FAQs

Frequently asked questions about learning Italian

Italian To Go and Fra Amici e-Courses are designed to teach English speakers Italian. They range from short courses for travelers to a complete program for students and those looking to master the Italian language.

Q: What is an e-Course?

e-Course is short for electronic-course. It comprises audio files (in MP3 format) and written resources (in PDF format). It is a digital version of an "old school" course, that comprised printed books, CDs (or tapes) and workbooks.

Q: How do you send me the e-Course?

Our Italian courses are downloadable from a link that will be sent to you by email after you have purchased the Italian e-Course. You can download the files to your computer, ipad, tablet or phone, and the standard license allows you to share the files with up to four members of your immediate family (living at the same address). Data download charges from your data provider may apply.

Q: What are the advantages of e-Courses?

The books can be viewed and the audio heard on your computer, ipad, tablet or Apple or Android smartphone. The audio is studio quality, and the eBooks are PDF digital versions of actual printed books.

Q: Does all the content work on a smartphone or ipad/tablet?

The Italian To Go (Traveler) products are simple audio files and standard PDFs that will work on Apple and Android devices. On Apple devices currently (subject to change; please check with Apple) PDFs and Mp3 files will sync via your iTunes app. Most Android phones come with a PDF reader and all have an mp3 audio player, but this differs by manufacturer.

These files will work on desktop PCs, MACs and most recent mobile devices, but will require the use of a third party program/app such as Adobe Reader. Please see this link for details.

Q: Who is the author?

Juliana grew up bilingually in an Italian family in Perth, Western Australia. She was educated at the University of Western Australia where she obtained a BA (Hons.) and a Dip.Ed. In addition to teaching Italian for many years, Juliana has also taught French and English. She is married to Dr Ronald Burman, an astrophysicist at the University of Western Australia. They have a son, Geoffrey. Juliana’s biography was included in the First and Second Editions of Who’s Who in Australia and the Far East.

Juliana’s experience has been first in secondary schools (including over ten years as Head of Department, Foreign Languages, at St Thomas Aquinas College, now Chisholm Catholic College in Perth, Western Australia) and then with adult classes (for University of Western Australia Extension Classes and in her own Fra Amici Italian Language Classes for 25 years). She served on various committees for the former Secondary Education Authority, including the Italian Syllabus Committee, Working Group Writing Assessment Guidelines and the Italian Moderating Panel.

Q: How long do I have access to the course?

For a one-time payment, you have access to the course materials indefinitely. You may share the files with up to five members of your immediate family (living at the same address), but you may not resell the materials or pass them to any third party.

Q: Is Fra Amici available for Teachers?

Yes, Fra Amici resources are available for Teachers and Student Groups.

Fra Amici Italian 1-5, Beginners to Advanced, and Italian To Go downloadable products are available as teaching / learning resources to teachers, schools, universities and adult education institutes, worldwide, with discounts for Teachers and Student Groups. Teachers can request the normal Retail Edition (with Answer Keys) and/or the Schools Edition, in which the Answer Keys are available to students through their teachers. For details, please contact Juliana by email. Teachers and students can also use her teaching-learning website for supplementary online resources.

Fra Amici e-Courses are suitable for both adult education classes meeting once or twice a week and classes for young people meeting more frequently.

Adult learners can easily work through the Fra Amici e-Course resources on their own between classes, so that the class can spend more time on interactive activities and group work.

By having many resources that students can work on independently between classes, teachers can maximize their class time on conversational and other interactive communication activities; on role plays, group work, and discussions; on answering questions and explaining more difficult points, and on helping students individually.

By having the Answer Key provided to them, adult learners can check their progress at home, and they can do the Activities, Exercises and Worksheets as many times as they like, until they can get most of the answers right. By practicing these expressions at home, they can use them more easily in their conversations and group activities in class.

Q: Is Fra Amici suitable for Self-Learners?

Yes, Fra Amici e-Courses are designed to give Self-Learners courses that they can do in their own time and at their own pace.

With help from Juliana’s e-Course Guide - Learn Italian At Your Own Pace, you can organize your course to suit you.

You can slot your Fra Amici study to fit in with the demands of a busy lifestyle. You can listen to and practice Italian To Go travel phrases in English and Italian while you are cooking, walking, gardening, etc. It’s amazing how much we remember from just hearing things that are playing in the background, e.g., TV commercials!

Even 10-20-30 minutes of Fra Amici in between your other jobs will help you to make progress on learning Italian while you take a break from your usual work.

During these Fra Amici periods, you can listen to an Italian dialogue (such as a conversation between two characters who meet at a bus stop), learn a few vocabulary items, learn how to use a common Italian verb, have a practice conversation, fill in a Worksheet, do a crossword or read about an aspect of Italian life and culture.

The more frequently you use your Fra Amici e-Course, the more you will remember and the faster you will make progress in learning to speak Italian. If you can do a little bit nearly every day, it will help your memory to retain as much as you can. We retain more if we try to recall it within 24 hours.

If you have any queries about the e-Courses, you are welcome to contact Juliana, so that she can point you in the right direction.

Q: How are payments processed?

Payments are processed via the Paypal secure online platform. After payment is received, an email with download link(s) will be sent to you automatically. If for any reason you do not get this email within an hour, please 1) Check your spam folder 2) Contact us via the links below.

More FAQs

Terms & Conditions

By purchasing a Fra Amici e-Course, acceptance of the associated Terms and Conditions is deemed to have occurred.

Intellectual Property Rights

Any Materials supplied by Fra Amici to the Client, including but not limited to Training Course materials (in document format, electronic format or otherwise), are for the Client’s personal non-commercial use. Save for this, the Client must not re-publish, licence, transfer, copy, reproduce or post on the internet, any of Fra Amici’s materials without Fra Amici’s prior written consent.

Specifications

Fra Amici reserves the right at any time to alter the specification in respect of the Products and Services, without giving notice to the Client, in the interest of continual improvement. An alteration does not entitle the Client to return Products, cancel an order or otherwise avoid its obligations and liabilities contained in these Terms.

Other Terms and Conditions

No other term, condition, agreement, warranty, representation or understanding (whether express or implied) in any way binding upon Fra Amici, other than these Terms, is made or given by or on behalf of Fra Amici.

Recovery Costs

The Client shall pay all costs and expenses incurred by Fra Amici, its legal advisers, mercantile agents and others in respect of anything instituted or being considered against the Client, whether for debt, possession of any Products or otherwise.

Contact Details

You may reach us via eMail: aurora@italiancourses.com.au, or by phone +61 424 189 341.