This is my absolute DREAM! I’m currently studying Japanese so I can move to Tokyo and your videos have helped with this journey SO much. I can’t wait to see how your Italian improves over the next 6 months 💛
This was so relatable. I spent six weeks in Mexico earlier this year after only having been studying Spanish for about six months, so when I arrived in Mexico City I was so overwhelmed by literally everything. You're so right about speaking to natives in the real world feels so much more different than speaking to a teacher or a tutor or a classmate. Dealing with the discouragement and the culture shock all at the same time is so difficult, but I'm glad you've been able to enjoy your second week a lot more. It's gonna be awesome to see how much your Italian improves over the next few months. Best of luck with everything!
I completely understand you, Shea! When I first moved to Italy, my first few days were very difficult, and I kept wondering if i made a mistake coming here. I just wanted to leave and go home, I was very stressed. But now, I cannot imagine not living in this beautiful country. I live super close to Bologna, and I am so happy here. I am sure you will get used to it and love it as well :)
Thank you so much for your honest thoughts on visiting Italy and learning Italian. It's really more inspiring than all of the bloggers who's like 'oh, it's so fun. Just enjoy! Everything's gonna be okay'. It's like you see the real person with all the struggles who overcomes them and goes on with learning.
I'm really happy to hear that. I'm definitely loving it here but I wanted to be honest and share my struggles as well. It's super difficult to live in another country, it's definitely not always perfect and fun!
@@SheaJordan these ideas are definitely worth sharing! If you love something, it doesn't mean that it's gonna be fun all the time. And it's sad that many people want to create this perfect picture of life full of achievement and joy which doesn't really exist in the real world. But it's their choice. I prefer watching the ones who show that life isn't always easy even if you're doing what you love.
oh my gosh, I live in Reggio Emilia literally 1 hour from Bologna. Girl let me tell you I was raised in Italy and I still don't speak perfectly and after so many years I've come to know that the Italians themself don't know their language. Take your time and learn it, the biggest mistake you can make is to rush, because if you don't know the basics you will see yourself struggling later. You got this sis.
Haha I’ve heard so many Italians say this, it definitely is a difficult language to learn. I get discouraged a lot, but I’m definitely learning that it’s ok to make mistakes. Thank you for the encouragement!
@@SheaJordan Una mia amica USA di Whashington DC ha imparato talmente bene che è diventata una scrittrice e scrive quasi sempre in lingua italiana. Si chiama Heddi Goodricht e il suo primo romanzo "Perduto nei Quartieri Spagnoli" è stato poi tradotto in diciotto lingue. Ha da poco finito il suo terzo romanzo (sempre in italiano). Ai suoi figli parla in italiano e qualche volta in dialetto napoletano, sebbene viva ormai in Nuova Zelanda da almeno un decennio! SI PUO' FARE!!! Frequenta italiani e non stare solo con altri come te e tutto andrà bene.
The thing I like the most about your channel Shea is your honesty. I look forward to seeing more videos about living in Italy and learning the language. Hang in there! You got this! 💜
Thank you! I appreciate this ☺️ I definitely want to keep things real and share everything. This transition hasn’t been super easy or perfect and I wanted people to know how everything has really been going!
I moved here (to Rome) from the UK about 5 years ago. The first phrase you need to use is "sto imparando l'italiano"!!! It makes them happy you're trying to speak their language 😊
Oh I haven’t watched your videos a long time. And it’s great to see you again after a long time. Your are in Italy…that’s a great step. But it’s the best way improving your level very fast. Have a great time there and I fish you the best 😉
I also have a hospitality program that I'm going to to be studying at IULM for 6 months in the spring. I am glad I ran into this video before I panicked being the only American there😂
I moved to Rome 5 months ago, and I feel you when you were saying you are nervous to talk Italian and discourage in some ways, I just wanted to tell you it's normal, At first I was so afraid to talk Italian and make mistakes and can't handle different situations in daily life, but after some times I was like no one cares =)) and things got much more easier for me And for finding an apartment, it's gonna be hard but there are lots of facebook groups for your town and finding a place there is much more easier
Hi, Shea! I've been following your channel for quite a while now and I always love your tips when it comes to language learning. You're pretty inspiring and, as an Italian, I hope my country will treat you well :) I know Italian is pretty hard, but you will be able to improve quickly, I can tell already. Good luck!
I'm happy to see you're finally in Italy! It sounds like it can be difficult transitioning, but I am happy to see you are starting to get into the groove of it! ❤️ you are doing great! Be proud of yourself!!!!
Thanks so much! On the really tough days I do try to remind myself that this is a HUGE leap that I should be proud of myself for. Putting yourself out there is hard! 😭 It’s getting better every day though 💕
I think the fact that you are staying for 6 months will be excellent. Because people are going to be coming in and out of the class (before you move on to another class yourself), you will eventually be the experienced one in the class. That will give you confidence in a different way, too.
