Essential Travel Italian (Uncorked, Mt. Pleasant)

*Time: 6-7 pm

*Dates: 6 Mondays: Feb 17, Feb 24, Mar 3, Mar 10, Mar 17, Mar 24

*Instructors: Shannon

*This class is good for: People who are planning a trip to Italy in the next year and want to know just enough to get by. This is a good start for people who want to go on to learn more in the language, or works as a stand-alone course for those who are only interested in speaking the language for travel.

For more advanced students, you’ll have the opportunity to practice conversation and learn travel-centered words and phrases.

*Description of class: We will cover the essentials you need to get by and enjoy your trip, focusing on a lot of repetition in class of essential phrases and conversing with each other. There won't be much reading, writing, or looking at the book, and there will be no grammar drills or verbs. This is a class where the focus is on speaking, and learning the phrases you need to get by.

Topics include: conversational basics, travel (cars, trains & automobiles), hotels & public transportation, eating & shopping, emergency situations, and a little business Italian. We'll also cover practical travel tips, eg, what to know about public transportation, shopping, etc, to make your trip easier. We will focus on numbers, telling time, dates, and money, as these topics are useful for any traveler.

*Homework: You will be expected to memorize the words and phrases given for the week (as best you can), and to translate a short dialogue from English into Italian for the following class. It’s also recommended that you listen to the CD and review in between classes.

*Price: $40 for all 6 weeks, due at the first class you attend by cash or check.

*Materials needed before class starts: You will receive an audio CD at the first class. I'll also send you a PDF before the first class, which you can print out on your own, or you have the option of buying a binder with the materials printed out (45 pages) for $15. You can also buy the little Lonely Planet travel booklet ($5.50) from me. I will bring copies to the first class.