Talk Like an Italian

Talk Like an Italian

Donâ€™t you love the way Italians talk? Those long vowels, those rolling â€œrâ€™s,â€ that lyrical cadence. It just sounds soâ€¦sexy, right? Wouldnâ€™t you like to have that music coming from your own voice? You can. It just takes a little practice. OK, maybe more than a littleâ€”so letâ€™s get started!

But languages canâ€™t be learned in the same way that we learn math or physics, and Italian is certainly no exception. You canâ€™t just memorize formulas and expect to become fluent. Yes, a few rules are needed in the beginning. But like most rules in Italy, the rules governing the language are viewed as mere suggestions and therefore must be evaluated on a case by case basis.

A better approach is to assimilate the language more thoroughly. In this book, we will indeed examine the formal parts of speech, along with some common words and phrases. But we will also explore the evolution of the language and its interactions with Italian history and culture. This will give us a deeper understanding of why Italian exists in its current form, which will help us â€œknowâ€ more than weâ€™ve actually studied.

What exactly do I mean by this? Well, what I mean is that we will sometimes be able to figure things out based on patterns that weâ€™ve learned instead of relying only on the things that weâ€™ve memorized outright. At first, this will very much be a conscious process of deduction. But further down the road our brains will begin to do these â€œcalculationsâ€ automatically. Thatâ€™s why, as youâ€™re learning, youâ€™ll occasionally say something (correctly) that you didnâ€™t even realize that you knew!

Motivations are as individual as the learner. So why is it so important for you to learn Italian? After all, everybody in Rome, Florence, and Venice (and the rest of the world) speaks English, right? Well, not everyone. And besides, how boring would the world be if we all spoke the same language, ate the same food, and thought the same way? We largely experience the world through our language(s). In the words of William Gibson, â€œLanguage is to the mind what light is to the eye.â€ Cultures define themselves through languages, and learning Italian will grant you greater access into the rich culture of Italy.

And letâ€™s not stop with the spoken word. When it comes to communicating, never underestimate the power of hand gestures in Italy. For our Italian friends, gestures are used to enhance, underlineâ€”or in a better word, improveâ€”communication. Itâ€™s one thing to merely say, â€œWhat are you looking at?â€ versus the same phrase accompanied by the appropriate gesture. In fact, the gesture given without the accompanying phrase often carries more weight, more contextual significance. So keep that in mind when someone is giving you a gesture while not actually speaking.

Learning Italian is fun, and as long as you keep thatâ€”enjoymentâ€”as your primary goal you will not go wrong. Language acquisition is a slow process and to â€œsucceed,â€ we must strive to relish the small daily victories without getting hung up on becoming fluent as quickly as possible. In the U.S., we often define our success on demonstrable results. Thatâ€™s fine for business purposes and career advancement. But youâ€™re in Italy now, if only in spirit. Parla come mangi! (â€œTalk like you eat!â€ i.e. Donâ€™t pretend to be such a snob!) So slow down. Relax. Little by little, you will learn to â€œTalk Like an Italian!â€
Country USA
Author Rick Zullo
Binding Kindle Edition
Format Kindle eBook
IsAdultProduct
NumberOfPages 184
PublicationDate 2013-07-09
ReleaseDate 2013-07-09

Country	USA
Author	Rick Zullo
Binding	Kindle Edition
Format	Kindle eBook
IsAdultProduct
NumberOfPages	184
PublicationDate	2013-07-09
ReleaseDate	2013-07-09

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