No teaching material is without fault. The Nuovissimo Quaderno, while excellent for self-study due to its answer key, occasionally offers too much mechanical repetition for highly motivated learners. Some exercises (e.g., the 20th fill-in-the-blank for articles) can feel tedious. Additionally, while speaking and listening are partially addressed through audio tracks available online (an improvement over the old Nuovo Progetto version that required CD-ROMs), the workbook remains primarily text-based. A learner who skips the audio transforms a multi-skill workbook into a reading-writing-only workbook, missing essential pronunciation and aural discrimination exercises.
Furthermore, the pace of Level 1 may overwhelm complete beginners without a teacher. From the passato prossimo to direct object pronouns (lo, la, li, le) to the imperfect tense (imperfetto), the volume of new grammar in the second half of the book is steep. The Quaderno catalogs this faithfully but does little to slow the pace for self-learners.
Beyond grammar, the Quaderno excels at expanding active vocabulary in pragmatic contexts. Each unit dedicates significant space to lexical networks: daily routines, the home, the office, free time, and ordering in a café or restaurant. Rather than isolated word lists, vocabulary is embedded in short emails, train schedules, advertisements, and simple news headlines.
A notable strength is its attention to registri (registers). One exercise might ask students to transform an informal email to a friend into a more polite text to a professor, changing tu to Lei and adjusting greetings. This prepares learners for the sociolinguistic reality of Italian, where formal/informal distinction is non-negotiable. By the end of Level 1, students who complete the Quaderno systematically are not only grammatically functional but pragmatically aware—a rare achievement in beginner workbooks. nuovissimo progetto italiano 1 quaderno degli esercizi
Published by Edilingua, the Nuovissimo Progetto Italiano 1 Quaderno degli Esercizi is the activity book component of the "Nuovissimo" course. The term nuovissimo translates to "very new" or "brand new," signifying that this edition is a thorough modernization of the classic Nuovo Progetto Italiano 1.
While the student’s book focuses on dialogues, reading, and listening comprehension, the quaderno is where the magic of retention happens. It provides hundreds of written exercises, crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, sentence reordering tasks, and guided composition activities.
Target Audience: Absolute beginners (A1) to elementary learners (A2). It is suitable for: Report: Nuovissimo Progetto Italiano 1 – Quaderno degli
Cognitive science emphasizes spaced repetition and interleaving for long-term retention. The Nuovissimo Quaderno adheres to this principle. A grammatical structure introduced in Unit 3 (e.g., possessive adjectives) reappears in small, review exercises in Units 4, 5, and 6, but in increasingly complex contexts. For instance, possessives originally practiced with family members later appear alongside partitivo (e.g., “I miei amici hanno comprato del pane”). This interweaving prevents the common problem of “unit memorization” where students forget previous material once tested.
Additionally, every two or three units, there is a “Ripassiamo” (Let’s review) section. These are not simple retests but transformation exercises that combine grammar, vocabulary, and communication from multiple previous units. The result is a spiral curriculum, where knowledge is continually reactivated and deepened.
While the Quaderno is primarily skills-focused, it does not ignore culture. Authentic materials are adapted for beginner level: short bios of Italian athletes and singers, simple recipes, train tickets from Trenitalia, or screenshots from Italian social media. The exercises that accompany these texts are not comprehension-heavy but functional: reading a train ticket to find the platform and time, or completing an online hotel booking form. Grammar: Prepositions ( di, a, da, in, con,
This approach demystifies “real Italian” and reduces learner anxiety about encountering authentic texts outside the classroom. The Quaderno gently teaches that culture is not an add-on but embedded in everyday language acts.
If you used the old "Nuovo Progetto Italiano 1 Quaderno degli Esercizi," you might wonder if upgrading is worth it. Here is the comparison:
| Feature | Nuovo (Old) | Nuovissimo (New) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Layout | Black and white, dense text. | Full color, more whitespace, modern infographics. | | Audio | CD only. | Digital download/QR code access. | | Cultural References | Early 2000s Italy (e.g., Berlusconi era, landlines). | Contemporary culture (internet, sustainability, TikTok references). | | Exercises | Traditional drills (repetition). | More communicative and task-based exercises (emails, forms, short stories). | | Self-study support | Answer key separate (often missing). | Integrated answer key or interactive digital version. |
Verdict: If you are a teacher, the Nuovissimo edition is non-negotiable for student engagement. If you are a self-learner, the digital audio and updated answer keys save hours of frustration.