Tutto italiano

If you are looking for a way to enhance your knowledge of the Italian language Tutto italiano may just be what you need. Tutto italiano is an audio magazine designed to help people who are looking to improve on their Italian language. What is great about this magazine is that you get a print copy as well as an audio CD. The majority of the print magazine is in Italian. The only parts in English is the editorial letter and key vocabulary. The magazine covers a wide range of topics so not only do you get to improve on your Italian you will get to learn more about Italy and its wonderful culture. The narrators on the audio CD do a great job of speaking clearly and at a pace that is easy to follow while you read along with the print magazine. The first issue of the magazine was published in March 2014 and it is a bi-monthly publication, which gives you 6 issues per year. I had an opportunity to interview members of the Tutto italiano team to get their insight on how they developed this concept and why it is a great tool for those who want to enhance their Italian language skills.

Who came up with the idea of including an audio cd with the magazine?
The audio CD is a fundamental component of the magazine, we had the audio magazine format in mind when we started this project.

How did you come up with the name for the magazine?
We discussed possible names with our editorial team and we finally decided on Tutto italiano.

How many issues a year do you publish?
Tutto italiano is published six issues a year, once every two months.

Would I be able to purchase past issues?
Back issues are available to order by subscribers only, subject to availability. The customer orders them from the member-only area of our website, languages-direct.com, by logging into their account.

Can I purchase Tutto italiano at newsstands and book stores or is this something that can only be purchased online?
Tutto italiano can only be purchased online, over the phone or by mail. We do not at present retail the magazine in stores.

Will you be making this available for people to read and listen to online as well as in print?
We think that having a magazine in your hands is a very different experience from reading from a screen, and, from a pedagogical point of view, we think learning is facilitated by the print form. Therefore, Tutto italiano will remain only in print for now. The accompanying audio CD to the magazine may in future also be available to subscribers as an audio download

Who is your target audience?
Tutto italiano is aimed at Anglophone intermediate and advanced speakers of Italian, or anyone who has a working knowledge of Italian and wants to improve their language fluency, as well as their knowledge and understanding of Italian culture. Our readership is mainly adult self-learners and teachers of Italian.

Why should people purchase your magazine?
There are many products out there for complete beginners of Italian. However, once you've got beyond the basics and have learnt both some grammar and vocabulary your choices for self-help resources are extremely limited. This is where Tutto italiano steps in. Tutto italiano is designed to improve your listening proficiency and your ability to speak the language within the right context, two core skills which we as publishers believe are poorly handled by other resources available in shops or online. Tutto italiano is published by a team of Italian journalists and language experts based in Rome; the magazine includes articles on a wide range of topics, including travel, the arts, cinema, politics, sport, cuisine, popular culture, plus profiles on leading personalities and issues making the news. The texts are full of idiomatic expressions and references to Italian culture and lifestyle, allowing the reader to access the kind of language that Italians actually use in their everyday life and to appreciate nuance and context of expression. The audio tracks are recorded with professional narrators from different regions of Italy which helps the listener get used to a wide variety of voices and accents. Moreover, the fact that Tutto italiano is a periodical publication guarantees continued exposure to Italian language and culture--it really is the next best thing to living in Italy!

What is the best way to use the magazine?
All the articles in the magazine are graded by level of difficulty using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This enables subscribers to compare and measure their progress throughout the course of the subscription. We recommend that subscribers first choose an article they would like to work with and then listen to the audio several times in order to try and understand as much as possible. Only then should they open the magazine and follow the word-for-word transcript and the glossing into English of key vocabulary. Many of the articles also include dedicated self-marking grammar exercises that help to further reinforce learning.

What makes your magazine different/stand out from other magazines dedicated to Italy and the Italian language?
Tutto italiano is the only printed audio magazine on the market for adult Anglophones who are learning Italian. The audio magazine format allows readers to learn Italian effortlessly and achieve fluency while enjoying reading and listening to informative and entertaining articles, as well as keeping up to date with what's going on in Italy at the moment.

Where do you see this magazine in 5 years?
The magazine was started only a year ago, but in this short period of time it has achieved a strong subscriber base both in the UK and the US. We are dedicated to growing the readership significantly over the next five years.

Is this the only magazine you publish?
Tutto italiano is at present the only magazine we publish. Languages Direct are also exclusive distributors of Bien-dire, an audio magazine for French learners, and Punto y Coma, audio magazine for Spanish learners, in the UK, U.S. and other Anglophone markets.

Are you looking for writers for your magazine? If yes what prerequisites would they need?
The editorial team based in Rome is not at present actively looking for writers. Anyone interested should first email the publisher and their application will be passed on to the team for their consideration. Writers need to be Italian native, living in Italy, ideally with a published track record of writing for well-known media outlets or academic publications.

Do you plan to make your magazine bilingual and include English?
The magazine already includes English definitions of difficult words and phrases, and the editorial letter is translated into English. However, we wouldn't consider introducing articles in English, as the main objective of the magazine is to immerse yourself in Italian and improve your language skills.