The most common mistakes in (learning) Italian

What are the most common mistakes when learning Italian? For the purpose of this article, I would like to subdivide these errors into grammatical errors study errors. We'll start with the grammatical errors in Italian.

Grammatical errors

Grammar, logical analysis, direct object, indirect object. What's in it for you? Well, the linguistic parsing (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) and learning to parse sentences (subject, direct object, indirect object) in rhetoric way is mainly intended to prevent certain errors in sentences.

In addition to making grammatical errors, you can also make other errors: lexical and semantic errors (you are wrong on the meaning at the word level) and spelling or phonological (pronunciation) errors. That's not what we're talking about in this blog.

Grammar problems are especially present when writing in Italian. When speaking, grammar is less important than conveying the message, which is also helped by another speaker and by non-verbal communication. When reading and listening you don't have to 'send' yourself, but grammar can help you receive a message better.

Contrary to popular belief, grammar is not universal. Dutch has a different grammar than Italian. Errors arise there, because the Dutch apply Dutch grammar to the Italian language. The terminology is partly the same.

What grammatical mistakes do students make the most in Italian? A1 mistakes are still made by B2 students, but you learn the tools to prevent them in an A1 course.

Below I give you the most common mistakes, one or more examples of such an error and I explain how grammar can help you solve the problem.

Attribution errors

For the sake of convenience, I call the first category of errors attribution errors. I don't think this is an existing name from linguistics, but it does represent the problem well. This is an A1/A2 error in the attribution of masculine or feminine, singular or plural. An example of such an error is il gatto e belle.

The solution is to know that you have to conjugate. You will therefore have to be able to recognize a noun and an adjective. The cat is masculine, so the adjective must be: it's beautiful.

Another example of an attribution error is Paolo sono stati in America l'anno scorso. According to the rules of grammar, the auxiliary verb and the past participle join to the subject. Therefore, the correct answer is: Paolo è stato in America l'anno scorso.

Attribution errors can be in the adjective (example 1), in verbs (example 2), but also in pronouns.

With the latter you can, for example, choose the form for the feminine plural, while you must have the form for the feminine singular. la do (the pen) or le do (le penne). In the case of attribution errors, the teacher often draws a line to the reference word to make you aware of your mistake.

Time errors

A2/ B1 time error. You are using the wrong tense to express something. In case of time errors it is important to know the rules for using the times well. These are different than in Dutch.

For example, in Italian you use the condizional composto to express an unrealized wish. In Dutch, however, we don't necessarily say: 'I would have gone to school, but I had other things to do'. We then say: 'I would have liked to go to school'.

Because we unconsciously apply the grammar of Dutch to Italian (this phenomenon is called interference), we make grammatical errors in Italian.

Another difficulty is the Imperfect. When do you use the Imperfect (simple past tense) and when the present perfect (the past perfect tense)? A rule is then, for example, that you and uses the imperfetto and that whatever comes after it goes into the present perfect tense.

Mentre facevo la doccia è suonato il telefono. In Dutch, on the other hand, we say: while I was taking a shower, the phone rang.

The rules for the subjunctive, subjunctive. This is a mode that we hardly use in Dutch and it therefore takes a while before you get a feel for the grammatical rules of the subjunctive.

Inversion Errors

Inversion errors put phrases in the wrong order. The order of phrases follows the rules of grammar. An example of an inversion error is: Maria ha anche fatto un viaggio in Giappone.

The word 'also' is in the wrong place here. The must be placed before the place that requires emphasis. Is it Maria who is also taking a trip to Japan, just like me? Anche Maria ha fatto un viaggio…?

Or is it also a trip to Japan, after she has already been to Guatemala? Maria ha fatto un viaggio anche in Giappone.

Thus, the place of the adjective is usually after it. But some adjectives always come before the noun (for example: nice, new, old).

The program pronoun diretto (direct object) and pronoun indirect (indirect object) come before the verb. Grammatical rules here ensure that you can avoid grammatical errors.

contraction errors

Sometimes mistakes are made because someone is too preoccupied with attribution errors and time errors in phrases that the sentence at the sentence level, the bigger picture, is lost sight of.

