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Italian-English Translator

2015 to 2018 
2023

I started my career as a translator in 2015 in the sector of organic food and products. I assisted my clients in their correspondence with foreign farmers and organic food dealers and in the promotion of their products where the target language was English. 
I also put my efforts in the translation of a very precious book about Indian religion which was the main source of my client's dissertation.
It's not a mystery that the world of translation is very competitive and sometimes a kind of jungle. In the end, I realized that it was, and still is, vital to have a sponsor to boost a translator's career. 
While looking for support to promote my service in the market, I carried on with my other career as a language tutor.
Now I am determined and I woud like ro recover my old passion which has never died. The market looks even more challenging, but I don't want to give up and I will find my way.

third paragraph

__Language Tutor__

__2016 to present.__

After taking my Master Degree in Teaching Italian to Foreigners at the University of Venice in July 2016, I have dedicated my efforts to teaching Italian to foreign students in the UK as a self-employed language tutor. I thought it better to work in collaboration with private language centres such as Easy-Italian and Tutor Doctor, both of them located in Cambridge in order to arrange my language lessons in a more suitable and simpler way.
I usually deliver my lessons at students' home according to their personal needs and times. I listen to their request, which generally comes after the basic question "Why do you want to study Italian?", and afterwards I present them a course plan with topics agreed on together and techniques to use.
Each language course is totally personalised in its duration and materials adopted again according to the student's needs and purpose.

Second paragraph

__Learning Mentor__

__November 2019.__

I have just started a new job at Cambridge Regional College in Cambridge (UK) as a Learning Support Mentor, which can be deemed as a follow-up section of my previous teaching poosition held in various Italian state schoolsfor about 20 years.
It is definitely a new adventure and a challenge as well that I have accepted as a way of carry on working in a school environment even though from a slightly different perspective.
The primary purpose of this role is to support students with learning difficulties to become more independent in accessing the curriculum and, consequently, in achieving their programme of study by working together with all teaching and non-teaching staff and parents/carers in order to help them find out their personalised way of learning.

First paragraph

HOW TO TEACH ITALIAN TO FOREIGN LEARNERS

Given that it might sound a bit ambitious to present a how-to guide for learning a language, but it’s worth trying, and also given that there are different kinds of Italian and different kinds of foreign learners who want to learn Italian, according to my fifteen-years’ experience as  a language teacher it’s essential to take into account few major points. 

First comes the learner. 

If the teaching session/course needs to be successful it has to be tailored to them. So it needs to be clear who the learner is (in terms of age, level, interests, social position) and what they want to achieve. It’s always better to ask them the reason why they intend to learn Italian: it might be for holiday needs, it might be to advance to the next level, it might be for academic needs, it might be for a hobby-related curiosity, it might be for a parent’s request. There can be hundreds of reasons to show interest for the Italian language and ask for help to learn it.
Again, no matter the reason for learning is, it is absolutely relevant to stay stuck to ita s it represents the learner’s motivation.

Second comes the time or course frequency.

Nothing better than investigating how long the course is expected to be and its frequency, say, daily, weekly, monthly, once or twice a week, one hour’s session, two hours. This can help create a very ready-to-use lesson plan and set the targets.

Third come the resources intended to use.

On the length of the course may depend the type of resources used. In case it might be a short course it is advisable not to use or ask to buy a coursebook – very expensive and, in the end, it’ll let the learner a bit frustrated as all the units can’t be thoroughly completed. It’s better to choose some relevant topics in the course design agreed together with the learner.

Fourth comes the success of the course.

It’s fundamental to design the course with success in mind. Success to end up with and learner’s satisfaction have to be the inner power of the whole process. The learner needs to be aware and confident about what is going on over the sequence of lessons planned. A learner’s satisfaction is strictly related to their motivation and their belief that everything is going well and they are improving.

There is a hidden side of the process which consists of the teacher’s skills and abilites to make all these factors work together well. The teacher needs to get a learner’s profile very quickly so as to design the course and present it to the learner – they need to feel and be at the centre of the process. The learner’s thoughts and feedback are fundamental for the teacher to adjust the path and keep the right direction which means the learner’s improvement. The agreement between the two sides has to be clear and constantly approved though the teacher’s ability to recommend, adjust and inform when needed is implicitly well in action.

