Ciao Maria. I totally felt it when you said that you were there physically but not really part of the group. I’m a student in Italy and my Italian is at A1 level which is not even near sufficient to be able to understand what my classmates say especially given that most of them speak really fast. I do feel left out and lonely as I’m unable to speak to them and interact. But I must say that Italians are some of the nicest people and help a lot when you try to speak their language. I’m leaving this here so hopefully after 2 years I can look back at this moment and have a good chuckle.
This made me feel so hopeful for you 😊. I’ve been in that exact situation, and it’s not easy. But honestly, the fact that you’re putting yourself out there and trying, especially at A1, is amazing. I totally agree that generally Italians really do appreciate and encourage the effort, even if it’s just a few words! I love how you’re already thinking about looking back on this moment and laughing. That mindset is everything! Keep me updated!
Great advice as an American I just arrived in Calabria Monday night! Up and moved never having been here nor can I speak Italian 😂. But I also learn quicker being immersed in an environment. Google translate is my new best friend and I tell everyone I’m trying to learn. Sat at the local pub last night alone and ended up chatting with a group for 2 hours. Was amazing!
Congratulations on your move! 🎉 It’s amazing that you’re already connecting with people and making friends. How did you feel diving into conversations with locals so quickly?
@ thank god for social media! Met a few people in a Calabria group and I had wonderful people reach to help me. So I ended up picking a quaint small town in the mountain region Santa Domenica Talao because it was small & being alone at Christmas not knowing anyone I thought it would be better. So I was right to follow my gut the people embrace me and want to talk and are used to some of us Americans and using Google translate so it has been helpful. One younger guy said he’ll help me to learn and teach me as well. The store lady and I chatted about menopause yesterday 🤣 I might not be able to actually speak much but we can communicate as I learn! I feel great but I don’t mind stepping out of my comfort zone or looking like a fool trying.
That’s amazing! I've found that (most) Italians are really appreciative when you try to speak their language. It sounds like you’ve found a welcoming community, and I love your openness to stepping out of your comfort zone! That's how you learn! 😊
I'm learning italian since september 2024. I'm swiss german and i learned french once at school so it's sometimes helps me because it comes from the same language family.
Definitely! The language structures of French and Italian are very similar. Pronunciation on the other hand…not so similar! Do you find it’s easier or harder than French?
@italianspoken I think french is more difficult especially writing and pronunciation. Italy can sometimes be difficult too singular/plural masculine/feminine etc. Despite i have a Delf B1 in french i need also enough time to learn italian. In Switzerland italian is one of four national languages spoken in my country but only in two cantons.
I'm so glad you found the tips helpful! 😊 Netflix is a great resource since you can browse by language. If you're just starting and want to try children's shows, Rai Italia has some excellent ones (though you might need a VPN saying you're in Italy to access them). Happy to let others chime in with their favorites too. Let me know if you try any!
Confidence is key, it's impossible to make progress if you don't try and put yourself out there. As the saying goes, you miss 💯% of the shots you don't take!
Actually mistakes are part of the fun while learning.while playinga game of australian football in italy,a kiwi friend of mine complained with the umpire in italian and he said :"Arbitro...tutti hanno visto(lo)".. using "lo" like an "it" in english,and he had everyone,both on the bench,on the field both teams and referees laughing in tears...but in the process he learned how to use "lo"
Brava. Quello che la maggior parte delle persone che vogliono imparare l'italiano non capiscono è che gli italiani non ti giudicheranno mai perchè parli male la loro lingua, ma anzi saranno molto orgogliosi del fatto vuoi impararlo. Anche Google assistant sbaglia quando gli chiedo accendi lampada mi risponde lampada acceso e non lampada accesa. Non lo giudico capisco che sarebbe impossibile dirgli che lampada è femminile.
Save your seat for my free lesson for beginners! ➡ italianspoken.com/register/?
