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Though German was typically the second language learned in Mason’s schools, Mason was partial to the beauty of the Italian language and highly recommended–even preferred–it be taught.
Vocabulary
In the early years, vocabulary is developed through pictures and objects around the student’s environment. Below are resources you could use for vocabulary. The key here is to remember that the students are not to see the words. In some cases, you may need to find a way to cover the words.
- Teach Me Italian and More Italian
- In the Town All Year ‘Round-this book is nearly perfect for vocabulary development and picture narration, without any words cluttering the pages
- Usborne First 1000 Words-this book has words and pictures; the words would have to be covered
- Usborne Flash Cards-these flash cards have words and pictures; the words would have to be covered
Songs
- Mama Lisa’s World: International Music & Culture
- Here is a YouTube Channel with Italian nursery songs. A quick note: the work in the early years is oral and the means of acquiring language is through the ear so you want to use these for their audio only.
Stories
- The Beelinguapp is a new app that reads aloud stories in a variety of languages along with side by side text of the native and target language!
- The Bible in Italian–with audio
- Librivox has over 100 audiobooks available in Italian
- Here, Librivox has a collection of fairytales in many languages, and three in Italian!
- Here is a YouTube Channel with Italian stories you could use for the audio. The work in the early years is through the ear, so you would not want to watch these with your children.
- This is another YouTube channel of Italian fairy tales. Use them for the audio only in the early years.
- The Tales of Mother Goose by Charles Perrault
- Project Gutenberg has a number of Italian stories in print and audio
- Il Piu Felici Bambino del Mondo by Carola Prosperi
Poems
- Mama Lisa’s World: International Music & Culture
- Filastrocche Italiane Volume 2 – Italian Nursery Rhymes by Claudia Cerulli
- Italian Kid Songs and Rhymes: A Mama Lisa Book
Formal Lesson Books
Mason used the following books for lessons in her programmes. Teachers were required to read the preface to educate themselves and did not use them exhaustively. Students completed about six lessons per term.
- Practical Italian Grammar by J.L. Russo–this is only the pictures from the book; the full book is here for purchase here and here
- An Italian Conversation Grammar and Guide to Italian Composition by Napoleone Perini
- Italian Lessons and Readings by C. U. Clark
- Ollendorff’s New Method of Learning to Read, Write and Speak the Italian Language by Heinrich Gottfried Ollendorff