Earlier today, I arrived at my new home in Sorrento after a draining three hour wait at the airport for our program transport. I was immediately struck by the incredible views from both apartment balconies: on one side, I could see the inland mountains, lush with trees and dotted with quaint Italian villas. On the other side, Mount Vesuvius stood majestically behind the sea and roofs of homes constituting downtown Sorrento; what incredible sights to see every morning!
After settling in, my roommates and I left our apartment in search of our first dinner. Whilst wandering through the cobbled streets, we saw a red-tiled staircase under an arch leading up to a gorgeous garden terrace restaurant, just off the bustling street – we had to go in! When we reached the top of the staircase, we were greeted by a waiter. Wanting to pass as a native speaker and distract from my redhead-pale skin and bright blonde hair – clear non-Italian-ness, I immediately said ‘tre persone per favore.’ This was met with an ‘ahh, good Italian! Follow me please.’
Despite my efforts throughout the meal, all my Italian received English responses. Not exactly what I was looking for when I came to another country to improve my language skills through immersion. And, this experience was not the only one. Most of the shops I went into spoke to me in broken English, rather than responding in Italian.
These experiences have showed me that continuing my language learning outside the classroom will be harder than I anticipated. I am going to have to blend in more with the culture if I want to be able to better blend in with the language. Although I am already at a disadvantage physically, if I find out more about the fashion, body language and mannerisms of Italians, I can still get closer to looking and acting more like them and getting the immersive experience I so badly want.
Hi Victoria! That sounds quite frustrating. I’m interested to hear how your blending efforts go and if that changes your linguistic expectations–keep us updated!