§	When saying there are different kinds of Italian that means each language can’t be thought of as a long list of words bound together this way or that. The Italian language, as all other languages in the world, is a mix of vocabulary, grammar rules, registers, culture, foregn interferences and influences, and places and people. So teaching Italian is not so straightforward as it might seem but it’s a complex matter based on a accurate choice each time a course is planned. Of course there’s a standard Italian that can be taught for specific purposes such as holidays or business. There’s an academic Italian that can be taught in order to take an exam. There’s an everyday Italian which can help when visiting an Italian place or living in an Italian-speaking place.
So better to make sure which of these kinds or what Italian is going to be the target language.

§	There are different kinds of foreign learners with different characteristics and needs. They also have a different idea of the Italian language and different points of view with regard to the way of approaching it. Sometimes the difference is due to their age, sometimes to their cultural background or their personal experiences or their personal history.

#CASE STUDY#

WHAT = focus on grammar in order to spot some weaknesses and impart proper rules.

WHO = 8 – 9 year-old learners with Italian background, but few opportunities of practising the target language.

WHEN = once a week over six months; hourly.

HOW = online lessons, by presentation of powerpoint with daily content. 

Structure of the lesson: greetings, question about personal feelings, presentation of a picture to stimulate the expression of personal feelings – strategic intervention to build rapport and improve relationship.
Warm-up exercise based on vocabulary:from memory game to filling-the-gap with missing letter.
Presentation of grammar rule – rule of the day. Introduction of the rule and request of examples from the learners.
Scrambled words: sentences to put in order according to a given topic. 
Dictation of short sentences.
Creation of a short story about a given topic; Reading of it out and highlighting the inappropriate words or expressions and self-correction by ercovering the proper rule.
Lots of encouragement and rewards with stars and emoji throughout the activity.



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modal2

ITALIAN AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
First of all, it is essential to focus on the meaning of ‘Italian as a second language’, that is, what we mean when talking about a second language. An undeniable help and contribution may be found in the Treccani Dictionary at the entry ‘acquisition of Italian as a second language’. (http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/acquisizione-dell-italiano-come-l2_%28Enciclopedia-dell%27Italiano%29/)
In the overview of his article the author states that “l’acquisizione dell’italiano come lingua seconda (L2) è un processo graduale che si innesta sul processo di acquisizione, avviato in tenera età, di un’altra lingua (detta lingua prima o L1)”/ “the acquisition of Italian as a second language (L2) is a gradual process which grafts onto the process of acquisition, started at an early age, of another language(called first language or L1) (traduzione dell’autore/translation from the author)
Consequently, the question can be seen from two different perspectives: Italian learnt and spoken abroad, on one side, and Italian learnt and spoken in Italy by migrants or, anyway, by foreign people.
When speaking of Italian as a second language, it means that Italian is not the mother tongue or native language of the speakers, though it is learnt and spoken by people that live and interact with Italian speakers either in Italy or in a country where Italian is the language ‘used’ within a specific Italian speaking group or area. Just to reinforce the idea, learning Italian as a second language is equal to learning Italian where it is spoken. 
Great Italian communities in Argentina, for example, can help understand the meaning of Italian as L2: since the first language is, undoubtedly, Spanish especially for youngsters, learning Italian for them can facilitate a better communication with older family members and stay connected with relatives in the Belpaese.
All this happens abroad, while in Italy a different context needs to be taken into consideration. There the discussion may be driven to the migration process and the complex situation that it develops. Learning Italian as a second language is a vital action to take for anyone coming from abroad who intends to live and work in Italy. It is an absolutely mandatory step to take in order to get access to all the complicated Italian bureaucratic system and so be able to claim one’s rights. 
What is advisable, at this point, is to get a certificate that can prove a person’s mastery of the language. It is now well-known that if a foreigner wants to study in an Italian university a B2 certificate is required, though a language test is still needed to take, or a C1 or C2 certificate without any further langauge test. https://www.studyineurope.eu/study-in-italy/admission-requirements 
Furthermore, Siena University, l’Università per stranieri di Siena, has added to their list of Italian certificates a B1 Cittadinanza Certificate for those people who want to apply for Italian citizenship complying with n.132 law approved by Italian Parliament on 1st December 2018. 
For those who live abroad and want to learn Italian and, specifically, are interested in getting a certificate proving their knowledge and level of the Italian language a wide variety of exams and certificates are available in lots of universities and language centres: it is simply up to them to choose the right one according to their needs and plans for their career.
   


