| Description: | This level is for absolute beginner students who have never studied Italian before: it is the first of six levels and its aim is to give the basis of the language, allowing students to deal with the most common everyday situations by expressing themselves in the present and past tenses. All the four main language abilities - understanding, speaking, reading and writing - are gradually developed. In this level, listening and speaking skills are stressed. These language patterns will be taught within a cultural context that will help students to become familiar with some of the most significant elements of Italian cultural life. Grammar: definite and indefinite article, noun-adjective agreement. Regular present tense, to have, to be, there is-there are, main irregular verbs, prepositions and verbs of movement, present perfect, most common irregular past participles. Possessives. The verb piacere. Present progressive form. Some thematic areas covered: Introducing oneself. In a cafe. Shopping for food. In a restaurant. Daily life and spare time. At the railway station. Expressing the time. Describing someone. The family. Finding the way. Talking about one's past. Talking about vacations. |