Readers who want to teach themselves Italian at their own pace and outside a formal classroom setting will find this book an excellent source for getting started. Meanwhile, its many exercises and quick-check quizzes make it a fine textbook supplement for classroom use. The book opens with a discussion of Italian sounds, pronunciation, and spelling, with advice on stress and intonation in spoken Italian. Chapters that follow coach readers in greeting people, asking and answering basic question, polite expression, counting, making comparisons, expressing preferences, and carrying on everyday verbal transactions, for instance, at stores, banks, and restaurants. The updated text reflects current trends including use of communications devices and the euro. New in this edition are cultural capsules that discuss Italy and the Italian way of life. The authors pleasant, user-friendly approach to the language helps make learning Italian truly easy.

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ALL THE ESSENTIALS

IN ONE CLEAR

VOLUME

by Marcel Danesi, Ph.D.

A discussion of Italian sounds, pronunciation, and spelling

Advice on stress and intonation in spoken Italian

Exercises and quick-check quizzes with answers

Italian “Culture Capsules” describing life and culture in Italy

Greeting people

Asking and answering questions

Counting

Making comparisons

Communicating in stores, hotels, restaurants . . . and much more