ultima variazione

modal1

ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS##
FIRST LESSON##

Why Italian? Because Italy is the country of good food, lots of sunshine and amazing masterpieces of art! Absolutely an amazing place to go on holiday! A real must!
You can learn lots of recipes and cook ‘spaghetti alla Bolognese’ just the way Italians do it so you can boast about how great you are in the kitchen!
It’s very easy! Did you know? You can speak it or read it, just the way you see it written in a sign on a shop window or in a cooking book!____________

The best way to start learning is to learn a few of the most common Italian words you can use everywhere at any time.__________

The table below has 21 fabulous Italian words that you’ll hear when walking around Rome or Florence or when you stop at a cafè in Venice. To help you remember them, they are laid out in alphabetic order so that you can associate each word with one letter. --------------
The Italian alphabet is the same as the English one, so you already know it!
Just bear in mind:
§§The Italian Alphabet’s got 21 letters§§<H> is a silent letter;§§Each word is read as it is written, so no guessing, just do it!§§Ready to begin learning Italian? - Let’s go! Andiamo!§§§§§§§§§§§§Alphabet _______Italian _______English §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
[A]*****Arrivederci! ____Goodbye!__[B]****Buongiorno!___Good morning!___[C]*****Ciao!___Hello!___[D]******Domani___Tomorrow___[E]*****Ecco!___Here it is!____[F]******Fantastico!___Fantastic!___[G]*****Gratis!___Free!___[H]*****Ho capito!____I’ve understood!___ [I]********Insieme____Together___[L]******Lentamente___Slowly____[M]******Mai____Never___
[N]******Non capisco!____I can’t understand!___[O]******Oggi___Today___[P]******Per favore ___Please___[Q]*****Quando? __When?__[R]*******Ripeti, per favore!___Repeat, please!____[S]******Scusa____Sorry___[T]******Tante grazie___ Thanks a lot___ [U]******Un attimo!_____A minute!___[V]*****Vieni con me!____Come with me! ___[Z]*********Zitti, per favore!___Silence, please!___

And now, what about practising a bit?+++++

[Person 1] *Ciao!__ (Hello!)*____[Person 2] *Buongiorno!__ (Good morning!)*____
[Person 1] *Ecco il Colosseo!___ (Here is the Colosseum!)*__[Person 2] *Fantastico!___ (Fantastic!)*___
[Person 1] *Oggi gratis!___ (Today it’s free!)*__[Person 2] *Scusa, non capisco! Ripeti, per favore!___ (Sorry, I can’t understand! Repeat, please!)*___[Person 1] *Gratis! Free!___ (Free!)*____[Person 2] *Oh, tante grazie!___ (Oh, thanks a lot!)*_____________________________________________________
And that’s all! Well done! __________________I’m sure it was much easier than expected!__________________
So I think you can be ready to go to a bar and order an Italian breakfast at the counter, and that could be our next topic to carry on learning Italian!___________Remember, you won’t need to queue, just raise your hand and say:________*Mi scusi, un cappuccino! ___________Excuse me, a cappuccino!*________________________
That’s the Italian way!_____********************Arrivederci!*************************************     


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modal 3

Formazione delle parole. Parole derivate. Suffissi e prefissi.
I proverbi italiani
Tema : l’apparenza
Proverbi tratti dal manoscritto del Giusti 1873
1.	L’apparenza inganna.
2.	L’abito non fa il monaco. 
3.	La barba non fa il filosofo. 
4.	Aria d’importanza, diploma di ignoranza.
5.	Non è tutt’oro quel che luccica.
6.	Parere e non essere, è come filare e non tessere.

