I've learned a lot since I first started this blog in November 2005. This is the 100th post and it's time for some changes.
I am ending the "Italian Words and Phrases" feature because there are so many great ways to see and hear Italian online, whether you want a daily word or a complete lesson. For instance, at Italian Word of the Day from About.com's Italian Language page, you can not only see and hear a word of the day, but also see and hear it used in a sentence. You can look at previous "words" and find mini-lessons and more. And, this is just one example; if you search "free online Italian lessons," you will find hundreds of resources; you can also find Italian phrases for travelers and basic "survival" phrases like please and thank-you at many sites.
If you have a Google homepage you can add modules like an Italian-English dictionary, or even get free podcasts from LearnItalianPod.com delivered to your homepage daily. (If you don't have a Google homepage, you can, of course, just click on the link above and access the free lessons for both beginning and intermediate students). I use these lessons to supplement my ongoing Italian language studies and really find them fun and useful.
You will also notice that there is no longer a "Cultural Tidbits" section on the right. I will still write them, but they will be posted as regular short blog articles. I have heard from several readers that they often miss or overlook them, or simply don't have time to read them when they are included as an "extra" bit on the side.
I am pleased that every week more new subscribers are signing up to receive an e-mail notice with link when there's a new post. This is a free service provided by FeedBlitz--see the box on the upper right. It keeps you up to date, and it helps with my ratings with search engines if you subscribe (so please do). After filling in and submitting your e-mail address, you will have to copy a code and submit it again to verify that yes, you actually do want to subscribe and that no, you are not an evil robot.
If you want to see all the articles that have been posted on a particular subject, go to the Categories section and click on the category of your choice. This way you can find all the recipes (under Food and Drink) or all the articles on Italian art, etc. Or if you'd just like to see previous entries as they were posted, go to the Archives on the left and choose a month to browse.
You can help support this blog (and my serious book addiction) by clicking on one of the book icons on the left and entering Amazon through Paula's Tour Talk any time you have a purchase to make at Amazon.com--it doesn't have to be the recommended book, it doesn't even need to be a book at all. ANY purchase made through this site adds a few cents credit (at no charge to you) to my account and about twice a year builds up to enough for me to buy a book on Italy that I can't find at the library. Thanks!
Finally, please don't hesitate to make a comment or a suggestion by clicking on the Comments link at the bottom of each post. You can also e-mail me by clicking on the link under my picture. I love to hear what you think--I never have any idea if my articles are useful and interesting, or even if anyone is reading them unless I get feedback from you.
Thanks for reading--I really enjoy writing the articles in Tour Talk and will continue to explore ways to make it better. Ciao for now, more soon.
