Learning the language
 

In preparation for my trip to Italy in March, I have been listening to my language CD, studying the book and my notes from my Italian class several years ago, and trying to figure out when I can take the next level class.

If you are planning a trip, how are you preparing?

Maybe my husband and I have a knack for getting into situations where speaking Italian is a necessity - many people seem to do fine without knowing the language, but I just want to relate my experiences so you may be prepared.

For my first trip to Italy, I learned pleasantries and such from a phrase book as a novelty and to be polite tourist. I was convinced from posts I read here and from the travel guides that it was not a necessitiy.

I was wrong and I was so thankful I had learned enough and was confident with my pronunciation to be able to communicate.

Jet-lagged, we arrived to Malpensa where we needed to catch the train the the Milano metropolitana that we in turn needed to take to Milano Centrale train station to get to Venice. Not a single person, when I asked in Italian if they spoke English said they did. (Non parlo italiano molto bene, parla inglese?) Thankfully - and amazingly - I was able to communicate just fine with only a slight headache as a result! :)

While in Venice, we were wandering through the neighborhoods aimlessly and decided to stop and enjoy a bottle of wine and watch the passers-by, the person at the cafe didn't speak English either, again we managed fine with my Italian. (Vorrei una bottiglia vino rosso/bianco, per piacere.)

In Rome, again we wandered around aimlessly, we found the most wonderful restaurant where nobody spoke English. We managed ok, but I did end up having to point to another table because I could not find "artichoke" (carciofi...I now know) in my phrase book and they looked soooo good! They were! It was one of the best meals I ever had - I wish I knew where we were or what the restaurant was called because I would love to go there again someday. But alas, that is my style of travel - I am going to try to take better notes this time.

Now that I've written a novel here <g> moral is, learn what you can in case you need it, and if you don't need it, at least you will be polite to try. :)

Bravo Mamma !

Why not check
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/
very useful stuff . . . .
: )

I know the feeling. My rudimentary Italian has helped with the last two trips to Italy, but I am trying to prepare better for the next trip. My solution: A private tutor. My 10-year old granddaughter and I go for lessons once a week, and hopefully, in 3-4 years, we will be confident and fluent to take our "family trip." I feel the investment for both myself and my granddaughter will reap great rewards.

The tapes, the over-the-counter books, just didn't do it for me. Just a suggestion, but one-on-one may be just the ticket for you.

Good luck, and by the way, it's Brava Mamma! (got to get that gender right.)

Bravissima for your preparation work! I wouldn't dream of going to a country without being able to speak the language. I find it very presumptuous of Americans to expect English to be spoken everywhere they travel, and as a rule of thumb, never assume so. In fact, I never speak English when I am in Italia.

I learned Italian 4 years ago with the aid of my Italian friends, tapes, books, and also took an advanced conversational Italian course. Staying in the country for long periods of time also helps tremendously, and truthfully, is better than any book or course you could take since you are learning first-hand! I prefer Italian now over French - even though I have been speaking French since I was 10 years old. Italians welcome any attempts made to speak their lovely language and I encourage you to keep it up so you will thoroughly enjoy yourself in March! In bocca al lupo!

I'm taking an Italian class also. I know the most important thing is to study, read, and practice more.

>...I wouldn't dream of going to a country without being able to speak the language.<

My Dear Huitres,

I doff my hat to you. I have not been able to learn sufficient Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Swedish and Spanish to converse with the natives and have been forced to rely on the kindness of strangers.

Seems a bit of overkill to learn every language for every country you visit for 1 to 3 weeks. I would have had to learn German, French, Italian, Russian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Polish, Spanish, Portugese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Navajo--and probably a couple of others I've forgetten along the way. Really a bit much for a 2 or 3 week vacation--though I did actually learn German and Korean pretty well because I had extended stays.

I think learning some basic polite and essential phrases and ensuring that you have a good phrase book is plenty for a vacation trip.