	Formazione delle parole. Parole derivate. Vocabolario (Vocabolario Treccani)
	Curiosità sulle parole. Significato dei suffissi (e dei prefissi).
APPARENZA. Apparire. Apparente. Apparizione.
§ Apparenza = ciò che appare, che si mostra alla vista; aspetto; comportamento esteriore.
§ Apparire = farsi vedere, presentarsi allo sguardo – verbo incoativo (doppia forma appaio // apparisco)
§ Apparente = che appare chiaro, visibile; che pare, ma non è (contrario di reale).
§ Apparizione = l’apparire, improvviso o inatteso, di persone o cose
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ABITO. Abitare. Abitazione. Abitato. Abitante. 
§ Abito = (dal latino ‘habitus’ di ‘habere’ nel significato di ‘comportarsi’) sinonimo di vestito, oggetto di vestiario, indumento.
= Portamento, aspetto della persona
= Attitudine acquisita per qualcosa. (Esempio: l’abito al vizio)
= Abitudine 
§ Abitudine = (dal latino ‘habitudo’ derivato da ‘habitus’)disposizione naturale, tendenza a ripetere certe azioni (Esempio: prendere l’abitudine; perdere l’abitudine; avere l’abitudine di bere il caffè amaro.)
§ Abitare = (dal latino ‘habitare’ derivato da ‘habere’) continuare ad avere, avere consuetudine in un luogo, avere come propria dimora.
§ Abitazione = (dal latino ‘habitatio’) L’abitare (l’azione dell’abitare), l’essere abitato; luogo scelto come riparo (Esempio: zona adatta all’abitazione. Preferisce un’abitazione urbana.)
§ Abitato = Spazio occupato (Esempio: Queste sono zone molto abitate)
§ Abitante = Chi occupa uno spazio (Esempio: Gli abitanti del villaggio)
BARBA. Barbiere. Barbone. 
§ Barba = (dal latino ‘barba’) = insieme dei peli sulle guance e sotto il mento
§ Barbiere = chi per mestiere cura la barba
§ Barbone = Chi ha la barba lunga (in passato sinonimo di filosofo)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SUFFISSI
-IERE = (di derivazione dal francese –ier) indica un mestiere, una professione
	Barbiere = che fa la barba
	Cameriere = che fa la camera
	Usciere = che apre l’uscio
-ONE = indica qualcosa di molto grande, esagerato
	Barbone = (che ha la) barba molto/troppo lunga
	Librone = libro molto grande
	Piedone = piede molto grande/grosso
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IMPORTANZA. Importante. Importare.
§ Importanza = avere peso, contare.
§ Importante = che ha peso, che conta
§ Importare = (dal latino ‘portare dentro’) 1. Avere peso, portare/avere dentro valore. 
	(esempio: Non mi importa quello che dici = Non ha peso quello che dici)
		2. portare dentro da un altro luogo.  
		(Esempio: Hanno importato molto legname = Hanno portato dentro molto legname)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SUFFISSI.
-ANZA = indica un nome astratto derivato dal verbo
	Importanza = nome astratto da importar
	Ignoranza = nome astratto da ignorare
-ANTE = participio presente di un verbo. Indica chi fa l’azione
	Importante = che ha peso, valore
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ORO. Aureo.
§ Oro = (dal latino ‘aurum’) elemento chimico
§ Aureo = fatto d’oro
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PARERE (verbo). Parere (nome).
§ Parere = Apparire, mostrare.
§ Parere = l’apparire, il mostrare (la propria idea, opinione)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Abbiamo imparato il significato di alcuni suffissi nella lingua italiana.
Quindi ricordiamoci che ogni suffisso ha un suo significato, trasforma la parola in base a quel preciso elemento di coda.
##########################ENGLISH###############################
WORD FORMATION. DERIVED WORDS. SUFFIXES.
[This is an activity aimed at understanding the word formation and derivrd words by the use of suffuxes. Topic of the activity is Italian proverbs about the theme ‘appearance’.]
Italian proverbs
Theme: Appearance
Proverbs taken from Giusti’s manuscript paper dated 1873.
1. L’apparenza inganna / Appearance deceives.
2. L’abito non fa il monaco / An outfit doesn’t make a monk.
3. la barba non fa il filosofo / A beard doesn’t make a philosopher.
