ITAL 101 Study Guide

By Mike Radice • April 5, 2016

Scary newsflash. Classes are winding down in the next few weeks, and that can only mean one thing: finals (and a lot of ice cream and late-night Epi runs). In case you’re already feeling overwhelmed by this impending doom, 4E is rolling out the ultimate study guides to help you prepare for your finals. If you’re trying to do bene on that Italian exam, read up to see whether or not you’re ready:

Section 1: Listening Comprehension

Nothing is more intimidating than having to listen to babbling in a foreign language at what seems an incomprehensible speed, whether you think you have an idea of what he/she is saying or not. The best way to practice for this section is to listen to an authentic Italian speaker and try to write down what you hear them saying. Try it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQA07B0X6jU

Answer Key: “Babba-da-boopy” (translation: unknown)

Section 2: Vocabulary

How can you learn all of the vocabulary at the last minute? You can’t! Instead, your best hope is to learn the basics:

“Il Pesto” (Translation: the pesto)

“Gli Spaghetti” (Translation: the spaghetti)

“La Pizza” (Translation: the pizza)

See: it’s really simple! If you need more help than that, try reading a menu at an Italian restaurant (note: they tend to have an abundance of mistakes). If all else fails, just add an “o” or an “a” to the English word and you’re probably halfway right.

Section 3: Speaking

The key to being an effective Italian speaker is remembering that all communication is done with your hands. Know American Sign Language like the back of your hand? You’re already prepared to ace this section!

Section 4: Identify as “Italian” or “Not Italian”

This section tends to be pretty tough, so get some practice below: