The traditional reply is “Crepi il lupo!”, though some people prefer to just say “thank you.”

💬 What do you say when you want to wish someone good luck?

8 words about health and well-being... but one is missing!

Can you think of one more word that fits this group?

Look at the image, think about your own idea of health, and...
👉 Write your word in the comments!

Let’s build the list together — in Italian✍️

Italian courses start again this September!

All levels welcome – from complete beginners to advanced speakers.

Fun, practical lessons designed to help you live the Italian language.

✏️ Flexible days and times – message us to find the right class for you!

New words, new friends, new adventures.
Are you in?

🟡 Il piatto della domenica: Insalata di riso

Quando arriva l’estate, anche la domenica vuole leggerezza.
L’insalata di riso è il piatto conviviale per eccellenza: colorato, fresco, personalizzabile e sempre presente nei picnic e nei pranzi all’aperto.

📘 Curiosità:
- In Italia si prepara in mille versioni: con verdure, tonno, formaggi, uova, olive, sottaceti... ogni famiglia ha la sua “ricetta perfetta”.
- Si serve rigorosamente fredda, anche il giorno dopo.
- È uno di quei piatti “da frigorifero”, che migliorano col riposo.
- In alcune regioni si chiama “riso freddo”.

Cosa non può mancare nella tua insalata di riso?

Menefreghismo è un atteggiamento che indica un profondo disinteresse o indifferenza verso ciò che accade intorno a sé, spesso con una punta di cinismo.

🟣 Menefreghismo (s.m.)
Un modo per dire “me ne frego” (I don’t care), ma più sistematico, come filosofia di vita o comportamento sociale.

📌 In inglese non esiste una parola diretta, si può tradurre come:
👉 Apathy
👉 Indifference
👉 Don’t-give-a-damn attitude (più colloquiale e forte)

🗣 Esempio:
🇮🇹 “Il menefreghismo verso l’ambiente è un problema serio.”
🇬🇧 “The apathy towards the environment is a serious problem.”

💡 Fun fact: la parola nasce dal modo sarcastico e diffuso “me ne frego,” slogan usato in diversi contesti storici, e oggi rappresenta una critica sociale.