Would you like to learn Italian in a fun and easy way? Of course you would, though you might wonder whether it is possible or not. Well, the answer is yes. There are a variety of different ways to do this, but the use of games is definitely one of the most interesting.
In fact, there are many different kinds of games that can help you to achieve your goals. They can be complex or simple, long or short, depending on their function. Nevertheless, they have one thing in common: they can all help you to learn without the struggle!
Take the following game, for example. It’s one that you might find useful for learning Italian... and for having fun at the same time!
Il segreto di Boris (Boris’s secret)
- The things that you will be using for Il segreto di Boris (Boris's secret) are an abandoned house, a forest, and a mystery object.
- Look at the cover picture above… what object can you see through the keyhole?
- Read the text and the rules carefully, concentrate on the picture and try to guess the answer based on your powers of observation. Good luck!!!
The game's text and rules are included below in Italian, being that this game is intended for students who want to improve their knowledge of this language. However, both the text and rules are summarized in English at the end of this article. That way, those who are interested in playing the game, but need help understanding the rules and text, will have access to this information.
Il Gioco (The game)
Testo
Capita (1), a volte, di fare nuove scoperte (2).
Chissà (3) quante cose ogni giorno sfuggono alla nostra vista (4).
Ero nel bosco ... questa mattina ... stavo camminando, stavo pensando …
Ad un certo punto mi sono fermata e ho iniziato ad apprezzare (5) il gioco di luci e di ombre (6), il profumo e il sapore della primavera (7).
All'improvviso qualcosa ha colpito la mia attenzione (8)... qualcosa a cui non avevo dato importanza prima.
Così ho lasciato il sentiero (9) e mi sono addentratanel bosco (10) fino ad arrivare lì ... a quella che sembrava essere una vecchia casa abbandonata.
La porta e le finestre erano chiuse e un piccola incisione (11) su una tavoletta di legno (12) all'ingresso diceva "Casa di Boris".
Ho abbassato lo sguardo sulla porta, mi sono avvicinata e ho guardato nel buco della serratura (13), ma non ho visto nulla: era troppo buio.
Così ho preso il mio cellulare e ho scattato una fotografia (14) con il flash.
Guardatela: Secondo voi di cosa si tratta?
- Capita = accade (it happens).
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Fare nuove scoperte = scoprire nuove cose (to discover new things).
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Chissà (goodness knows).
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Cose che sfuggono alla nostra vista = cose che non notiamo/che passano inosservate (things that we don’t notice / things that are unnoticed).
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Apprezzare = trovare piacevole (to appreciate / to relish / to enjoy).
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Il gioco di luci e ombre (the play of light and shadow).
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Il sapore della primavera (the taste of spring / the air of spring / spring atmosphere).
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Qualcosa ha colpito la mia attenzione (something has caught my eye).
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Sentiero (pathway).
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Mi sono addentrata nel bosco = mi sono inoltrata nel bosco/sono andata più all’interno nel bosco (I have gone into the forest).
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Piccola incisione (small woodcut).
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Tavoletta di legno (wooden tablet).
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Buco della serratura (keyhole).
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Fotografia (picture / photo).
Regolamento
Potete farmi tutte le domande che volete: chiedermi di che materiale è fatto l'oggetto, se è grande, se è piccolo, il suo colore, ecc. L’importante è che le domande siano specifiche e non generiche. Inoltre le domande dovranno essere fatte esclusivamente in italiano!!!
Ecco alcuni esempi di domande che potete farmi:
- Di che materiale è fatto l’oggetto?
- Di che colore è l’oggetto?
- E’ grande o è piccolo?
- Si utilizza all’aperto o al chiuso?
- Serve per lavorare?
- Serve per giocare?
- E’ un oggetto comune?
- Chi utilizza questo oggetto?
- E’ un oggetto moderno o antico?
Partecipate! Mandatemi le vostre risposte nei commenti.
Vi darò la soluzione 10 giorni dopo la pubblicazione di questo articolo.
Summary
Text
It is spring and I am walking through a forest. At a certain point, I see an old abandoned house. I decide to approach it, and I see that the door and the windows are closed. I find a wooden tablet there with the following inscription on it: “Boris's house.”
I stop in front of the door and decide to look through the door's keyhole. It is dark inside. Using my cell phone's flashlight I am able to take a photo. I look at it… what is it? Can you guess…
In the Italian version of the text above, words that could be potentially difficult for students are explained using both Italian and English.
Rules
Students are invited to ask questions (only in Italian). The questions have to be specific. Some potential questions are shown above as examples. All students who are interested in playing the game are invited to send their questions and their answers to me in the comments. The solution will be provided ten days after this article's publication.
This specific game is easy, fun and at the same time useful; students will learn new words, as well as how to formulate questions.
Conclusion
There are many skills that can be improved through games. They not only enhance student vocabulary by making memorization of new words easier, but they also are effective for helping students to learn specific structures, as well as how to create stories.
There are different ways to learn a language, with some of them being more interesting and fun than others. The truth is that learning is easier when it is fun. This principle is true for all people and it is valid in all fields. It is also true that learning a language should never be boring, difficult, hard or depressing. Learning a language should never be a burden; it should just enjoyable.
There are many people who think that games should only be used for educational purposes under certain circumstances, such as when students are tired and need a light activity or when the teacher needs to fill so-called downtime. This is not true! Games are one of the best tools for learning anything (not just languages) because they allow us to improve ourselves in a creative way, without the struggle and without even without realizing it.
It must be noted though that not all games are good, of course. They must be targeted towards the goals that we want to achieve. Thus, they have to be carefully constructed.
Due to all of these reasons, games play a significant part in my lessons. I am quite used to creating and adapting games for specific goals. Therefore, if you are interested in learning Italian by using games in a productive manner, then you should check out my classes. I hope to see you soon!
Image Sources
Hero Image by the author
