The Italian Way of Speaking: Communication through Gestures
Every country has habits and distinct cultural elements that make it unique. It is these features that become a way to identify and differentiate different cultures. Where Italy is concerned, as with many countries, cultural behavior varies based on territory. Italians are quite famous for being effusive talkers that use hand gestures to puncture most statements, but even these can change in different regions. Accent, tone of voice and gestures used can all vary depending on which part of Italy you're visiting.
When you start to learn a new language you are often confounded by seemingly trivial details. You would expect that languages are translatable word for word, and while this is often true, in some cases -- usually in the case of the simplest phrases -- it is not. Why is I'm hungry expressed in Italian with the phrase ho fame ("I have hunger")? Why don't they say sono affamato? Well, you could say sono affamato but it carries a different pragmatic meaning; it is much stronger and could be translated into I am starving.
Italians are said to be very passionate and as such very expressive in their speech. The first thing you notice when you arrive in the Eternal City is the spontaneous use of exclamations by everyone from toddlers to the elderly. If you head to other parts of Italy you'll discover that exclamations vary from region to region, just like the numerous dialects and accents of the Italian language. After almost a year in Italy, even when I talked to a Polish person I couldn't help but react spontaneously with Italian phrases such as 'ma dai!?' for disbelief, 'boh...' for feeling undecided or 'ahia!!!' when hurt.
The silence was killing me. I was mute, and it wasn't for lack of want. I found myself walking the streets of Milan not being able to greet anybody, or make sense of even a signpost, and it was beyond entertainingly humorous. My previous experience with the Italian language was non-existent. I had heard 'ciao' but didn't know if it was 'hello' or 'goodbye', and I had some inclination that 'grazie' could be a useful word. But beyond that, my ignorance was obvious.
It takes a metro ride to learn the Italian language...
Italy is like a magnet that attracts people from all walks of life and backgrounds. It appeals to young and to those who already found their places in life. At different stages in their lives and for different reasons people just fall in love with it. I wasn’t an exception when at the age of 6 in the cold and snowy Russian city of Yekaterinburg I discovered Italian opera and Italian language. I was captivated by it. It was just amazingly beautiful to me.
My name is Arnaldo and I am a professional Italian teacher, native speaker, currently living in Italy.
I have been working since 2000 for one of the most important language school in the world. This experience has given me the opportunity to develop my personal teaching method over the Internet.
The aim I want to reach now, is to share my strong experience with everyone all over the world, offering high quality teaching services at reasonable prices.
Italian Language Schools and Italian learning opportunities
It has been said that the best way to learn a foreign language is through immersion. Therefore, what better way to learn Italian than to be in Italy at one of its excellent language schools. Italy has numerous language schools and much like their cooking schools, are often located in the beautiful Italian countryside or in famous cities like Florence and Rome.
Italian is considered one of the most romantic and melodic languages in the history of the world. It is one of the more desirable languages to learn, and people from all around the world strive to master this enchanting tongue. The history of the Italian language actually illustrates the history of Italy itself, as well as the ultimate unification of the Italian people.
For those who cannot afford to travel to Italy to learn the Italian language there are several options available to start your study. Whether you want to brush up on conversational Italian before a trip, or desire to become completely fluent there are tools ranging from language classes, Italian movies, software, streaming television and radio to websites and online networks dedicated to Italian. Besides the tools listed below there are countless Italian phrasebooks and dictionaries - both great resources for last minute translations while in Italy.
![Study Italian and English abroad as a second Language](http://www.lifeinitaly.com/files/imagecache/small/studyabroadprograms.org_.jpeg "Study Italian and English Abroad (Photo from <a href="http://www.studyabroadprograms.org">www.studyabroadprograms.org</a>)")
