I learned Spanish through middle and high school and it helps a lot with learning Italian. It's not the language of my ancestors, but it is the language of 3 of my cars and especially as a Lancia owner, I need it quite badly 😂
@@DavidsDoseofItaly The manuals are not entirely in English and the online community especially is still a solid 50% Italian speaking. It definitely seems like the *attempt* at using Italian is appreciated, even if I could just rely on auto-translate features
Hi David, good point! Sometimes I see expats refusing to learn Italian and this is so sad because they basically lose the opportunity to really embrace the Italian lifestyle actually missing the most this country has to offer. Being able to understand the language and even learn some typical sentences that are of common use all over the country even if they comes in many different dialects put you in the condition of feeling the Italian way of life... Italian has that peculiar sound that comes from all over the country... it's the sound from our heart bringing out what we are and is as much important as learning that peculiar thing we have if speaking with gestures... you cannot say you are actually "living" in Italy if you don't make an effort to embrace the language... if you don't you will be no more than an expat, you will never really connect with the world surrounding you... what a pity!🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
Hey Sebastian! Appunto ! I see and I’ve seen expats who by not learning the language are really missing out on a rich culture. Good point on your part in that living in a county also involves learning the language. Otherwise you’re just existing in a certain sense
If you are Just a tourist we Italians can try to speak in English with you BUT if you are moving to our country than learn our language as we do if we move to USA . In Italy italian Is spoken, and personally i find expats that do not make the effort to learn the language of the Place where they moved offensive and rude. It Is you who must speak our language not us Who must speak yours.
Ok...this video really hits home for me as I started learning Italian bit by bit since 1988. I did not officially study until 2006, when I had a native Italian speaker/teacher when I lived in Connecticut. She was the person who set me up with an interview with the chairperson of Modern Italian Language at CCSU. That is how I took a semester of Intermedio italiano II without having taken an official prerequisite in Spring of 2009. I even had some lessons after having moved to North Carolina almost 13years ago and prior to this move, I had taken a group lesson and individual lessons while I was in Rome on vacation in 2009 and 2010. Even though I had a rudimentary knowledge of Italian prior to 2009, just having some knowledge of the language helped me when in 2006 my passport was stolen from an internet place in Perugia, I had to fill out a report and go to the Consulate in Florence but first, had an appointment at the Questura. That was hilarious. I did my best in Italian and then at the end the officer spoke English! lol. I also had need of language many times during my many travels to Italy: especially when I visited the region of my Grandfather, Abruzzo. This was Spring of 2008 and pretty much no one spoke English in Teramo, Abruzzo. I was the first of my family since my Father to have visited Abruzzo when he met up with his cousin in 1952! I also encountered this issue when I took a bus to my Grandfather´s home town of Castellalto. I still do not know if I have any relatives in that region yet my original Italian cognome is still prevalent within that region. I have had the burning desire to learn Italian because it is part of my heritage. Having a good working knowledge of the language has helped me many times yet I am still not fluent. Italians I have met and with whom I have made acquaintance do appreciate my learning as much as I can. I cannot wait to get back to Italy and hopefully this year. Buon video. Grazie Davide.p.s. I took French in high school and knew words and phrases because my mom and dad lived in France before I was born. I have loved language, including English throughout my life.
By any chance was your meeting with Dr Pesca ? She was my professoressa. Oh yes. In situations with the police and basically any emergency situation really puts your Italian to the test. How did they steal your passport ? I know the nice feeling of visiting ancestral hometowns. I’ve done it a few times but unfortunately I don’t have any more relatives here in Italy
@@DavidsDoseofItaly Hey David.. I was at an internet place in Perugia 2006 and at the time one had to show a passport to utilize the computers. I didn't have a cell phone then in order to go online. I thought I had put my passport away but I hadn't. Two young girls sat down beside me, one on either side and that's what I think happened. The woman running the internet place helped me file the report to send to the Questura. I had to indicate the passport was"misplaced" rather than stolen. Not sure why but I went with it. As for my interview in Italian at CCSU, it was wth Maria Passaro. My teacher was Giuliana O'Connell, a Northern Italian who married an Irishman! Not sure if she was an Adjunct or permanently on staff.