4. Aria d’importanza, diploma di ignoranza / Air of importance, diploma of ignorance.
5. Non è tutt’oro quello che luccica / It’s not all gold what shines.
6. To appear and not to be, is just like to spin and not to weave.
> Word formation. Derived words. Vocabulary (www.treccani/dictionary)
>Curiosity about words. The meaning of the suffixes. 
APPARENZA. Apparire. Apparente. Apparizione.
APPEARANCE. Appear. Apparent. Apparition.
§ Appearance = what appears; what comes to sight; look; exterior
§ Appear = to let oneself appear, to show oneself - inchoative verb (double verb form appaio // apparisco)
§ Apparent = that appears clearly, visibly; that seems, but it’s not (opposite to real)
§ Apparition = the appearing, suddenly or unexpected, of people or things.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OUTFIT. Live. Dwelling. Populated. Inhabitant.
§ Outfit = (from Latin ‘habitus’ from ‘habere’ with the meaning of ‘behave’) synonym of dress, item of clothing, garment.
= Behaviour, a person’s look
= Acquired attitude towards something (Example: the mould of vice) 
= Habit
§ Habit = (from Latin ‘habitudo’ derived from ‘habitus’) natural disposition, tendency to repeat certain actions (Example: to make the habit, to lose the habit; to have the habit of drinking sour coffee)
§ Live = (from Latin ‘habitare’ derived from ‘habere’) keep on having, to be a habit in a place, to have as one’s own dwelling).
§ Dwelling = (from Latin ‘habitatio’ ) The dwelling (the action of dwelling), to be inhabited; the place chosen as a shelter (Example: area suitable for a dwelling. He prefers an urban dwelling).
§ Populated = occupied space (Example: These areas are very populated)
§ Inhabitant = those who occupies a space (Example:the inhabitants of the village)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BEARD. Barber. Long beard man.
§ Beard = (from Latin ‘barba’) = all the hairs on cheeks and on the chin
§ Barber = a man that looks after one’s beard as his job
§ Long beard man = a man with a very long beard (in the pasti t was a metaphor for philosopher)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SUFFIXES
-IERE = (from French –ier) it indicates a job, a profession	Barbiere/barber = looks after one’s beard
	Cameriere/waiter = tidies up one’s bedroom
	Usciere/usher = opens the door
-ONE = it indicates something very big, exaggerated
	Barbone/ long beard man = one who’s got a very long beard
	Librone  = very big book	
         Piedone = very big foot ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IMPORTANCE. Important. Import.
§ Importance = having weight, counting.
§ Important = that has got weight, it counts
§ Import = (from Latin ‘take in’) 1. Have weight, keep/hold inside value.
	(exemple: I don’t mind what you’re telling me = It doesn’t keep any value what you’re saying) 
		2. take in from another place
		(Example: They have imported lots of timber = They have taken in lots of timber)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SUFFIXES
-ANZA = indicates an abstract noun derived from a  corresponding verb
	Importanza/Importance = abstract noun from importare/import
	Ignoranza/Ignorance = abstract noun from ignorare/ignore
-ANTE = present participle of a verb. It indicates those who makes the action.
	Importante/Important = it has got weight/value
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
GOLD. golden
 § Gold/Oro = (from Latin ‘aurum’) chemical element
§ Aureo/Golden = made of gold ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PARERE/APPEAR (verb). Parere/Opinion (noun).
§ Parere/Appear = Appear/show
 Parere = appearing, showing (one’s idea, opinion)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So far, we have learned the meaning of some suffixes from the Italian grammar.
So, let’s remember that each suffix has got a meaning, it changes the word according to the last bit at the end of it.



Marzia Grigoli

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Words Formation ###The meaning of suffixes

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