After finishing a class with Nuovo Espresso 1, you might feel comfortable with the dialogues you just read, yet hesitate when someone asks you a direct question in a real conversation. That pause is entirely natural. Recognising a word on a page is a different skill from producing it when a speaker is waiting for your reply. To close that gap, you can practise using the themes from your current chapter between your scheduled classes.
This guide focuses on Lezioni 1, 6 and 10 from Nuovo Espresso 1, published by ALMA Edizioni. Your teacher's assignments and the textbook's official recordings are your primary tools. The three optional HearSay scenes we discuss here are original conversations designed around the same themes, which you can find on our Nuovo Espresso 1 hub. They provide alternative settings to help you practise speaking and listening.
The goal is to take the structures you learn in class and apply them to simple, everyday tasks. By working with short dialogues, you can train your ears to catch specific details and prepare yourself to answer naturally.
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A simple between-class routine
You do not need to spend hours study-planning to make your between-class practice effective. You can apply this method to any dialogue, whether you are listening to the official textbook tracks, working with a study partner, or using the companion scenes on the hub.
First, listen to the short conversation to get the general meaning. Do not worry about translating every word. Focus on the context: where are the speakers, and what do they want?
Second, select a very short section of the recording, perhaps just 2 or 3 lines of dialogue, and play it again.
Third, repeat a useful phrase or question from that section aloud. Pay attention to the rhythm of the words.
Fourth, personalise your response. Instead of repeating what the character in the dialogue says, give an answer that is true for you. If the character lives in Milan but you live in Bristol, say your actual city.
Finally, write down 1 specific question about a word or form that puzzled you, and bring it to your next class. This keeps your practice manageable and gives your teacher a clear starting point to help you.
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A taxi ride in Turin (Lezione 1)
In Lezione 1, Primi contatti, you learn to greet people, introduce yourself, say where you are from, and exchange basic numbers. These first interactions are often where you feel the most pressure to speak quickly.
To practice these skills, you can use our companion course A taxi from the station. The setting is a taxi rank outside Porta Nuova station in Turin at 22:00 on a weekday. Megan has just arrived by train and needs to get to an apartment on corso Francia. She chats with Beppe, the driver, and asks for his mobile number so she can book him for her early flight the next morning. Because they do not know each other, they use the formal Lei register from start to finish.
Try this task at home
To practice this scenario on your own, use the 5-step routine with a focus on giving directions and reading back numbers:
- Listen for the destination: Play the scene and listen to how Megan states the street name and number.
- Replay the repetition: Focus on the moment Beppe asks Megan to repeat herself. Notice the phrase Come, scusi? which is a polite way to ask someone to repeat a detail when using the formal register.
- Say your own address: Say the phrase aloud, then replace Megan's address with your own street name and house number. If your street name is difficult to pronounce in Italian, try spelling it out using the Italian alphabet from Lezione 1.
- Practise the telephone numbers: In the fourth lesson of this course, Beppe gives his phone number. Listen to the sequence of numbers from 0 to 20. Write down the digits as you hear them, then check the script to see if you got them right. Next, practise saying your own phone number aloud in Italian.
- Prepare a class question: If you are unsure whether to use corso, via, or piazza for your address, or how to pronounce a specific number like 13 (tredici) or 17 (diciassette), write it down. Ask your teacher during your next class to check your pronunciation.
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Renting a bicycle in Lucca (Lezione 6)
Lezione 6, In giro per l'Italia, expands your vocabulary to cover city sights, directions, and opening times. This is where you start using plural nouns, adjectives, and partitives to ask for things.
The companion course Renting bikes in Lucca takes place in a small rental shop inside the historic city walls of Lucca on a spring morning. Carmen is visiting for the day with her family and wants to rent 3 bikes. Simone, the shop assistant, sets up the equipment and answers her questions about where to ride, what to see, and when the shop closes.
Try this task at home
Use these steps to practise managing a transaction and asking for times:
- Track the requirements: Listen to the opening lessons. Note down what Simone asks for before he can hand over the bicycles.
- Focus on the closing times: Listen to the times mentioned in the dialogue. Simone uses the 24-hour clock or standard time expressions. Practice listening for the preposition alle followed by the hour.