Oh yes I had Mrs Passaro. A nice lady and I still think of her. Giuliana was in charge of the Italian resource center and I got along great with her. when I was there she wasn't staff. She was even a fellow student in a class I took.
Italy is the dream destination for many around the world. In many cases is a place to go back often, whether for vacation or other reasons. If you plan to have the best time possible there (who plans not to? 🤔) then learning even basic level Italian is a way to achieve this. From learning how to buy a bus or museum ticket, asking for directions, buying food, or with the current situation, how to get a COVID test done. I was barely started learning some of it when I visited and it came very handy, despite some hiccups here and there. I even got a compliment from the lady at the Farmacia. 😅
Hi David! We are heading to Italy on Saturday (the 23rd). So excited! We're only there for 1 week, but we've all been learning basic Italian. No matter where we travel, I feel strongly that knowing at least a bit of the local language enhances the experience and, usually, locals appreciate the effort and respect. Enjoy your videos. Keep it up!! Ciao 😎
Hi Nathalie! Oh definitely, some Italian is without a doubt better than nothing. Thank you for watching and I hope I can continue making videos that positively effect peoples lives
I did the 15 mts duolingo classes and it made an enormous!!! difference. Io capisco quasi tutti, solo bisogno parlarlo. A presto me trasloco a Italia!!!!
I've actually started studying Italy this year at my university, and the classes are great! I used to take spanish classes in high school, so sometimes I mix things up! I'm visiting Italy this year (again ^^ - you can't get tired of Italy) and I hope I'll be able to use my new skills. Buona Pasqua e grazie per questo video :D
I also studied Italian at university. I visited Italy many times until finally I realized it wasn’t enough just visiting it. I had to live here ! Tanti Auguri di buona Pasqua 🕊
I really wish they offered italian at my university learning it on your own is pretty hard. I am learning Spainish in school as it was that or French. However I won't give up learning italian!
There are channels on youtube that teach Italian to native English speakers. They're not that hard to find and maybe they could help you. Also watching videos in Italian on youtube could also be helpful. I learned English long ago watching cartoons in English.
Madtown: I agree. Spanish (if you’re in the US especially) is much more useful than French. I don’t think learning a language on your own is that hard. A lot of my learning was self taught.
I agree. I can name at least two. Easy Italian and Italian with Lucrezia. Mine too but my channel isn’t only just geared towards Italian learning. Norma , I thank you for watching my videos and always being one of the first to respond to my newest videos. Tanti auguri di Buona Pasqua !🕊
Hey Cathy. Thank you! There are a ton of other points I could have made but they all come to mind post video production. May is beautiful weather here in Italy.
Ciao David, I’m glad I came across your useful videos here and definitely subscribed 👍🏼I’ve recently been back and forth in my free time learning Italian as I soon would love to visit Italy. Your videos have helped answer many questions for travels expectations over there. I’m American born with a Mexican background (first gen) and since I was young, Italian culture and food have always interested me. It also seems like it would be great to learn Italian since it is similar to Spanish in a handful of ways. I saw in one of your videos but can’t remember which one it was after watching so many, you mentioned a school that you went to in Italy to learn the language more. I find myself in a similar situation at 32 years old, single and no other debt, and I would love to find out more and maybe possibly live and experience Italy a bit to take a deeper dive in it. The culture, food and traditional ways and up to todays age, Italy would be a place I’d love to visit soon. Do you happen to know the name of the school that you went to there? I also believe talking daily while living there would help learn a lot. I hope I’m not confusing you much here😅 Grazie mille in anticipo!
Hi Hugo. Thanks for subscribing 😊. Perfect. You’re in the right conditions to really improve your Italian. I went to La Scuola Leonardo Da Vinci in Florence. However they have schools all over Italy. If you do that try and live with a family which personally for me was the key to really improving my Italian. Also knowing Spanish is handy too !
Azz… “wow”! That’s a translation I will definitely use😂! Thanks for the video! Learning a language when you’re older is super useful and fun!!! Italian as a musical language? Well I couldn’t agree more😉! Learning through songs is a great way to improve a language while having fun. But I’m biased, am I not (and while you’re at it, why not check the channel LIS Learn Italian Songs)!