You can then make mistakes that secondary school students also make in Dutch. For example: 'I myself agree with this and would like to explain below why.' (Living Languages ​​Magazine No. 1 2019).

You should always keep looking at the sentence as a whole. And not just for phrases. Phrases are separated here by a '/'.

The beautiful cat / who was napping / on the windowsill / had become very tired / from playing.

Especially with longer sentences, things quickly go wrong with beginners in the Italian language. For example, you can refer to something with a pronoun, without repeating it in its entirety. However, you cannot omit it, because then you will end up with an ungrammatical sentence.

The Dutch often say a . in Italian at level A1/A2 pronoun relativo (relative pronoun) or a complicated conjunction (such as therefore of so that) left behind.

The trick is also not to make complicated sentences at level A1/A2 that require this type of grammatical construction. You should limit yourself to short sentences that are correct. So here is the solution that grammar offers only in the future. Don't venture into things you haven't mastered yet.

Study errors

Convinced of the usefulness of grammar? Good. Then I also have another kind of mistakes you can make. Study errors or learning errors. Many of the tips I give in my blog articles are short-sighted. The language coach tips.

• That way you don't have to be afraid of mistakes.
• Do you want me to continue with your studies?
• Can you learn to deal with grammar (it really isn't that bad).
• Does it have advantages and disadvantages to be a little older when you start your language study?
• Is it useful to be realistic and do you have to set achievable goals?

Okay, so I'm entering the slippery path of the second-rate psychologist who thinks your life can be made. I know very well that it isn't (my life is very unruly and I really get itchy from people who say that you have to want things or that you have to think positively).

However, I do believe that you can learn something from the right coaching tips. And from the experiences of others. I also made the following mistakes myself. Watch what you do with it. Understanding that you are making the same mistake is already quite something.

Self overestimation

I often thought after the explanation: oh, I get that. And then I didn't practice. This is a form of overestimation and this happens to many people. However, in the exercises you will come across concrete examples and exceptions that you don't learn by reading the explanation. Learning is doing, not just knowing. In didactics they make a distinction between learning and acquiring. You learn by understanding something, you acquire it by doing it.

Thinking you're the only one who doesn't get it

Don't tell the teacher you don't understand, that's a shame. Teachers do try to watch their students to see if the material lands, but at the same time they are also busy with the details of a grammatical subject, that one student staring outside, the temperature in the classroom.

In short, we are only human. If you don't help us, we can't help you either. Don't be afraid to hold up the class. If the teacher feels that it is only your problem, she will help you individually and not as a class.

sloppiness

Not wanting to know the hat and brim. You have to be precise and want to know everything. I'm not good at this either. Still not. I don't have an eye for detail, but at times I can choose to have it.

You have to be very precise with a writing assignment. Sometimes it can help to hear the same grammatical topic explained by 10 different people before the penny drops.

Read it in your book, do assignments, watch a YouTube video on the same subject, look it up on the internet from different sources. Don't be satisfied with the 6 or 7, but go for the 10. Make an overview for yourself. Make sure you have your information in order.

Always put the blame on yourself

There can be many reasons why you don't understand something. Something that often happens is that the level is too high. Especially for people who look up things themselves on the internet. There the information has not been adjusted at level A2, but almost everything is presented at B1/B2 level.

Now I hate it when people are always to blame, but the fact is that sometimes you don't really understand what the problem is and where it hurts. You can then see the wrong things as a problem.

For example, you think: I really can't learn ItalianI'll just stop. That is not true. You have to do something else. And you have to look for what that is.

Don't reflect on mistakes or bury your head in the sand

Sometimes things go wrong. Then you have to stop there. See what the mistake is, why you are making it and how you can prevent it. I am reminded of when I did a course at B1 level in Italy. I had to prepare a presentation and had chosen a difficult topic, but I didn't know where to find good information. I eventually canceled the presentation.

I should have just asked the teacher if she could have helped me. But because I was busy with so many things at that time, I didn't even have a clear idea what my problem was. Sometimes you know you have a problem, but you are not yet looking for a solution. That is why you should always think about problems. This sounds very silly, but for me it was not a matter of course.

Do these errors look familiar to you? Then it turns out that you are not alone.