- Change the rental request: Imagine you are renting different items or changing the numbers. Instead of 3 bikes (tre bici), practice asking for 1 bike (una bici) or 2 bikes (due bici). Change the duration from fino a stasera to a specific number of hours, such as per due ore or per quattro ore.
- Map out directions: In the third and fourth lessons of this course, Carmen asks how to get to the historic Torre Guinigi. Listen to how Simone describes the route using basic direction words. Look at a map of Lucca or your own town, and practise describing a simple route to a local landmark using the present tense.
- Write down your question: If you are confused about when to use a che ora versus quando, or how to use the plural forms of adjectives ending in -co or -ca, make a note of it. Your teacher can explain the patterns in your next session.
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Talking about family in Rome (Lezione 10)
In Lezione 10, La famiglia, you learn to describe family relationships, talk about ages and professions, use possessive adjectives, and talk about past events.
The companion course Choosing a wedding present is set in a homeware shop near Campo de' Fiori in Rome on a Saturday afternoon. Valeria is looking for a wedding present for her cousin Andrea. Her friend Tommaso is helping her choose. Because they are close friends, they use the informal tu register. Valeria shows Tommaso a photo on her phone to explain how Andrea fits into her family.
Try this task at home
Use this scenario to practise describing people and explaining relationships:
- Map the family tree: Listen to the first 3 lessons of the course. Sketch a quick family tree based on what Valeria says about Andrea, Nadia, and Bianca. This helps you connect the spoken names to their actual relationships.
- Focus on possessive adjectives: Pay attention to how Valeria uses words like mio cugino and mia zia. Notice that in Italian, singular family members usually do not take the article (il or la) when used with possessive adjectives, but there are exceptions.
- Describe your own photo: Find a real photograph of your friends or family, or imagine one. Describe 2 people in it aloud. State their names, their relationship to you, and a simple physical feature, such as mio fratello ha la barba (my brother has a beard) or mia sorella è bionda (my sister is blonde).
- Give reasons for choices: In the fifth and sixth lessons, Valeria and Tommaso discuss potential gifts. Practice giving a simple reason for a choice using perché (because). For example, explain why you are buying a particular item: Compro questo regalo perché mio cugino ama il caffè (I am buying this present because my cousin loves coffee).
- Note down your grammar question: The rules for using articles with possessive adjectives can be tricky, especially when moving from singular to plural family members (mio cugino versus i miei cugini). Write down your attempts to describe your family so your teacher can correct any small errors in class.
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How to use your notes in your next class
The most important part of this between-class routine is what you do with your notes when you return to class. You do not need a perfect recording or a flawless list of sentences. A simple, rough note of where you stumbled is much more valuable.
When you start your next class, tell your teacher which scenario you tried. You might say: "I tried giving my home address using the taxi dialogue from Lezione 1, but I was not sure how to say my house number," or "I tried to describe a family photo using the vocabulary from Lezione 10, but I struggled with the possessive words."
This gives your teacher immediate, practical feedback on what you need to practise next. It turns a generic grammar review into a targeted session that helps you solve real communication problems. Instead of repeating exercises you already understand, you can focus on the specific words and structures that will make you more confident the next time you speak.
If you have very little time between classes, do not feel you must complete every exercise. Even spending 5 minutes listening to a single dialogue and repeating 1 useful question is enough to keep your Italian active. You can find all 10 of our companion courses on the Nuovo Espresso 1 hub. Select the course that matches your current chapter and practise at your own pace.
HearSay is not affiliated with or endorsed by ALMA Edizioni. Nuovo Espresso 1 is a trademark of its owner. These are our own conversations, written around each chapter's themes.
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FAQ
Which edition of the textbook does this guide follow?
This guide is based on Nuovo Espresso 1, published by ALMA Edizioni in 2014. If you are using an older edition or a different volume, the chapter numbers and themes might vary slightly. Check your book's table of contents to match the topics.
Can I do these exercises if I do not have a study partner?
Yes. You can complete all of these tasks on your own. Practice speaking your answers aloud and use a recording app on your phone to listen back to your pronunciation. You can then compare your voice notes with the original audio to see where you can improve.
What should I do if the dialogue register feels too formal or informal?
The choice between the formal Lei and informal tu depends on who you are speaking to. Our taxi and bike rental courses use Lei because they are transactions between strangers, while the wedding present course uses tu between friends. Keep both forms in mind and ask your teacher to help you practise switching between them.