Hi! I really enjoy your videos and how you studied Italian! Your video is very interesting, you're being very honest about your feelings, because yes living abroad is not that simple! In your video you said that it was hard for you at the beginning because people don't really speak english. It's something I completly understand but, I think that you'll learn italian like that! And, I think that native english people have to understand that they speak a language everyone in the world is "supposed to know", so for me you don't have to want people to speak your language when you don't speak their. I'm telling you that as a french who's trying to learn italian, but supposed to know english and knowing spanish. (PS my coment wasn't say in a mean way but maybe to help realize the people's difference)
First of all..... I really like the quality of your voice and the clear way you articulate your ideas on this video. And kudos to you for moving to Italy to study Italian. I work in a place where we have to deal with old Italians who sometimes don't speak any English at all. I find that my English speaking co-workers have a really hard time trying to communicate in Italian and it surprises me that it's not the case when I talk to those guys in Italian. Yet.... lucky me I was born and raised in Brazil .... and Brazilian Portuguese and Italian share a lot of sounds... which means... yep... it's a lot easier on us Brazilians to sound good in Italian... you know.... both languages derived from latin and all. English speakers don't have that advantage when learning Italian. Which makes what you're going through even more impressive in my eyes. Peace.
You see... in Italy is so difficult find someone to speak english too...😭😭 we don't usually use it... unfortunatly for who like me, wants to practise engkish speaking skill...🤷♀️ anyway, that's better for you so you can practise italian as much as you can! So glad to watch this video .. enjoy your journey!!!!🌺😍
Io studio anche italiano per 4 ore al giorno, ma purtroppo sono bloccato in California. What a remarkable experience you must be having. Thanks for sharing, Shea! In bocca del lupo:)
If you want to use English sometimes it's always better to ask them first in Italian if they speak English otherwise the Italians might find it quite rude that you assume they automatically speak or should speak English.
Definitely, this makes sense! I always go into places using Italian, and I’d say 75% of the time they just speak English to me because they can tell I’m not an Italian 😭 but yes I want to be as respectful as possible so I always do my best to start with Italian.
Yeah, I agree. I've met a lot of native English speakers who instantly assume that no matter where in the world they are, everyone should speak English to them. I'm not saying this to be rude or anything but if you're going to a country that doesn't have English as their first language you should try your best to learn at least a little bit of their native language in order to communicate with them, even if it's just to show them that you're learning. You're in their country, you should make an effort to communicate with them, not the other way around 😊
@@SheaJordan I have been in Italy for 15 years, and I still have a strong American accent when I speak Italian. However, I allows initiate conversations in Italian. Usually, because I live in a rural area, the people only remember a little high school English, but they often respond in English in order to practice. With many friends, I speak in Italian and they speak in English, and this helps both of us. Because I studied Latin and Greek, the logic behind the Italian language was fairly easy to comprehend, so I learned structure and filled in the vocabulary later. I think most people start off with words and phrases, but that method didn't work for me. My Italian friends are universally patient with my struggles to learn the language.
"We went to a pizza place [at 14'55'' and ffw] and I walked in... Just used English because I was like not about to try to speak Italian on my first night here after being so tired. The lady looked at me and she had no idea what I just said." I'm figuring myself (an Italian) on an imaginary first night in LA: I walk in a pizza place, I talk Italian to the lady, who doesn't understand. (Though maybe in LA, with all the Italian restaurants, I could be understood...). Everybody knows that we Italians love you Americans, but sometimes you're so naive... The fact that from the second week you felt better is really astonishing, an overwhelming progress, only possible to a very smart person. Thank you for the interesting video, and welcome in Italy.
When I first walked in, I greeted them in Italian and told them we needed a moment to decide. But then I didn’t know how to say the next part in Italian and just tried to use English. I had been traveling for almost 20 hours with little sleep because I can’t sleep well on planes, so I decided to go easy on myself the first night. The next place I ended up going to I was able to order in Italian. I always do my best to use Italian here in Italy, but I felt awful the first night and my brain just was barely working. I knew there would be a lot of people here in Bologna that don’t know English here, I wasn’t mad at the woman for not speaking English, I was just embarassed and uncomfortable because I was the one who couldn’t communicate, so I went to a pizzeria that was less overwhelming and was able to order there in Italian instead. Also for your scenario, most people who work at Italian restaurants in the US don’t speak Italian 😅 most Italian restaurants are super Americanized so yeah they probably wouldn’t understand you unfortunately. I only know of two where I lived where maybe one or two of the employees there actually spoke Italian or were Italian. I’m learning so much every day and feeling better now as I learn how to order things at restaurants, how to ask for specific things and how to make conversation with people. I think in certain situations I’m nervous and embarrassed to use my Italian because I’m not confident in myself, not because I expect the Italians here to speak English.
Che emozionante! Mi allegra che stia andando meglio adesso. Piccola idea: invece di restare in silenzio quando non hai capito, potresti dire "scusi, non ho capito, può ripetere?" Magari potrebbe migliorare il awkwardness 😅
Did you know Bologna has the most ancient university in Europe? It is also known as "la dotta" (the learned, because the university) and "la ghiotta"(the glutton, for its exquisite cuisine)?
