Can you challenge your pupils to pronounce these Italian tongue twisters ( audio versions of the tongue twisters available here)
Sopra la panca la capra campa sotto la panca la capra crepa
( over the bench the goat lives, under the bench the goat dies )
Apelle figlio di Apollo fece una palla di pelle di pollo, tutti I pesci vennero a galla per vedere la palla di pelle di pollo fatta da Apelle figlio di Apollo
( Apelle, Apollo’s son, made a ball from chicken skin, all the fish came to the surface to see the chicken skin ball made by Apelle, Apollo’s son)
Trentatre trentini entrarono a Trento tutti e trentatre trotterellando
( thirty-three people from Trento entered Trento; all thirty-three trotting )
– tigre contro tigre
( tiger against tiger)
-un limone, mezzo limone
due limoni, mezzo limone
tre limoni, mezzo limone
etc…
( one lemon, half lemon
two lemons, half lemon
three lemons, half lemon
etc… )
Pisa pesa e pesta il pepe al papa;il papa pesa e pesta il pepe a Pisa
(Pisa weighs and grinds the pepper for the Pope; the Pope weighs and grinds the pepper in Pisa )
In the following paragraph you can find some Italian Nursery Rhymes:
Giro girotondo, casca il mondo, casca la Terra, tutti giu per terra
( turn turnaround, the world falls down, the Earth falls down, everyone falls down)
La Befana vien di notte, con le scarpe tutte rotte, con le toppe alla sottana, viva viva la Befana!
( the witch comes during the night, with broken shoes, with the patches in her skirt, long live the witch!)
-Piove, piove. La gatta non si muove.
La fiamma traballa.
La mucca è nella stalla.
La mucca ha il vitello.
La pecora ha l’agnello.
Ognuno ha il suo bambino.
Ognuno ha la sua mamma.
E tutti fanno nanna!
( It rains, it rains. The cat doesn’t move
the flame flickers
the cow is in the farm
the cow has a calf
the sheep has a lamb
everybody has his baby
everybody has his mum
and everyone falls asleep)
We end with these two traditional children songs:
– Jack sta in cucina con Tina
Jack sta in cucina con Tina
Jack sta in cucina con Tina
e suona il suo vecchio banjo
Bom bom bom bo.
Flì, flai, flì flai flò
Flì, flai, fli flai flò
Flì, flai, fli flai flò
…e suona il suo vecchio banjo!
( Jack is in the kitchen with Tina
Jack is in the kitchen with Tina
Jack is in the kitchen with Tina
and he plays his old banjo
Bom bom bom bo….)
-Ero in bottega tic e tac
che lavoravo tic e tac
e non pensavo tic e tac
alle prigioni tic e tac.
Venne una guardia tic e tac
di polizia tic e tac
mi portò via tic e tac
alle prigioni tic e tac.
Ma io furbacchione tic e tac
presi un bastone tic e tac
e glielo diedi tic e tac
sul suo testone tic e tac
Ma il suo testone tic e tac
era un melone tic e tac
e lo mangiai tic e tac
per colazione tic e tac.
La colazione tic e tac
era squisita tic e tac
e la storiella tic e tac
è già finita tic e tac.
( I was in the shop tic and tac
while I was working tic and tac
and I didn’t think tic and tac
about the prison tic and tac
A guard came tic and tac
from the police tic and tac
took me away tic and tac
to the prison tic and tac
but I was clever tic and tac
I took a stick tic and tac
and I hit him tic and tac
on his big head tic and tac
but his big head tic and tac
was a melon tic and tac
and I had it tic and tac
for breakfast tic and tac.
The breakfast tic and tac
was excellent tic and tac
and the little story tic and tac
has already finished tic and tac.)
International Durham 
Reblogged this on Europe Direct Durham and commented:
Try some Italian with your class for the European Day of Languages