My daughter and I are planning a trip to Italy this summer. As well as seeing the usual sites (four days in Venice, four more in Rome, four in Sorrento/Pompeii, some time in Florence), she wants to go to a place where she can sit with real Italians and practice the language, which she is learning in high school.
Money is tighter than we had anticipated (isn't it always), but time is not a problem. July 2 is our last scheduled hotel stay in Venice, and we will most likely spend a few days in Florence. We don't have to be back until school starts, but I'm sure our funds won't allow us more than an additional week or two beyond that.
After Florence I would like to find a cheap, pleasant, out-of-the-way place where she can really talk with friendly natives and maybe flirt with a couple of Italian boys (she's got a shelf full of karate trophies and was on the wrestling team at school, so I'm not as worried about her safety as I might otherwise be). Depending on the price, we could probably spend a week there.
Anybody have any suggestions for safe B&B's in quiet, picturesque locales that are run by friendly old grandmothers who like Americans? I'm thinking we should stick to places more in the northern part of the country since that is where we will be, probably anywhere north of Rome. If there are nice young people in the town, that would be a plus.
We are experienced tent campers and used to cheap travel, so friendly and clean and safe are far more important to us than five-star service.
Bill - If she already has a start with the language she should have opportunities to practice everywhere you go. My best advice is to just be outgoing and don't be afraid to engage or embarrass yourself. My one saving grace as an Italian speaker is that I have never been intimidated by having to be perfect - I just let it fly. My most instructive opportunities have been with Italians who understand a little English so we can switch back and forth and kindly correct each other when necessary. It also would help if you allowed yourself more time in one town so that relationships can develop naturally. That is one of the beauties of slow travel.
I second what Sandrac said. I've never been more in need of my minimal Italian than in LeMarche. There were days when we didn't encounter another English speaker. Great practice through necessity. It was in early May, before the beach season though.
Posts: 303 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 24 April 2003
I remember reading that Soviet diplomats were often suggested to attend some church services in foreign countries as places were they could be exposed to generaally correct, formal and intensive use of the local languages...
The further away from the tourist places you go the easier it will be to find people who won't automatically speak English to you. Try wandering over several blocks when you're in Florence to eat or shop and you'll find lots of practice. (Venice might be a little more difficult.) Small towns would be perfect too. She should memorize a phrase something like, "I would like to practice my Italian" that would help. We've had great times like that waiting for clothes to wash/dry in laundramats.
Posts: 287 | Location: Cool, CA | Registered: 17 February 2003
Bill, you've found your way to the Slowtrav site, have you considered trying apartment stays rather than hotels and B&Bs, to save money so you can extend your time?
ellen
Posts: 3675 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
Boy, I definitely recommend my area, Piemonte, for this. We are in the heart of wine country. I could name 5 accommodations off the top of my head - apartments and/or B&Bs that would be affordable, and immerse you with locals, and give you the most incredible surroundings and experiences -- plenty of opportunities to hike in the vineyards, etc.
Acqui Terme is really perfect for immersion. It's beautiful, about 22,000 in population, there are lots of young people, there's a great centro storico that is very lively in the evenings.. but is absolutely safe.
And, seriously, there ain't much English spoken here! That's for sure.
If you really want her to be immersed in Italian get away from the big cities at least part of the time. In Florence, Rome, etc. almost everyone will speak at least some English... and particularly if she is a bit shy it is all too easy to take the easy way out and revert to her native language. Not so in even medium size towns like Montapulciano or Cortona, no less smaller villages like Trequanda (examples only). There she will be forced to use and develop her Italian as none of the older folks and few of the younger ones are likely to know more than a couple of words in English. Send her shopping, particularly for non-tourist items (try the local weekly markets). And let her know that as soon as she makes an attempt to use Italian people will generally go well out of their way to be helpful.
Posts: 440 | Location: Sierra Nevada foothils, California | Registered: 04 May 2009
I agree with what others have said, definitely try to get out of Florence or Venice. I think Diana's suggestion of Piemonte is really good, I spent almost a week in Torino in the fall and nobody tried speaking English to me, it was all Italian. Loved it!
I also think Puglia is great for meeting friendly people and practicing Italian. Great food and fun stuff to do as well - and of course wonderful beaches!
Originally posted by NP: The further away from the tourist places you go the easier it will be to find people who won't automatically speak English to you. Try wandering over several blocks when you're in Florence to eat or shop and you'll find lots of practice. (Venice might be a little more difficult.) Small towns would be perfect too. She should memorize a phrase something like, "I would like to practice my Italian" that would help. We've had great times like that waiting for clothes to wash/dry in laundramats.
+1 on that. I bicycle tour, so I hit every tiny little town where many people do not speak English. All the little towns that you go whizzing by on the Autostrada.
It has been my experience that many people will tell you they do not speak Italian. If you just try a little Italian, they will open up and try to speak English. It is a lot of fun trying to carry on a conversation in two languages.
I think most people are pleased to listen to your Italian, while they get a chance to try out their English.
Posts: 646 | Location: Pittsburgh, PA U.S.A. | Registered: 16 December 2005
I'd also look for B&Bs run by Italian families who speak little or no English. Or a short homestay situation with a family who speaks no English.
I'm not sure how you'd find them. I found such a homestay years ago when I enrolled at an Italian language school in Rome. To this day, I go to see my non-English speaking Roman family, now great friends. Perhaps language schools would divulge names of such families since they have fewer students now and families like my friend's don't get so many language students in homestays or B&B tourists these days and would love to.
What about university students who'd like to exchange English conversation for Italian conversation? Not sure how you'd find them either. Bologna is a big university town with lots of student hangouts right in the centre so your daughter and you could meet locals there.
Bologna is a big university town with lots of student hangouts right in the centre so your daughter and you could meet locals there.
Agree that Bologna is a great place to practice Italian. Unfortunately it is VERY HOT in the summer. Consider a high elevation or seaside town. These should be full of Italian vacationers. I love the area on the border of ER and Tuscany, but I'm not sure that there would be enough young people around for your daughter.
---Marlene
Posts: 643 | Location: Boston, MA | Registered: 11 May 2004
It would really depend on your itinerary. Outside the main tourist destinations you'll find ample opportunity to practice Italian. I recommend Le Marche (naturally!), because it is beautiful and welcoming. I'd say that Ascoli Piceno would be ideal for your daughter, as they have a fantastic piazza scene and lots going on throughout the summer months. It's a safe place with lots of ragazzi (I could probably even hook her up with a friend's teenage daughter to pal around with.)
The glitch would be your itinerary, because Le Marche is not very well connected by train to central regions (those pesky mountains interfere!)
I still think that this is an odd question. It doesn't matter where you go, in Italy you'll find people that speak english, expecially young ones as it is mandatory to study english since age of 6. I think the key to learn Italian in Italy will be more in the fact that you are willing to meet people, which can be easily done by going to the same barin the morning and ask whoever comes talking to you in English, that you want to learn Italian!
Simple as that.
Remote places with older people that speak nothing else that their dialect? Cool, but think about it.
Will your young daughter like a place like that? Remote in Italy means remote, no young people -they all go to cool places and less remote to have fun- no clubs - will she like it?
