Via Optimae: VIA Site Map

Visit the NEW VIA OPTIMAE!

The new site allows users to follow courses and join in the community of language learners and Italophiles!

Via Optimae Site Map: The content of Via Optimae organized by topic and/or type to help you learn Italian!, https://www.viaoptimae.blogspot.com/p/site-map.html

Explore all content from Via Optimae, arranged by topic and/or type:

How to Teach Yourself Italian:

A series that helps you set goals and develop your own plan and strategies for teaching yourself Italian!

(1) How to Teach Yourself Italian, Step 01: GOALS

(2) How to Teach Yourself Italian, Step 02: ASSESSMENT
(3) How to Teach Yourself Italian, Step 03: LEARNING STYLE

Italian Basics

The Basics of Beginning Italian Grammar with lots of charts and other visuals.—includes links to the Basic Italian Workbook with printable worksheets to reinforce what you've learned.

(1) Indefinite Articles, (How to say "A/AN")
(2) Definite Articles (singular), (How to say "THE")
(3) Pluralization, (How to make singular nouns plural)
(4) Definite Articles (plural), ("THE" for more than one thing)
(5) The Partitive Article, (How to say "some")

ITALIAN Basics Workbook* (digital magazine with printable worksheet pages so you can practice what you've learned)

*not currently available on mobile devices

Beginner's Italian:

Beginner's grammar with more emphasis on verbs and verb tenses— includes links to the Beginner's Italian Workbook with printable worksheets to reinforce what you've learned.

(1) How Italian verbs work, (Intro to verbs & grammar terms)

(2) Italian present tense: -ARE verbs

(3) Italian present tense: -ERE verbs

(4) Italian present tense: -IRE verbs

(5) La negazione - Negation
(6) Ogni quanto? Quante volte? (Adverbs of frequency)
(7) C'è & Ci Sono (How to say "There is / There are in Italian)

Beginner's Italian Workbook* (digital magazine with printable worksheet pages so you can practice what you've learned)

*not currently available on mobile devices

The Most-Used Nouns:

Start with the most-used vocabulary first! Explore the definition, pronunciation, plus context and common uses. Includes links to the digital magazine with songs, cartoons, audio & other multimedia!

n.001 COSA

n.002 ANNO

n.003 UOMO

n.004 GIORNO

n.005 VOLTA

n.006 CASA

n.007 PARTE

n.008 VITA

The most-used nouns digital magazine

Idiomatic Expressions (Modi di dire):

Expressions with "Carne" (meat)  (p. 5-6 of the Italian Food Picture Dictionary Vol. 02)

Expressions with "Cavolo" (cabbage)  (p. 7 of the Italian Food Picture Dictionary Vol. 03)

Expressions with "Cotto" (cooked)  (p. 19 of the Italian Food Picture Dictionary Vol. 04)

Expressions with "Formaggio" (cheese)  (p. 16 of the Italian Food Picture Dictionary Vol. 02)

Expressions with "Pane" (bread)  (p. 6 of the Italian Food Picture Dictionary Vol. 01)

Expressions with "Sale" (salt)  (p. 22-25 of the Italian Food Picture Dictionary Vol. 04)

Expressions with "Uova" (eggs)  (p. 13-15 of the Italian Food Picture Dictionary Vol. 02)

Modi di dire— Bianco  (Idiomatic Expressions that use "Bianco" white)

Modi di dire— Quattro  (Idiomatic Expressions that use "Quattro" four)

~

Phrases & Miscellaneous Expressions:

Fare domande (Asking questions in Italian: Who, What, Where, etc.)

Se fa bello a San Gallo… (Weather Expressions)

Vocabulary:

Italian immersion at home (Terms related to the living room & colors, in a free printable label page format )

Italian immersion… nella cucina! (Terms related to the kitchen, in a free printable label page format)

L'insalata caprese (How to make Caprese Salad plus food-prep vocabulary)

Gli aggettivi di nazionalità (Adjectives of Nationality in flashcard format)

Se fa bello a San Gallo…  (Weather Expressions with an expression & flashcards)
Vocabulary sets from Fabio Volo books  (Intermediate-Advanced Vocabulary, plus how to study using Italian novels)
Vocabulary from Le luci nelle case degli altri by Chiara Gamberale  (Intermediate-Advanced Vocabulary in flashcard formar)

Book-Related:

Using Italian novels as a basis for learning new expressions and vocabulary, flashcard sets from various books.

