I am very excited about the opportunity to experience full immersion in Italy. In my past experiences abroad, although I had a great interest in learning the language of the respective countries, all of my learning came through immersion. In this case, I will have both classroom instruction as well as day-to-day immersion living in an Italian city. I expect this method of learning to be much more efficient than my classroom experience back home (of course). While at Notre Dame, I find a lot of outside studies are required to really learn a language. Although we do our best to learn in class, 50 minutes of study + homework in the evening is not enough to make great leaps in our understanding of the language and it is even difficult to maintain the level we establish in the classroom. Because of this, I spent a lot of time reading and seeking out listening opportunities through music, film, etc. to supplement my study. I am glad that study and daily life will be integrated so as to afford constant learning opportunities.
During my time abroad, my primary goal is to work on my rapid production skills while speaking and writing. It is very difficult to get good speaking practice at school. This past semester, I would often text or speak to classmates in Italian, and as great as that is, it is insufficient. Thankfully, this will not be my first experience with immersive language learning. During my time in Brazil learning Portuguese, I was able to acquire skills and a positive attitude towards effectively engaging with a foreign language and culture. Most importantly, I have learned how to learn from my mistakes and I already know that I will make many in the first couple of weeks.
I leave tomorrow and I am still not packed. Wish me luck. Arrivederci!