Thinking about my trip to Sorrento in July, I’m excited about all the pizza I’ll eat, the beach pictures I’ll take and the locals I’ll meet. Being in Italy rather than having isolated spaces to speak the language means that I won’t have my linguistic and cultural experience switched off at the end of class. I can go from expanding my vocabulary in the Sant’Anna Institute to using what I’ve learnt in Sorrento’s market to buy fresh fruit – I’ll never have to stop practicing my language skills.
In Italy, I can experience the culture first hand. For example, I can watch the locals perform their animated hand gestures as they discuss which pasta to have for dinner. I can’t wait to find out about local quirks in the language and how the town of Sorrento came to be what it is today; and what makes it the town it is.
Not only do I hope to develop my linguistic skills, I also hope that living and studying in Sorrento for five weeks will allow me to further my self-confidence skills by pushing myself to meet and talk to as many Italians as possible. I want to make the most of my time there by saying yes to every adventure offered to me, like taking a weekend trip to Rome or attending an Italian concert.
Ten days to go!