I was reading on the Internet the comments that some people had written about wanting to live in Italy when they could not speak Italian nor had any ambition to. They seemed to have the attitude - "That they all speak english don't they?" I was dumbfounded!! Why would you want to live in a foreign country which does not speak English when you did not plan to learn Italian. The only people who speak English in Italy are those involved in tourism and even then it is sometimes a stuggle with misunderstandings.
I have been learning Italian for 25 years and I still have problems especially in the south with the dialect and people understanding my accent. They frown at me and say "Che?” (I always start giggling as it reminds me of Manuel in Fawlty Towers except I am the Manuel who does not understand things).
This is not a problem in Tuscany where the purer Italian is spoken, but in Campania, Puglia and Sicily where the local language is a completely different language or dialect, accents can get in the way even when you are speaking good Italian - their accent and yours clash. Intonation really matters. It is like an Indian person speaking English to an Irish person. They are both speaking the same language but their intonation patterns are completely different and it is hard on the ear. A bit like singing a song completely out of tune to what you are used to.
Twenty years ago I had to spend a week in the Venice hospital. No doctor or Nurse spoke any English and at the time my Italian language was very basic (it has since improved thank God). It was a very frightening experience when dealing with medical matters where you need to understand - after which I vowed and declared that I would really study hard to learn the language as well as I could.
I still need a language coach to be able to really keep going deeper into the language. It is a never ending journey just like we have to keep looking up complex words in the English dictionary – the same with Italian – this fascinating language journey that keeps on growing.
I highly recommend learning Italian if you plan to travel extensively in Italy. It is fun to go to group classes beforehand and meet fellow Italian travellers. It is an extremely beautiful language and the Italian sayings always make me laugh as they are so cute! If you are good at music you will be especially able to pick it up with your ear as it is so melodic.
Most English countries have a DANTE ALIGHIERI SOCIETY to learn Italian which is where I started many years ago but I warn you – you have to be prepared to make a fool of yourself and be brave enough to practice it regularly with a native speaker and to laugh at yourself constantly. Make it fun and just try. I am always breaking out into laughter at myself when I realize the stupid thing I have just said. The Italians are so kind – they hardly ever laugh at me and are always encouraging. Learning another language is so good for your memory and brain. Go ahead a give it a go!
