Italian · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 11 of 12
Giving a presentation
Una presentazione
Give a short presentation in Italian: structure your talk, guide the audience, add emphasis and handle questions.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Structure a talk with signposting phrases
- Add emphasis with è… che and è stato… a
- Put a word first for emphasis: il legno, lo scegliamo noi
- Answer questions from the audience politely
Listen
In Cremona, the violin maker Margherita Arici presents a project to a meeting of local business owners, then answers a question. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Margherita
Buonasera a tutti e grazie per l'invito. Mi chiamo Margherita Arici e sono liutaia: costruisco violini a mano, qui a Cremona.
Good evening, everyone, and thank you for inviting me. My name is Margherita Arici and I'm a violin maker: I make violins by hand, here in Cremona.
Margherita
Per prima cosa vi racconto chi siamo. Poi vi presento il nostro progetto, e alla fine risponderò volentieri alle vostre domande.
First, I'll tell you who we are. Then I'll present our project, and at the end I'll be happy to answer your questions.
Margherita
La nostra bottega è nata dieci anni fa. È stato mio nonno a insegnarmi il mestiere, ed è da lui che ho imparato ad amare il legno.
Our workshop opened ten years ago. It was my grandfather who taught me the craft, and it was from him that I learnt to love wood.
Margherita
Il legno, infatti, lo scegliamo noi, pezzo per pezzo: abete e acero, che lasciamo invecchiare per molti anni.
In fact, we choose the wood ourselves, piece by piece: spruce and maple, which we leave to season for many years.
Margherita
Passiamo ora al progetto. Come potete vedere da questa foto, ogni giorno tanti turisti si fermano davanti alla nostra vetrina. Quello che vogliono è vedere come nasce un violino.
Let's move on to the project. As you can see from this photo, every day lots of tourists stop in front of our window. What they want is to see how a violin is made.
Margherita
Per questo, dal prossimo anno vorremmo aprire la bottega ai visitatori, con visite di un'ora in italiano e in inglese. Per concludere: quello che cerchiamo sono partner in città, soprattutto alberghi e agenzie di viaggi. Grazie per l'attenzione. Ci sono domande?
That's why, from next year, we'd like to open the workshop to visitors, with one-hour tours in Italian and English. To conclude: what we're looking for is partners in the city, especially hotels and travel agencies. Thank you for your attention. Are there any questions?
Signor Bonetti
Sì, grazie. Complimenti per il progetto. Se ho capito bene, i turisti entrerebbero mentre voi lavorate. Non è un problema?
Yes, thank you. Congratulations on the project. If I've understood correctly, the tourists would come in while you're working. Isn't that a problem?
Margherita
Grazie della domanda: è un punto importante. Le visite saranno solo di pomeriggio, quando di solito facciamo i lavori più semplici. I lavori più delicati li facciamo la mattina.
Thank you for the question: it's an important point. The tours will only be in the afternoon, when we usually do the simpler work. The most delicate work we do in the morning.
Signor Bonetti
E quanto costerebbe la visita?
And how much would the tour cost?
Margherita
Stiamo ancora facendo i conti, ma pensiamo a quindici euro a persona. Una parte la useremo per una borsa di studio per giovani liutai.
We're still doing the sums, but we're thinking of fifteen euros per person. We'll use part of it for a grant for young violin makers.
Signor Bonetti
Ottimo. Io ho un albergo in piazza del Comune e sono molto interessato. Ne parliamo dopo?
Excellent. I have a hotel in Piazza del Comune and I'm very interested. Shall we talk about it afterwards?
Margherita
Con piacere. Allora, se non ci sono altre domande, vi ringrazio ancora e vi aspetto in bottega.
With pleasure. So, if there are no more questions, thank you again, and I look forward to seeing you at the workshop.
Understand
Guiding your audience
A good presentation tells the audience where it's going. Announce the parts at the start, mark each change of topic, and sum up at the end. When you speak to a group, use : (as you can see), (I'll present to you).
With questions, thank the person, check you've understood, then answer: …
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| … … … | First… Then… Finally… |
| … | Let's move on to… |
| , … | As you can see from this chart, … |
| , … / , … | To conclude, … / To sum up, … |
| Thank you for your attention. Are there any questions? | |
| , … | Thank you for the question. If I've understood correctly, … |
Emphasis: è… che, è stato… a
To put the spotlight on one part of a sentence, Italian can split it in two, like English “It was… who…”. Use (or / for the past) + the important part + : (It was from him that I learnt).
When the important part is the person who does the action, Italians often use + infinitive instead of : (It was my grandfather who taught me the craft). + verb + also adds weight: (What they want is to see how a violin is made).
- È stata Giulia a trovare la soluzione.It was Giulia who found the solution.
- È qui che nascono i nostri violini.It's here that our violins are made.
- Quello che ci serve è più spazio.What we need is more space.
Putting a word first
In speech, Italians often move the object to the start of the sentence to make it the topic, and then repeat it with a pronoun: (The wood, we choose it ourselves, i.e. We're the ones who choose the wood). . The pronoun agrees with the noun.
Putting the subject after the verb also stresses it: (We choose it, not someone else), (I'll pay).
| Neutral | With emphasis |
|---|---|
More in the grammar: Object pronouns: lo, la, li, le, gli…
New words
- il liutaio / la liutaiaviolin maker · = violin making
- a manoby hand
- per prima cosafirst, first of all
- la bottegaworkshop (of a craftsman); small shop
- il mestieretrade, craft, job
- il legnowood
- infattiin fact, indeed
- l'abete e l'acerospruce (fir) and maple · both masculine
- invecchiareto age; (of wood) to season
- passare ato move on to · … = let's move on to…
- il visitatore / la visitatricevisitor
- se ho capito beneif I've understood correctly
- delicatodelicate
- fare i contito do the sums, to work out the costs
Practise
1.You want to move on to the next part of your talk. What do you say?
2.Add emphasis: It was my grandfather who taught me the craft.
It was my grandfather who taught me the craft.
3.Complete with the right pronoun.
The most delicate work we do in the morning.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.It was from him that I learnt to love wood.
5.Someone asks a question after your talk. What's a good way to start your answer?
6.Match the Italian with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Per prima cosa vi racconto chi siamo.
First, I'll tell you who we are.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.