Avanti!: Beginning Italian [with Connect Code]

by Janice M. Aski, Diane Musumeci

Welcome to the second edition of "Avanti!" In the new edition out priorities remain the same as those of the first edition, to provide an introductory language course that meets the needs of both instructors and learners. Three significant characteristics set "Avanti!" apart from other first-year Italian texts: First, "Avanti!" satisfies students' desire to communicate in everyday situations right from the start and to explore Italy's rich and unique culture in meaningful ways.

Second, "Avanti!" responds to instructors' concern that most textbooks attempt to cover too much material in the first year. We have designed an elementary course that reflects reasonable expectations for the amount of material that most beginning learners can acquire in one year of classroom instruction.

Third, the methodology of "Avanti!" is firmly grounded in current findings of research in second language acquisition and foreign language pedagogy. The materials provide support for instructors, particularly those with limited experience, whose goals are to teach mainly, if not exclusively, in Italian, and to create the student-centered, communicative classroom environment that is promoted by this research.

The title "Avanti!" was chosen to convey the forward-thinking approach of this exciting new program.

Genres: Textbooks, Nonfiction

Unbound

First published January 12, 2006

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

In short, it's a mess. First of all, the authors aren't native speakers and it shows. Second, they seem intent on hiding the Italian language under a barrage of superfluous information and, frankly, ego (How do you pronounce Musumeci? That's in what, Chapter 1? Answer: Nobody cares). They feel it's appropriate to stick the the past tense in Chapter 2 (Dov'e' nata il jazz?) but don't bother to explain it. There are a million ways to introduce the verb essere without the past tense. Do the authors even know they used the past tense? Boh. They don't really get the subtleties of the Italian language. The communicative method is great, to some extent. I remember when everybody was acting like the communicative method was Jesus. I had doubts then and I have stronger doubts now, but when doubts meet a career academic's agenda, doubts go to the wall. There has to be a better way, and this is not it. If you're stuck trying to learn Italian with this mess, buona fortuna.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, terrible structure. Whoever thought that direct objects, indirect objects, and reflexive verbs should all be learned in two back-to-back sections of a chapter was completely wrong.