My time at school
Il mio periodo a scuola
- Learn about the country's education system.
- Talk about your time at school and childhood memories.
This lesson explores daily school schedules and memories, teaching vocabulary like orario (schedule), materia (subject), and ricordo (memory). Students practice describing their school day and sharing past experiences with verbs in passato prossimo and imperfetto.
Vocabulary (19) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Esercizio 1: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Describe the education path of Eva. (Describe the education path of Eva.)
- Describe where you studied at high school. (Describe where you studied at high school.)
- Talk about what you studied at school. (Talk about what you studied at school.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Per i primi anni Eva era nella scuola primaria. For the first years Eva was in primary school. |
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Poi era alle superiori. Era sempre una studentessa diligente con buoni voti. Then she was in secondary school. She always was a hard-working student with good grades. |
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Ha terminato il liceo a 18 anni. She finished high school when she was 18 years old. |
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Sono andato all'università e ho studiato giurisprudenza. I went to university and studied law. |
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Ho finito il liceo quando avevo 18 anni. I finished high school when I was 18 years old. |
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Ora lavoro in una scuola e insegno. Now I work in a school and teach. |
| ... |
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Quando ero piccolo, _____ sempre a scuola a piedi con i miei amici.
(When I was little, _____ always walked to school on foot with my friends.)2. Negli anni della scuola media, _____ molti buoni voti in matematica e italiano.
(In middle school years, _____ many good grades in math and Italian.)3. _____ un ricordo speciale della mia insegnante di italiano, che insegnava con passione.
(_____ a special memory of my Italian teacher, who taught with passion.)4. Durante le lezioni, gli studenti _____ sempre la penna e la matita per scrivere.
(During lessons, the students _____ always the pen and pencil to write.)Exercise 4: My school timetable
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Essere - To be
Imperfetto
- io ero
- tu eri
- lui/lei era
- noi eravamo
- voi eravate
- loro erano
Andare - To go
Imperfetto
- io andavo
- tu andavi
- lui/lei andava
- noi andavamo
- voi andavate
- loro andavano
Avere - To have
Imperfetto
- io avevo
- tu avevi
- lui/lei aveva
- noi avevamo
- voi avevate
- loro avevano
Insegnare - To teach
Imperfetto
- io insegnavo
- tu insegnavi
- lui/lei insegnava
- noi insegnavamo
- voi insegnavate
- loro insegnavano
Ascoltare - To listen
Imperfetto
- io ascoltavo
- tu ascoltavi
- lui/lei ascoltava
- noi ascoltavamo
- voi ascoltavate
- loro ascoltavano
Imparare - To learn
Passato prossimo
- io ho imparato
- tu hai imparato
- lui/lei ha imparato
- noi abbiamo imparato
- voi avete imparato
- loro hanno imparato
Ricordare - To remember
Presente
- io ricordo
- tu ricordi
- lui/lei ricorda
- noi ricordiamo
- voi ricordate
- loro ricordano
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Lesson Overview: My Time at School
This A2 level Italian lesson explores everyday conversations and vocabulary related to school life, schedules, and childhood memories. It focuses on discussing personal school schedules, recalling elementary school experiences, and comparing the Italian school system with others. The lesson combines dialogues, verb conjugations, and a short story to provide a rich, contextual understanding of language used around education and daily routines.
Key Topics Covered
- Talking about your school timetable: Expressing which subjects you have on specific days, asking and answering about school start and end times, and after-school activities (e.g. "Che materia hai il lunedì mattina?" – "Il lunedì ho matematica e inglese.")
- Sharing memories from elementary school: Describing favorite subjects and school experiences, discussing the size and atmosphere of your old school, and what you did after classes.
- Comparing school systems: Discussing the structure and daily schedule of Italian schools versus those in your home country, including differences in duration, subjects, and holidays.
Important Vocabulary and Expressions
- Materie (subjects): matematica, inglese, storia, scienze, religione
- Orario scolastico (school timetable/schedule)
- Lezioni (lessons), ricreazione (break/recess), attività sportive (sports activities)
- Ricordo (memory), maestra (female teacher)
- Compiti (homework), cortile (schoolyard)
Grammar Focus: Imperfect and Past Tenses
The lesson emphasizes the use of the imperfetto (imperfect tense) to describe habitual actions and past states, as in ero (I was), andavo (I used to go), avevo (I had), and insegnavo (I used to teach). It also introduces the passato prossimo (present perfect) for completed actions, e.g. ho imparato (I have learned).
Example Verb Conjugations
- Essere (to be) – Imperfetto: io ero, tu eri, lui/lei era, noi eravamo, voi eravate, loro erano
- Andare (to go) – Imperfetto: io andavo, tu andavi, lui/lei andava, noi andavamo, voi andavate, loro andavano
- Avere (to have) – Imperfetto: io avevo, tu avevi, lui/lei aveva, noi avevamo, voi avevate, loro avevano
- Imparare (to learn) – Passato prossimo: io ho imparato, tu hai imparato, lui/lei ha imparato, noi abbiamo imparato, voi avete imparato, loro hanno imparato
Usage Notes: Differences and Useful Phrases
Italian school culture places a notable emphasis on discussing the detailed daily schedule (orario scolastico) and specific subjects (materie), sometimes differing in length and time compared to other countries. For example, the school day often starts at 8:30 and ends as late as 16:00, longer than the shorter half-days common elsewhere.
Key phrases useful for speaking about school time include: Che materia hai? (What subject do you have?), Quando finisce la scuola? (When does school finish?), Qual è il tuo ricordo preferito? (What is your favorite memory?).
Unlike English, Italian frequently uses the imperfect tense to describe ongoing past conditions or repeated actions, e.g. io andavo a scuola (I used to go to school). This differs from the simple past tense accustomed in English.
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