Learning La Lingua

Olive Shop at Treviso's Outdoor Market

I love that the Italian word for language is the same as the Italian word for tongue.  Too bad things can't always be as simple as that!

Attending a private Italian language school full-time for six months was easy compared to mustering up the boldness and courage it takes to engage with real live Italians in real life situations.

Some days I understand almost everything I hear.  Other days it’s as if there’s cotton stuck in my ears.  I never know into which sort of day I’m going to wake up.  And did you know that each place has its own dialect?  So much for all that Dante’s Italian I studied. 

All of this can be a bit frustrating for someone who loves conversation, and wants to get to know the locals. But the truth is, I speak too much English. No wonder the most popular secular advice is to find an Italian boyfriend. 


You Laughing at My Italiano?

Piano, piano (slowly, slowly) I improve.  Thanks to not being afraid to make mistakes, patient listeners, and mostly the help of the Holy Spirit...who was definately by my side at a recent dinner party where animated Italians spoke in rapid fire Italian for over 3 hours about Italy's favorite subject: food!