A MUCH-SPOKEN LANGUAGE

A 2012 European report shows that Italian is sixth among the second languages most often spoken in the world. As a result, many people study Italian pretty much everywhere for a variety of reasons and so an Indonesian, a Macedonian and an Albanian might speak together using Italian as the lingua franca. It is far from a rare experience when travelling abroad to begin a conversation in English only to continue it in Italian after a short time to the great pleasure of one’s interlocutors. And what is an effective means of learning Italian? Without a doubt, it involves wanting to deepen an initial understanding of and connection with the country’s culture. This becomes the driving force behind the desire to learn. Just a few examples: recently I met a woman of French origin who listened to her mother singing Italian songs from the 60s. So, what is she doing these days? She is finishing a research doctorate at the University of Bologna. Another example: a Brazilian soldier who wants to ensure his career advancement is studying Italian in his spare time because he dreams of being assigned to another country and, who knows, it could be Italy. And a Kazakhstani artist, enrolled at the Fine Arts Academy really hopes to win a competition to teach engraving technique, perhaps in the south of Italy. As many people have discovered, it is personal motivation that makes the difference in learning a language. A teacher can arouse curiosity, provide useful information, be capable of clearly explaining the rules of grammar, but if you truly want to immerse yourself in the culture, the lifestyle, the flavours, the smells, the gestures and the ways of the Italian landscape, be it human or natural, then you must commit to learning the words in context, experiencing the things the words name. And, students all over the world, prepare to make mistakes, make mistakes, and make mistakes again, will you, without being ashamed! You have to give yourself time to be able to speak well. Correcting oneself little by little, slowly, is a form of ancient wisdom, just as ancient as Italy.