Rufus, shillye-hamni-da, but don't let me catch you sneaking winter kimchi on a plane! That goes for dried squid and dang-gong-chi-gay soup as well! Maekchu, and soju are okay if done in moderation. Algessumnikka?

Congratulation Huitres,I salut You! Starting from today you are an Honorary Roman Citizen!!!" In Bocca al Lupo" thats great ! I never expected a non Italian knowing that!!!:)

When I first began traveling to Europe, I simply assumed that no one I encountered spoke English. Many trips later, I have learned that most educated Europeans in positions of responsibility speak English, at least at a basic functional level.

While I certainly have encountered individuals that did not speak English, this has never occurred in a critical situation. Clerks in small shops may not be fluent, but I have never encountered a hotel receptionist or car rental clerk that did not have an reasonable command of English. In my experience, even the percentage of European waiters that speak English is surprisingly high.

A few weeks ago, in Alsace, a gentleman began speaking to me in German. When I indicated that I did not speak German, he began speaking to me in English, despite the fact that we were in France. One possibility is that he inferred my origin from my heavily accented French. Another possibility, however, is that he simply assumed that there was a good probability that a randomly selected fellow traveler spoke English. I'll never know, because I didn't ask him about his choice of language.

The point of this is that English-speaking travelers (regardless of where they are from) should not feel that learning Dutch, Luxembourgish, etc. is a prerequisite for visiting Europe. Don't be apprehensive (as I was initially) because you are unable to speak the language. Just go for it and you'll have a great time.

Despite the almost global utility of English, I always learn the basic greetings, etc. in the local language. It would seem discourteous to not be able to say "thank you" in someone's native language. This does get confusing, however, when you are visiting five countries in three weeks.

Please excuse my broad statement of learning the languages(s) of the country(ies) I visit, I was specifically referring to France and Italy. I did not make that clear - sorry! I have used my limited conversational German and some Afrikaans also, but would be definitely challenged in Czech or Hungarian. For that reason, I avoid those countries! By all means, I applaud the efforts of Mamma_Love to learn Italian and wish her the best of luck!

Kismetchimera: grazie mille, sei molto gentile. Ho un amico in Italia e per questa ragione, vorrei abitare li' -- forse l'anno prossimo! :-)

huitres, why do you avoid countries where you do not speak the language? Are you not denying yourself many wonderful travel opportunities? Millions of people do it everyday, why can't you?

The rule of thumb with regard to languages seems to be: the more obscure the more likely the natives are able and willing to use another, often English. Hence in Scandinavia and Holland you'll get by in English just fine, and they don't appear to resent when visitors address them in English first. Whereas in countries whose langauge is more widely used internationally, or where there is strong national pride (usually), it is well to learn a few local phrases and address them in their tongue before switching to English. So that's what I'd do in France, Italy and Spain, except in a very touristy setting like airport, car rental desk and upper-class hotel.

Hansikday: I travel very often and I have been to the Czech Republic and Hungary numerous times (my sister lives in Berlin and Praha is but a short train ride away). I PREFER France and Italy and make those my return destinations out of preference and familiarity - aside from the fact that I work with a company in Italy.....I obviously have my ties to that country. Come bella Italia!

What we try to learn, beyond the polite phrases, are the hours of the day, days of the week, directions (north,south.....left, right...etc.)and essential logistical terms (train platform, exit, enter, open, closed,etc.)

Beyond this, we play 'charades', carry a sketchpad, and observe the movements of people in train stations with the zeal of Inspector Clousseau.

Watching Inspector Clousseau and the Three Stoogies movies provides me with many effective tactics and techniques for dealing with the local population in France.

The key is to talk very, very loud and display impatience and disgust early on to get thier attention and force cooperation in satisfying your petty desires and silly needs. Hand signals and play acting should be used as a last resort prior to pitching a hissy fit in the street!

Then there's the Teddy Roosevelt approach: speak softly and carry a big...