Once grammar, vocabulary and language structures are in place, there comes a point when truly understanding Italian means beginning to understand Italians.
Magari is not merely an adverb. Ci sentiamo is not always a promise. And mastering the subjunctive will not necessarily tell you why someone replies figurati after being thanked.
Allora. can complement an Italian course, roughly from B2 onwards: not another textbook, but material to discuss, interpret and test in the classroom.
A less predictable kind of language class.
The idea also comes from a desire to refresh the traditional university language class: less Italy presented as a subject to study, more Italy observed while it is happening.
Each entry can become a starting point for conversation about language, pragmatics, tone, gestures, habits, stereotypes and cultural differences.
“What would an Italian actually mean?”