| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Group admin: | Italian Club group |
| When: | On Thursdays 10:00 am-11:30 am Weekly in term time |
| Venue: | St Ives Methodist Church |
| Cost: | £40-£50 per term |
Thursday mornings in term time, St Ives Methodist Church
Joint leaders: Jennifer and Anthony Clarke, and Vivien Rosamond
This group started as a beginner group some ten years ago and is suitable for people of at least intermediate level who have been learning Italian for two years or more. You would need to be familiar with basic grammar of the language, use of different verb tenses etc. (See also note at foot of this page if you are at beginner/improver level.)
We are no longer following a specific course or working towards a particular level. We all share our knowledge and experience, learning from each other and thus implementing the u3a ethos that we are all in this together. For this reason we decided the name Italian Club is more appropriate for the wide range of activities we cover. During our sessions, we use a variety of materials to share and extend our experience of the Italian language, relating it to topics such as places, culture, history, food, art, literature etc. and occasionally a grammar topic. We access the significant Italian learning facilities that are available online, for instance news items available in Italian, easy reader texts, video clips etc. Sometimes we use a resource called "I Come Italia" which covers a number of topics in a lively and interesting format. Individual members of the group also contribute items of particular interest from time to time.
If you watched the BBC series Pompeii - the New Dig, you may be interested to download a copy of the story we studied on Pliny and the Eruption of Vesuvius - from EasyReader.org
In order to build our confidence in Italian conversation, we try to meet once a month (on a Wednesday instead of our usual Thursday session) with an Italian speaker from St Ives.
We are also reading a book where a mystery story unfolds through 101 conversations, and we take it in turns to read the part of the various characters featured.
We meet weekly in term time in the upstairs room at the Methodist Church from 10.00am - 11.30pm on Thursday mornings. At the end of the session we go for coffee in the cafe downstairs in the church. Members pay a subscription each term to cover the cost of room hire and occasional materials purchased. This is usually between £40 and £50 per term.
If you would like more information about joining this group, please contact Jenny via the blue envelope link on this page.
Dates for 2026
Spring
- January
Thursdays 8, 15, 22 Wednesday 28th Conversation with Cecilia - February
Thursdays 5, 12,
(no session 19th as half-term)
Wednesday 25th Conversation with Cecilia - March
Thursdays 5, 12, 19 Wednesday 25th Conversation with Cecilia - April
(no session 2nd - Easter Holidays)
Summer
- April
Thursdays 16, 23 Wednesday 29th - May
7, 14, 21 No meeting on 27th - June
4, 11, 18 Wednesday 24th - July
2, 9, 16 then stop for the summer
Autumn
- September
TBA - October
TBA - November
TBA - December
TBA
Note that we currently have three Italian groups:
- Italian Beginners - started September 2025 but full. You can join the waiting list
- Italian Beginners 2 - started May 2026
- Italian Club - for members of at least intermediate level who have been learning Italian for two years or more.
- Italian Improvers has decided to close due to declining numbers and loss of venue