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How does this site work with Adesso! 2/e?
- All of the activities of this site are integrated with the 18 chapters in Adesso! 2/e, which means that the book's chapter theme is reflected in the corresponding chapter of Internet activities.
- The obiettivi (objectives) of the chapter activities are listed. You will find out what the goals of the chapter are and what you are expected to do.
- The introduzione (introduction) to the chapter topic gives you the background you need for the activities that follow.
- Every chapter has two main attività (activities). You can do the first activity by working on your own, while the second one generally calls for you to work with a partner or group of students.
- The preparazione (preparation) helps you to successfully complete the main attività.
What are the benefits of the WWW activities?
- You can explore authentic, up-to-date Italian culture.
- You can do the Internet activities on your own as additional practice and to satisfy your curiosity about Italy, or your instructor can integrate them into the curriculum.
- You can apply your increasing language knowledge to complete real-life tasks.
But I can't understand all of the words!
- The sites selected to accompany Adesso! 2/e have, for the most part, been developed for native speakers. You are certainly not expected to understand every single word you encounter, and the accompanying activities have been developed accordingly. It is important for you to be able to understand the gist of the information provided on the various sites to complete the activities.
Hints on how to successfully complete an activity:
- The first thing to do is to read through the objectives of the chapter. You will find out what you are expected to do throughout the chapter.
- Reading the introduction is very important because it helps you understand the context for the Internet activities. Familiarizing yourself with both the introduction and the objectives mentally prepares you for the activities that will follow. For example, if the chapter theme is sports, then you can anticipate doing exercises related to either playing soccer or some other sport.
- Strategies you have learned about how to read foreign language materials and other print materials also apply to reading materials on the WWW.
- Here are some hints on what to look for when you are completing Internet activities (from: De Paseo by Donna Reseigh Long and Janice Lynn Macián, © 1995 by Heinle).
- Visual clues: "The first thing that usually catches your eye when you pick up a magazine or a newspaper are the illustrations, photographs, and title or headings that introduce the articles. All of the visual clues help the reader create a context for the passages. Before you begin to read, always look at the illustrations and title and brainstorm about what information might be found in the text."
- Skimming and scanning: "To find out about the general content of a reading selection, you may run your eyes quickly over the written material and look at the general layout or design of the page. As you glance at, or skim, the title, photos, drawings, charts, and use of blank space, you quickly process the general clues to determine the content and purpose of the written material. If something catches your eye, you will then probably scan the article to locate specific or detailed information. Scanning a text is also used during a close reading when you highlight or underline essential information."
- Aren't the words significato and significance very similar? What about preparazione and preparation? Words which are very similar in spelling and meaning in two different languages are cognates.
- "Your ability to pick out and understand these cognates depends not only upon your willingness to guess the meanings of words but also upon your knowledge of the particular subject. When you encounter unfamiliar terms, try changing a few letters around, removing the prefix or suffix, or even pronouncing the word aloud."
HAVE FUN!!
Copyright 1999 © Heinle
