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Sheltered Initiation Language Learning |
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Italian Lesson 3: confront grammar. |
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Sheltered
Initiation
Language
Learning Italian
Lesson 3: confront grammar.
Study as before, though in a partly new way.
Preparation: associations.
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…now say the words.
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Note: The verb always
"rhymes" with "I", ending in
-o:
io
canto,
etc.. Always use the subject.
Although it is often omitted by Italians, it will help you
learn the ending better - and keep your meaning clear until
you do!
Step 1:
Word-Quiz Translate each of
the following words. 1.
I 2. is
singing 3.
father 4.
doctor 5.
brother 6.
bread 7.
please 8. is
sleeping 9.
tea 10.chicken 11. I am
sleeping. 12. I am
singing. 13.
the
Step 2:
Pattern-Drill Io
canto. To learn the new ending, you
must use a special Pattern-Drill, with pairs of sentences:
One sentence uses the simple verb-form, the other uses the
new form, e.g. "The father sings. I sing."
In SILL, all new grammatical
categories are taught one at a time, "asymmetrically" rather
than in tables (paradigms). Tables are used mainly to review
learned categories. Each new category is, in a sense,
"optional": Not using it is a "shortcut," which will
maximize comprehensibility. Step 3: Talk
now! Tell what you do
at the party, in comparison with what others do.
To continue studying
the language: Study five words at a time,
following each study-step until fluent: 1
Word-quiz, 2
.. Pattern
Drill, 3
.... Talk
now! Also, do frequent
Talkathons on your own (in the car, etc..): Talk to
pets, pictures, friends, whoever, for as long as you
can.
..
Talkathon
Practice by
talking to a picture or a pet for as long as you can without
stopping! When no specific "Talk
now! " is assigned, you should be able to make up your
own topics, or just have a
Talkathon!
COMPREHENSION EXERCISES
a) Responding
Each question contains one key-word that you know. Respond to the question by making up a new sentence (a statement, not a question) using the known word; follow with 2-3 other sentences. (If you don’t recognize any words, say any 2-3 sentences.)
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1. Cosa fa il padre? |
4. Come può descrivere il tè? |
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2. Come può descrivere il pollo? |
5. Cosa vuole dire sul mèdîco? |
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3. Cosa succede al pane? |
6. Cosa fa il fratello? |
b) Root-search
As you hear each word, translate it instantly if you know it, and say "zip" if you don’t know it. Many of these words are forms of words you know, with different endings, etc.: You may not know the meaning of the ending, but, if you recognize the "root", you have the most important part.
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(Hint: you know all but three of these words.) |
The lesson here is that you can recognize many words even if you don’t know what form they’re in. In many cases, the form is meaningless; in others, it is still more important for over-all comprehension to recognize the word than to understand its form.
You can study two or more endings at once — but not for speaking: Learn them as "pencil grammar," for abstract grammar knowledge. As long as you don’t try to integrate all pencil grammar into your speaking, it will not threaten your developing fluency.
Vocabulary Review
Below is the entire vocabulary of these three lessons. Can you translate each word instantly, confidently, and correctly? Practice these words until you are fluent.
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chicken tea bread the |
please I |
father brother doctor |
is sleeping is singing I am sleeping I am singing |
Can you say your own sentence with each word? Practice saying sentences until you are fluent.
These few words can be combined into
hundreds of sentences: This ability to combine (rather than memorize
fixed sentences) is the key to creative and fluent speaking.