Read in Italian with Fabio Volo (Tips on how to read to improve vocabulary and how to create flashcards, plus intermediate vocabulary)
Per dieci minuti (Chiara Gamberale) (Book synopsis and intermediate-advanced vocabulary)
Le Luci nelle case degli altri (Chiara Gamberale) (Intermediate-advanced vocabulary)

Citazioni - Quotes:

Famous quotes from various sources in translation.

"Baciami mille volte"(Poem plus the most-used noun "volta")
"Ogni cosa che facciamo…" (Madre Teresa) (Quote in translation)
"La paura è normale…" (Paolo Borsellino)(Casablanca in translation)
Coraggio e Paura (Oriana Fallaci) (Quote in translation)
In ogni essere umano (Rudolf Steiner) (Quote used in "Per Dieci Minuti" by Chiara Gamberale in translation)
"Alla tua salute, bambina." (Casablanca in translation)Se fa bello a San Gallo… (Saying about weather plus weather phrases)
Per l'amore della mamma (Various quotes about mothers and motherhood in translation)
Fiume di Luna (Breakfast at Tifanny's quotes in translation)

Digital Magazines:

All of Via Optimae's digital magazines* (not currently available on mobile devices)

The most-used nouns digital magazine (A multimedia magazine that shows the definitions, pronunciation and lots of multimedia context for the most-used nouns in the Italian language)

ITALIAN Basics Workbook* (Collection of printable worksheets to reinforce what you've learned in the Italian Basics Series)

ITALIAN Food Picture Dictionaries: (Food-related expressions & cultural tidbits)

Vol. 01 (At the bakery & pastry shop, plus the produce stand)

Vol. 02 (At the butcher & deli, plus eggs & dairy products)

Vol. 03 (Veggies & Herbs, plus beans!)

Vol. 04 (Cooking, at the restaurant, and spicing things up)

Beginner's Italian Workbook (Collection of printable worksheets to reinforce what you've learned in the Beginner's Italian Series)

Film-Related:

Quotes in translation— using famous films to explore different grammatical constructions & wording in Italian & English.

"Alla tua salute, bambina" (Casablanca quotes in translation)

Fiume di Luna— (Breakfast at Tiffany's quotes in translation)

Music-Related:

Explore song lyrics in Italian & English and use songs to help practice pronunciation as well as see various words and expressions in context.

Claudio Baglioni - Amore bello  (Exploring expressions like 'andarsene')
Marco Mengoni - L'essenziale  (Lyrics in English & Italian)
Neffa - Quando Sorridi  (Lyrics & Present Tense Verbs)
Ligabue - Il Sale della Terra  (Lyrics in Italian & English)
Ligabue's Mondovisione (Vote for the song you want to see)
Sanremo 2014 — the first night  (The famous Italian music competition- the artists and their songs)
Sanremo 2014 — i vincitori!  (The winners of the famous Italian music festival)

Flashcards:

Posts which feature Quizlet flashcard sets, which allow you to study, test yourself, and even play games!

Se fa bello a San Gallo…  (Weather Expressions)
Gli aggettivi di nazionalità  (Adjectives of Nationality)
Vocabulary sets from Fabio Volo books  (Intermediate-Advanced Vocabulary)
Vocabulary from Le luci nelle case degli altri by Chiara Gamberale  (Intermediate-Advanced Vocabulary)

Culture:

Italian art, architecture, food & more— using Italian culture to explore various aspects of the Italian language.

I dieci errori (The ten errors not to commit in Italian cuisine, plus negative commands in Italian)
From Alberti to Bramante… (Early Renaissance Architecture Free E-Course & Pinterest Board)
Learning Italian from the streets: Cosa ti piace di più mangiare… (Video from Matera Italy interviewing people on the street and asking people what they like to eat)
L'insalata caprese (How to make Caprese Salad plus food-prep vocabulary)

Quick vocab: il caffè e la Moka (the importance of Italian coffee)

Sanremo 2014 — the first night (The famous Italian music competition- the artists and their songs)
Sanremo 2014 — i vincitori! (The winners of the famous Italian music festival)