I’m studying italian with a teacher in Padova. I have studied Spanish. Now I confuse them. I learned French in high school then reviewed before visiting France. I will be visiting my paternal nonno village. I traced the family back to 1600 in that village and 1500 in a nearby village. I will able to communicate but I’m worried about dialect. When I move to Italy, I want to attend an immersion language school.
Wow that’s impressive how you traced your lineage back that far ! What dialect do they speak ? Don’t worry , they won’t talk dialect to you because they largely reserve that for their peers.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I have had fun with it. I have been even trying to use some of the words I have learned like saying Boungiorno. They do have you practice saying as well as spelling words.
It would be cool to hear a video on getting a drivers license in Italy. What was your experience, how is someone who has only been in Italy for a year supposed to pass the tests in Italian, and is there a way around the system for English speakers?
Hi Adima. That’s a pretty name. Thank you for the video idea. How to get a drivers license in Italy is definitely a video that I will be making in the future. Actually I still drive with my American license but I also have an international license which allows me to drive here. The Carabinieri seem to except it and I have been stopped multiple times. If I’m not mistaken , every EU country is supposed to offer a test in English but here in Italy I just don’t think this happens. So unfortunately the only solution is to buy the book which explains every aspect of the test which is what I am doing. I hope to get my Italian license this year. Personally I don’t want to do driving school because before coming to Italy I had driven for nearly 25 years in the states and I’ve been driving in the city for a number of years now. So honestly it would just be a waste of money. So yeah be on the lookout for that video! Where in Italy do you live?
@@DavidsDoseofItaly I live in Milan. I have been here for a year and plans to live here,, now my international drivers license expires after a year from AAA. I don't know how the Italian system expects someone like me to pass a written drivers license in Italian. I can barely pass in English lol...No but seriously I think this would be a useful topic for people. I could also learn from you and your experience. oh yeah and its also pricey too from my understanding. I heard some people continue to extend their international but not sure if that is accepted officially.😁
Here’s what I suggest. improve your Italian before you take the test. There really is no other way I’m afraid and I don’t feel it’s unreasonable because if someone wants an Italian drivers license it is reasonable to assume that you intend to be apart of this society. With that said Learning the language is essential in my opinion if you want to create a life for yourself in Italy. This is probably not the answer you wanted to hear however think of it this way. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to learn Italian and study for the test at the same time.
@@DavidsDoseofItaly thank you for the feedbacks. I have been learning Italian for over a year now and only proficient in A2. I intend to learn Italian continuously I just don't know when I will be proficient in the level they expect for passing the drivers test(. Maybe that's something that is good to know before taking the test.) It just hard for me not to drive after all these years of driving and not knowing how long the process will take.
I work with a guy from California. His Italian isn’t the greatest but he recently passed his driving test. He says the trick is memorizing minutiae. For example you gotta memorize what type of licenses go with what type of vehicle. Since I haven’t taken the test like yourself I really can’t say how it’s going to be like. I do have an advanced level of Italian so hopefully that’ll help ! If you do want to get the AAA license first and then take the test just be aware that in Italy they do random street checks of vehicles. In that case just be upfront with them and explain who you are and what documents you drive with. Usually they appreciate the honesty. Disclaimer: this was not legal advice 👍☺️
It depends. I understand Southerners well, Northerners, not so much. I actually don't understand the speakers on Duolingo that well. i watch EasyItalian on YT and Matteo is Napoletano and Katie has an excellent accent but when they interview Italians from various regions, I have differing ability to understand them and I have a good ear. I learned French and Spanish in school. My Hebrew teacher who taught "full immersion" method told us to "listen to the music" of the language. This is what foreign learners seem to miss in Italian. They get the words and grammar right but oh, those accents! Languages have tempo and inflection as well as how each sound is formed. English, Russian and Hebrew speakers slaughter the language.
Ciao Davide, grazie mille! Sto imparando italiano e vengo a trovare i miei amici ad Ancona e Milano presto. Forse giugno. Dimmi: secondo te, come la situazione lì per i turisti con la atmosfera di guerra?
I know how Americans feel when a foreigner lives in this country and after a while the foreigner still can't speak English. Its no different when Americans live in another country. Get over it. The world doesn't revolve around English. Have respect for other countries.
it's an easy mindset to fall into: My language is a global presence, you SHOULD know it. You can get by with English but if you're going to live abroad we need to lose that mentality.