Ciao Maria. I totally felt it when you said that you were there physically but not really part of the group. I’m a student in Italy and my Italian is at A1 level which is not even near sufficient to be able to understand what my classmates say especially given that most of them speak really fast. I do feel left out and lonely as I’m unable to speak to them and interact. But I must say that Italians are some of the nicest people and help a lot when you try to speak their language. I’m leaving this here so hopefully after 2 years I can look back at this moment and have a good chuckle.
This made me feel so hopeful for you 😊. I’ve been in that exact situation, and it’s not easy. But honestly, the fact that you’re putting yourself out there and trying, especially at A1, is amazing. I totally agree that generally Italians really do appreciate and encourage the effort, even if it’s just a few words!
I love how you’re already thinking about looking back on this moment and laughing. That mindset is everything! Keep me updated!
Great advice as an American I just arrived in Calabria Monday night! Up and moved never having been here nor can I speak Italian 😂. But I also learn quicker being immersed in an environment. Google translate is my new best friend and I tell everyone I’m trying to learn. Sat at the local pub last night alone and ended up chatting with a group for 2 hours. Was amazing!
Congratulations on your move! 🎉 It’s amazing that you’re already connecting with people and making friends. How did you feel diving into conversations with locals so quickly?
@ thank god for social media! Met a few people in a Calabria group and I had wonderful people reach to help me. So I ended up picking a quaint small town in the mountain region Santa Domenica Talao because it was small & being alone at Christmas not knowing anyone I thought it would be better. So I was right to follow my gut the people embrace me and want to talk and are used to some of us Americans and using Google translate so it has been helpful. One younger guy said he’ll help me to learn and teach me as well. The store lady and I chatted about menopause yesterday 🤣 I might not be able to actually speak much but we can communicate as I learn! I feel great but I don’t mind stepping out of my comfort zone or looking like a fool trying.
That’s amazing! I've found that (most) Italians are really appreciative when you try to speak their language. It sounds like you’ve found a welcoming community, and I love your openness to stepping out of your comfort zone! That's how you learn! 😊
I'm learning italian since september 2024. I'm swiss german and i learned french once at school so it's sometimes helps me because it comes from the same language family.
Definitely! The language structures of French and Italian are very similar. Pronunciation on the other hand…not so similar! Do you find it’s easier or harder than French?
@italianspoken
I think french is more difficult especially writing and pronunciation. Italy can sometimes be difficult too singular/plural masculine/feminine etc. Despite i have a Delf B1 in french i need also enough time to learn italian. In Switzerland italian is one of four national languages spoken in my country but only in two cantons.
Thank you for these awesome tips! Can you recommend any Italian TV shows to learn Italian for beginner learners?
I'm so glad you found the tips helpful! 😊 Netflix is a great resource since you can browse by language. If you're just starting and want to try children's shows, Rai Italia has some excellent ones (though you might need a VPN saying you're in Italy to access them). Happy to let others chime in with their favorites too. Let me know if you try any!
on Netflix, don't see Gomorra: they used Neapolitan dialect, not exatly Italian 😝
Confidence is key, it's impossible to make progress if you don't try and put yourself out there. As the saying goes, you miss 💯% of the shots you don't take!
Sono d’accordo! Mistakes are part of the learning process 😊
Actually mistakes are part of the fun while learning.while playinga game of australian football in italy,a kiwi friend of mine complained with the umpire in italian and he said :"Arbitro...tutti hanno visto(lo)".. using "lo" like an "it" in english,and he had everyone,both on the bench,on the field both teams and referees laughing in tears...but in the process he learned how to use "lo"
I love this!! Mistakes are what makes you better in the end. And at least your friend was confident 😂
👏
Brava. Quello che la maggior parte delle persone che vogliono imparare l'italiano non capiscono è che gli italiani non ti giudicheranno mai perchè parli male la loro lingua, ma anzi saranno molto orgogliosi del fatto vuoi impararlo. Anche Google assistant sbaglia quando gli chiedo accendi lampada mi risponde lampada acceso e non lampada accesa. Non lo giudico capisco che sarebbe impossibile dirgli che lampada è femminile.
It’s a shame your father didn’t teach you and you had to instead study on your own.
It would not even have been necessary to “teach” it. It would have been enough to speak the language with her.
@ exactly.