Dear reader–
This week I began my exploration of Italian language and culture in Sorrento. I have gone through a steep learning curve in the past five days, so allow me to update you.
I am taking classes for 5 weeks this summer at Sant’Anna University, which is located in the seaside vacation town of Sorrento.
I am living in a dorm with other American students who are also taking classes at Sant’Anna. I am here because I am studying Italian at Notre Dame, but there is only so much language you can learn from a classroom. Last year, I realized that if I really wanted to be able to speak Italian, I needed to go to Italy. Thanks to the generosity of Notre Dame’s Summer Language Abroad program and its donors, I am here now.
Although I was excited by the opportunity to go to Italy, I was also very nervous. In my head, I pictured my arrival to Italy: I would get off the plane, look around, and not be able to read any of the signs. I was afraid of being lost in a strange country filled with people whom I could not understand.
As you may have guessed, I did not end up stranded at the Naples airport. In reality, I disembarked from the plane, looked around, and realized that I knew more Italian than I thought I did. Furthermore, many of the signs were written in English, and everyone spoke English even better than I spoke Italian.
At first, the fact that Italy was bilingual was a huge relief. However, the longer I am here, the more I realize that the prevalence of English poses a problem for me. For example, at my hotel, I carefully practiced how to say “Where is Sant’Anna University?” in Italian before asking the front desk staff for directions. However, there was nothing I could do to prepare myself for the flood of Italian with which the staff member responded. Not ready to give up, I asked her to slow down. Instead, she began speaking to me in English. The same thing happens in stores, on buses, on and even on the street. An unexpected problem therefore confronts me: even in Italy, it can be hard to practice my Italian.
Now my task is to solve this problem. I have several ideas for how do do this. It will probably mean leaving the “American Bubble”, that is, the dorm of American students who all speak English to each other. It will probably also mean searching out Italians and starting up random conversations with them. The solution will almost certainly require me to leave my comfort zone; however, it is worth it. I will keep you all posted on my attempts!
As for Italian culture, I can say that Italy is truly a beautiful country. The view out my window is the Mediterranean sea.
Mount Vesuvius (which is still active) stands in the background.
The gelato puts American ice cream to shame. My professor from Southern Italy is incapable of speaking without gesticulating. Street signs are taken as suggestions. A Signora from a restaurant saw a group of us students passing by and ran out with a plate of dumplings just to get us to taste her cooking. There is history everywhere: I looked off a bridge and there, in the lush valley below, were ruins.
The churches are massive, ornate, and plentiful.
However, it is not a fairy-land. Last night, I was eager to see the parts of the city that were not built just for tourists. I accompanied one of my friends, who lives with a host family, to his neighborhood. Once I left the main street of Sorrento, the city quickly changed. Instead of glowing shops, there are crowded apartment buildings, some of them quite run down. Real people live in Italy, and I saw that here, like any other place, the fortunes of real people can be good or bad. Seeing this, rather than being off-putting, was encouraging. I want to get to know Italy as it is, tourists, residents, riches, and poverty alike.
I’ll send updates to my Italian adventure periodically. Thank you for accompanying me on this most exciting opportunity.
Until next time,
Beatrice