I think you made a good choice to settle in bologna, in emilia romagna the accent is decently flat and the speaking more fluent than almost every other region in italy. the fact is that bologna is one of the major italian cities where a lot of people from other parts of the state live for work, study.. and they absolutely keep their own accent (is very difficult for an italian to change his own accent, expecially if you come from south italy, even after 10 years). so, apart of what you will learn, there are a lot of non-official language flections, rules related to every aspect of it, nonsense irregulatities... that you can learn only by experience and getting more and more curious. don t worry about anything and speaking slowly is absolutely ok. take also into account that verb structure in italian is the hell! even in high school people use some wrong verbs more commonly than you can immagine. so relax! and have fun you guys. bologna is a piece of art itself!
Thank you, I’m definitely not giving up! I just have some bad days I think. Overall things are getting better every day and I really am enjoying it here!
I Will be coming to bologna in 15th of july for the first Time and I Will be staying for 3 months and I couldnt find a place to stay as well so I hope you can do a video about that, i Will appreaciate it
Cool! I hope you enjoy it! I can make a video on finding housing, but I would start looking as soon as you can. Try looking at long term Airbnbs or check sites like idealista, immobiliare, and subito. Although it may be difficult to sign a lease if you don't have a tax code. So I would suggest finding a private renter, you can also check Facebook groups for people who are looking to rent or sublease their room, that might be a better option
Hi Shea I just finish to watch you recent video glad to hear you are having fi6 in Italy. Looks beautiful more every day ..Thanks for sharing your experience from there take care 💘
Yes he came with me only for the first 3 months since he doesn’t have a visa. He’s considering taking some language classes but as of right now it’s just me studying!
Ho fatto un corso di inglese a Los Angeles qualche anno fa. Avevo un livello bassisimo di inglese e non c'era nessun italiano. Difficile ma mi sono divertito, quando sbagliavo bus ci mettevo ore a tornare a casa. Bologna è molto più piccola e facile da girare. Imparerai la cadenza bolognese che è molto divertente.
Wow!! u really got me thinkin', as someone who's not a native English speaker, will i face the same struggles with the US's different culture and with understanding natives? Tho i understand, n even think to myself in english most of the time now. And i find no struggle what so ever understandin' english speakers in Yt vids( such us Emma chamberlain wich i think talks naturally! Idk), podcasts, and even books. Is there a difference from the way eng speakers talk in yt vids n in real life??? Also, i think overall u're doing just great, even if it's clearly that u feel overwhelmed from it all, but it's just cuz u r steppin' outta ur comfort zone; u were comfortable talkin' usin' ur mother tongue&living in a culture u r so familiar with since u grew up surrounded with, but now it's different & u r not familiar with, but u'll get used to it, and i wanna say that m so proud of u for takin' this action, it's deffinetly the right one and it's what u wanted from a long time. Pray for me to get the chance to travel to the countries m learnin' their language hhhh i'm now more curious than ever to see how will i do lol.💞
Since this was just a small language school that I decided to study at, it’s all funded by me, no scholarships. If you go through a university maybe there are scholarships available.
What level are you in Italian? I want to do the same of taking German courses in Germany but I'm thinking it might be a bit easier on me if I finish B1 level in my country and then take B2 there...
I’m at a B1 level right now. I think this level is fine but my speaking is just not where it should be, and I think that’s where I’m struggling a bit! But I think B1 or B2 sounds good!
It is funny how Americans are surprised or shocked of the smallest normal things in Europe :D And many times they describe that one city like that when indeed half of Europe looks like that or does it haha
What are you referring to “the smallest normal things?” I’m curious. Also of course every culture is different, something normal for Americans may seem strange to Europeans too! 😊
Spain, Italy and France are horrible about smoking . They do not respect anyone at all. In my country, people will not smoke next to chidlren, or infront of entrances or in bus stops
You’re correct…they’re not. But people don’t really think that Italians are these evil people? I don’t know what movies you’re talking about but we don’t think Italians are like you described here…
Ok interesting, I’m not sure where you got that percentage but either way, I talked to a lot of people about Italy before coming here and no one has the idea that Italians are assassins and bloodthirsty evil people. Pretty much everyone loves Italy and thinks Italians are friendly, kind people who enjoy good food and enjoy life.
SE VIVI IN ITALIA, IMPARARE L'ITALIANO E' FONDAMENTALE !!!! PROVA AD ESEMPIO; A FARE VIDEO IN LINGUA ITALIANA INVECE CHE IN INGLESE PERCHE' POTREBBE ESSERE MOLTO UTILE. DIVERSE PERSONE DI LINGUA INGLESE SOTTOVALUTANO QUESTO FATTO IMPORTANTISSIMO! CONOSCO UNA SIGNORA CHE VIVE A ROMA DA CINQUE ANNI E ANCORA ADESSO CONOSCE SOLO POCHE PAROLE! NON FUNZIONA!