Learning Italian

[ayrton]

I am going to Itlay this fall and wonder how much Italian I need to know....I am an American. I tried to learn quite a bit of French for a visit to Paris and found it little help...natives speak fast and seem to have a different dialect than what I learned. Right now I'm using voice DVDS and studying an English/Italian dictionary. We are going to Milan, Venice and other places in Northern Italy. Plus the Italian Grand Prix...big F1 fan here.

 

[SweetErika]

My mom and I did just fine in Italy with some basic words and phrases (greetings, numbers, words of appreciation, yes/no, simple directions, common foods/drinks, requests, etc.). Most of the people we encountered spoke English pretty well and were excited to practice with us, even though they clearly appreciated our efforts to learn and speak Italian.

I've found the same to be true everywhere I've been in Europe. Unless you're going to be dealing with a lot of older people or traveling extensively in rural areas, you probably don't need as much new language as you might think, though it certainly never hurts to learn as much as possible before you go and practice while you're there.

 

[epiphanie_life]

Agree with the points SweetErika presented.

Haven't been to Italy yet but from the recent talks with one of the my friends who visited Italy last month, I can say it helps to have basic idea about some basic words and some understanding about the language.

Wikipedia has great deal of details (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language). Alongwith it Wikibooks has yet not complete book (http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Italian) about Italian language learning. In the book, interesting section could be "Vocabulary" if not interested in going through the lessons they have.

If needed more, you can also have a look at ItalianPod (http://italianpod.com/). Affordable language learning (http://italianpod.com/help/subscription).

All the best!

 

[ayrton]

Thanks for the replies...kind of reinforces what I experienced in France. Can't wait for September.

 

[christian1971]

Free

I know this is not exactly what you want but if you need to type something to know what it mean it will translate from many different languages to English or vis versa.

http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html

 

[fire_breeze]

Most universities in Northern Italy demand fluency in English as part of their entrance; also, many elementary schools and high schools teach English as part of their curriculum. Furthermore, the places you've mentioned have a huge tourist industry, so most will be bilingual if not multi-lingual.

That being said, as SweetE said, having a grasp on the basics and using them whenever possible (even if it's just hello and thank you), even if the person speaks better English than you, will be much appreciated.

And if you find yourself in a rural village, there's always pen and paper to draw out what you want.

Enjoy.

 

[ayrton]

I don't want to come off as the ugly American. Sometimes we tend to think the whole world revolves around us. As suggested I always try to speak a little of the language of the country I'm visiting. I just got back from Montreal and after trying to learn Italian my French is all screwed up. While Montreal is truly bi-lingual, I was surprised a few years ago how few people spoke English in Quebec City. My girlfriend got very ill and needed a visit to the Emergency room where very few of the staff spoke English. Not a pleasant experience at all. If I ever moved to a different country the first thing I will do is take language courses.

 

[fire_breeze]

I don't want to come off as the ugly American. Sometimes we tend to think the whole world revolves around us. As suggested I always try to speak a little of the language of the country I'm visiting. I just got back from Montreal and after trying to learn Italian my French is all screwed up. While Montreal is truly bi-lingual, I was surprised a few years ago how few people spoke English in Quebec City. My girlfriend got very ill and needed a visit to the Emergency room where very few of the staff spoke English. Not a pleasant experience at all. If I ever moved to a different country the first thing I will do is take language courses.

You're showing cultural sensitivity, and a willingness to pick up basic phrases. You will not come off as an ugly tourist (there are jackasses all over the world). You will come off as a well heeled traveller, and there is a world of difference. It is important to know how much English you can get by and where, and where is it important to know a bit more about the local language.

There is something you might want to know about Quebec City and Montreal that could explain what happened, and that is the role of linguistic politics. Montreal, especially the various centres of urban culture (such as Downtown, the Plateau, the Old Port, etc) has been historically cosmopolitan, with English being the lingua franca. Quebec City has been the French capital of Canada and often is considered to be the seat of Quebec nationalism. There is a move to change the uni-lingual acceptance, though.

 

[ayrton]

Cool...I didn't know that about Quebec City. Great place to visit.

 

[SilverOkie]

A number of years ago, I spent two years living in Italy, southern Italy, and studied Italian the entire time. Most of the people you run into at hotels, shopping, etc will speak pretty fair English. However it always helps to have the standard travel phrases in mind. It always shows that you care enough to try.
You will find local dialects also, different in the different areas of Italy and it does make it hard to understand. However, if what you learn is the language that is spoken in Rome or Tuscany, they will have no problem understanding you.
Have a lot of fun and enjoy.

Ciao.