Helpful Hints

Study Hints and Special Characters

Learning New Vocabulary

	Your different skills and senses reinforce one another, so be sure to say, write, read, and listen to new expressions as you are learning them. Working in a group is always helpful.
	Practice using new words in context. Write down and say out loud short, original sentences using each new word.
	Try brainstorming, too: make lists of all the different expressions you associate with new vocabulary terms.
	Learn gender and articles along with new vocabulary words: il cinema, la radio.
	Pay special attention to accents and to the pronunciation of consonants in exceptions to the rule and special combinations: the g in goloso, the c in pace, the ch in barche, the gn in sogno.
	Flash cards are extremely helpful, since they allow you to review vocabulary even when on the go.
	Carefully study the words in vocabulary lists and drawings. If a word is a cognate or shares a root with an English word, be especially aware of differences in spelling and pronunciation. For example, note that classe has an e, and that stazione is spelled with a z. Also, be aware of false cognates that look like a similar word in English but actually have a different meaning. An example of a false cognate is libreria, which means bookstore, not library.
	At least twice a week, use your flash cards to review vocabulary from previous chapters. Small amounts of steady effort will bring lasting success!

Learning Grammar

	Learning grammar is important, but this alone will not make it possible for you to communicate in Italian. To acquire a meaningful command of Italian using Forza!, be sure to follow all of these steps:
	Start by reading the grammar explanations, paying close attention to the examples.
	The brief dialogues in the fumetti illustrate how the grammar is used in everyday communication. Read through them silently several times, and repeat them aloud with a partner.
	Do the exercises in your text, Workbook. When you are certain your answers are correct, practice out loud with a partner. Keep repeating them until the answers "feel" natural to you.
	Working with a partner, use the new material to talk about yourselves. Use the exercises and brief dialogues as starting points, create your own variations, and chat freely. Always remember that learning grammar is only a means to a much more important end: communication.
	Learning a language is cumulative, so you will want to create flash cards and review material from previous chapters frequently. Just five to ten minutes a day of reviewing (rather than one long cram session each week) will bring you lasting confidence and success in communicating in Italian.

Special characters for Windows

desired character	1^st keystrokes done together	2^nd keystroke
é	Ctrl + ”	E
à, è, ì, ò, ù	Ctrl + ~	A, E, I, O, U
€	Alt + Ctrl+ E	none

Special characters for the Macintosh

desired character	1^st keystrokes done together	2^nd keystroke
é	option + E	E
à, è, ì, ò, ù	option + ~	A, E, I, O, U
«	option + \	none
»	option + shift+ \	none
€	option + shift+ @	none