3.5.3: “50 Special”
- Page ID
- 347468
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Ripassiamo le Preposizioni con “50 Special”
In this section, you will explore the song “50 Special” by Lùnapop, a classic Italian pop song from 1999 that celebrates the theme of freedom and youth through the image of the Vespa scooter. Through this activity, you will practice listening for familiar words and reinforce vocabulary about places, movement, and common verbs.
- Recognize and understand key vocabulary related to places, movement, and travel.
- Identify familiar prepositions and verbs while listening to an authentic Italian song.
- Develop listening and pronunciation skills by focusing on sound recognition.
Introduzione
Before listening to the song, read the short introduction below in Italian. Focus on the main idea and general understanding of the text. Then, discuss with your classmates what you understood.
La canzone “50 Special” è un inno alla gioventù e alla libertà. Il cantante ha una Vespa 50 Special, un motorino popolare tra i ragazzi italiani. Lui vuole uscire, andare in giro, lasciare la città e vivere un'avventura. La Vespa è il simbolo perfetto di questa libertà.
Vocabolario e Pre-Ascolto
Parole chiave
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Vespa
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ali (wings)
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piedi (feet)
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città (city)
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giro (ride/turn)
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colli (hills)
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fretta (hurry)
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festa (party)
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vacanza (vacation)
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mondo (world)
Match the Definitions
| Parola in italiano | Definizione in inglese |
|---|---|
| 1. Ali | A. Feet |
| 2. Piedi | B. Vacation |
| 3. Fretta | C. Wings |
| 4. Colli | D. City |
| 5. Città | E. Hurry |
| 6. Vacanza | F. Hills |
Match the Prepositions
In the song, prepositions are key to understanding movement.
Match the Italian preposition with its English meaning.
| Preposizione | Definizione in inglese |
|---|---|
| 1. In | A. With |
| 2. Per | B. To / At |
| 3. Con | C. In / Into |
| 4. A | D. Through / Around |
| 5. Di | E. Of / From |
Ascolta e Completa
After completing the vocabulary section, enjoy listening to the song “50 Special” by Lùnapop.
This activity focuses on listening and sound recognition, not full comprehension. Don’t worry about understanding every word.
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First, listen to the song three times and try to guess the missing prepositions based on the sound you catch in the lyrics.
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Then, complete the multiple-choice exercise to confirm your choices using the meaning and what you know about prepositions.
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Compare your answers with your classmates.
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Finally, listen again to the karaoke version of “50 Special” with captions to check your answers and practice pronunciation.
50 Special (Official Video)
Length: 2:56
This version does not include captions, so you can focus on pure listening comprehension.
Ascolta e Indovina!
Try to guess the missing prepositions by listening carefully.
Focus on the sound and rhythm of the sentence — don’t worry about the meaning yet!
Write your guesses for each blank as you listen.
Dammi una Special, l’estate che avanza
Dammi una Vespa e ti porto (1) ______ vacanza
Ma quanto è bello andare (2) ______ giro
(3) ______ le ali (4) ______ ai piedi
Se hai una Vespa Special che ti toglie i problemi
Ma quanto è bello andare (5) ______ giro
(6) ______ i colli bolognesi
Esco (7) ______ fretta (8) ______ mia stanza
(9) ______ marce ingranate (10) ______ prima (11) ______ quarta
Devo fare (12) ______ fretta, devo andare (13) ______ una festa
Fammi fare un giro prima (14) ______ la mia Vespa
Excerpted lyrics from “50 Special" by Lunapop. Used under fair use guidelines for educational purposes. Only brief, non-consecutive sections are included to support language learning and grammatical analysis.
Scegli la Preposizione Corretta
Now that you have listened multiple times, read the lyrics again and choose the correct preposition for each space.
Use what you know about meaning and grammar to decide which option fits best.
| Numero | Spazio Vuoto | Opzione A | Opzione B | Opzione C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | ______ vacanza | a | in | per |
| (2) | ______ giro | di | in | su |
| (3) | ______ le ali | per | con | da |
| (4) | ______ ai piedi | sotto | tra | in |
| (5) | ______ giro | di | in | su |
| (6) | ______ i colli | per | a | con |
| (7) | ______ fretta | di | a | in |
| (8) | ______ mia stanza | per | con | dalla |
| (9) | ______ marce ingranate | A | Di | In |
| (10) | ______ prima | in | dalla | con |
| (11) | ______ quarta | alla | di | per |
| (12) | ______ fretta | in | a | di |
| (13) | ______ una festa | per | a | da |
| (14) | ______ la mia Vespa | sulla | di | fra |
Verifica con il Karaoke
Now, listen to the karaoke version of “50 Special” with captions.
Follow along with the lyrics to:
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Check your answers.
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Notice pronunciation and rhythm.
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Sing along if you like — it helps with intonation and word flow!
This version of 50 Special (lenght 3:39) includes captions, allowing you to check your answers from the previous exercise and further develop your listening and pronunciation skills while following the lyrics on screen. (And of course, no one will stop you if you start singing along! 🎵)
Completa con la preposizione giusta
Scegli tra: a, in, con, di, per, da
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Vado ___ scuola
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Esco ___ casa alle 8
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Giro ___ la città in Vespa
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Vado ___ una festa
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Sono ___ fretta!
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Studio italiano ___ piacere
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Vado ___ mia nonna
Parliamo un po’
La Vespa 🛵 è un simbolo italiano della libertà, dell’estate e del tempo libero.
Find one or more partners and ask each other the questions below.
Practice speaking Italian while talking about your free time, favorite activities, and ways of getting around.
Domande
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Ti piace andare in giro nel tempo libero?
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Con cosa vai di solito? (auto, bici, autobus, a piedi, ecc.)
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Dove ti piace andare quando hai tempo libero?
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Cosa ti piace fare nel weekend?
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Qual è il tuo mezzo di trasporto preferito?
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Ti piace uscire o restare a casa nel tempo libero?
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Che cosa fai quando vuoi rilassarti?
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Ti piace ascoltare musica? Quale tipo di musica?
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Con chi passi di solito il tuo tempo libero?