italian language in italy : About Italian
Italian a beautiful language to speak and listen to; musical, fluid and emotionally-expressive. For Italians, their words are not merely tools to convey basic messages, but sophisticated descriptions of emotional states. Everywhere you go in Italy you'll hear Italians talking, arguing, complaining, chattering; a vehicle of communication that is strikingly different to the more minimal style of speech in the Anglo-Saxon world. English-speakers are often considered cold or withdrawn by Italians, simply because they say less.
Although every region has its own dialect with unique words and grammatical usages, the ability to speak 'good' standard Italian is regarded throughout Italy as an important mark of education. Italians are very sensitive to how their language is used and are prone to mock regional accents (other than their own) - these are considered more appropriate for private use than for public communication. When speaking to a foreigner, native Italian speakers will usually do their best to 'standardise' their speech.
Why learn the language?
Even if you're only in Italy on a brief holiday, it's worth spending a little time learning basic communication. Outside the major tourist sights, spoken English is not particularly widespread. Without at least a phrasebook you're likely to encounter problems buying train tickets, or finding the right bus stop. And you may also find important notices written only in Italian - for example: museum opening times, details of a transport strike.
A second major reason for learning some Italian is, of course, politeness. It is shocking how many tourists (and British and Americans are sadly big culprits) don't even make the effort to learn to say 'thank you' in Italian. No-one expects a foreign tourist to speak fluent Italian, and most Italians will oblige you with sign language or their few words of English. But it is simple good manners to be able to say 'Excuse me', 'please', 'thank you' and 'Do you speak English?' in the tongue of the country in which you are a guest. And it will do wonders for your relationships with Italians, who will wholeheartedly appreciate any effort made with their language.
© Copyright Italy Heaven
Although every region has its own dialect with unique words and grammatical usages, the ability to speak 'good' standard Italian is regarded throughout Italy as an important mark of education. Italians are very sensitive to how their language is used and are prone to mock regional accents (other than their own) - these are considered more appropriate for private use than for public communication. When speaking to a foreigner, native Italian speakers will usually do their best to 'standardise' their speech.
Why learn the language?
Even if you're only in Italy on a brief holiday, it's worth spending a little time learning basic communication. Outside the major tourist sights, spoken English is not particularly widespread. Without at least a phrasebook you're likely to encounter problems buying train tickets, or finding the right bus stop. And you may also find important notices written only in Italian - for example: museum opening times, details of a transport strike.
A second major reason for learning some Italian is, of course, politeness. It is shocking how many tourists (and British and Americans are sadly big culprits) don't even make the effort to learn to say 'thank you' in Italian. No-one expects a foreign tourist to speak fluent Italian, and most Italians will oblige you with sign language or their few words of English. But it is simple good manners to be able to say 'Excuse me', 'please', 'thank you' and 'Do you speak English?' in the tongue of the country in which you are a guest. And it will do wonders for your relationships with Italians, who will wholeheartedly appreciate any effort made with their language.
© Copyright Italy Heaven
posted by awesome at 2:57 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home