Filler words - as I call them - are an extremely important part of making your Italian seem natural and fluent. Building a good repertoire of these types of words can dramatically affect how your speech flows, and how people respond to you.
First, a better definition of what I'm talking about. Think about how you speak english, or perhaps try to be conscious of it the next time you talk to someone. How many words do you say that don't actually contribute to what you're trying to express? Probably more than you'd think. Here's something that I'd easily say:
"So, you know, with the way things are going... basically... I don't know what to do".
In that sentence "so", "you know", and "basically" really don't have any purpose besides giving me time to think, and helping things flow. These are what I call "filler words".
Italian, like any language, has the same things. However, it's an area that I've never seen explicitly explained to new learners, and that you probably don't think about much, because you don't really notice doing it in English. In this post, and in future posts with the 'filler words' label, I try to introduce phrases and expressions that fit this role, and that I've found extremely useful.
First up, one of the kings: Allora. This word is used a LOT in Italian. If you haven't already noticed that, you will now. The definition of the word is technically "then", but in conversation it most commonly functions as something like "So..." or "So then...". It is very often used at the start of the sentence.
It's so common and natural in Italian speech that, in fact, I often tell people this: Just start every response with "allora", and you'll instantly go from a beginner to an intermediate speaker. Native speakers will respond differently. At least for that single word to start the sentence, you'll be a perfectly fluent speaker- because it's a natural way to start to say something.
In the sake of full disclosure I'll say that there are other ways to start sentences, and using "allora" every time might get a bit tedious, but I'm trying to prove a point. Give it a shot next time you're speaking to someone, and see how it goes.
Here are some common examples to help you see in context what I mean:
A: Da quanto tempo studi l'italiano?
B: Allora, ho cominciato 6 anni fa, più o meno
A: Che vuoi fare oggi?
B: Allora... prima mangiamo qualcosa, ho fame!
And it's a great way to just say "well then", like when everyone is just standing around and you want to say...
"Allora, che facciamo ragazzi?"
- This is where it all started for me, and this book is responsible for 90% of my grammar knowledge. I think the order in which subjects are presented is perfect, and there are lots of exercises with answers in the back. I'm not normally a "do the exercises" kind of person, but I did it with this book, and I think it really helped me solidify a lot of grammar topics quickly.
- Ok, so I haven't actually used this. However, all the serious language learners out on the forums LOVE Assimil, and I've recently purchased some of their programs in other languages. You probably haven't heard of them, even though they've been in business over 80 years, because they're based in France. Anyhow, I'm working through the French course and I'm highly impressed by how much they teach in such small books, broken down into bite sized pieces that you can easily do every day (and you're supposed to- 1 lesson a day). I'd like someone to give the Italian a shot and let me know how it goes.