I HATED
learning French at school. Maybe a combination of being a teenager and having
bad teachers and disruptive classes, it was never my favourite subject. But
from a young age I wanted to be bi-lingual. I saw it as a valuable skill and
something that would make me feel…more accomplished as a woman. (I blame years
of reading Jane Austen novels for this desire to be an ‘accomplished woman’!)
It was my
first trip to Italy in 2005 that ignited my passion for the Italian language –
from the minute I landed at Pisa I fell in love with it! Such a passionate and beautiful
language! On my return from Tuscany I bought my first English – Italian dictionary
and learnt some basic! Bene!
I went back
to Italy 3 further time before my trip to Rome (which changed EVERYTHING!) and
tried my best to speak as much Italian as I could! It was when I made the decision
to move to Italy that I became serious about Italiano.
Learning a
new language it was I imagine recovering from amnesia must be like – you go
back to the very basics of your educational life. Last night, I learnt a new
alphabet! And it has only 21 letters; not the 26 I have been used to for the
last 29 years! And numbers too – I’m counting in a whole other language in my
head when I am counting things out at work and at home…I have been reciting my
telefonino number in my head, in Italian all morning!
One thing I
love about this language is its drama – it’s a delight to speak and I am loving
every single lesson I am having. I go to bed afterwards with phrases in my head
and it’s so rewarding to feel like I am getting there – even my teacher has
told me that my pronunciation is the best she’s heard…I “sound Italian!”
I have 5
more lessons before I go to nail some of the basics to help me get by, but it’s
when I am there and living the language that I will really learn it! And then
have to factor in Roman dialect! Another language consideration! Daje! (which
up until this point is the only Roman word I successful know and understand!)
My goal is
to be fluent, and I mean COMPLETELY fluent in a year. I have read it takes 2
years but that’s too long.
So, ciao per ora!
Nina x
No comments:
Post a Comment