Italian Language

As people close to me left on trips to foreign lands, I had this FALSE impression that if you are in a place for 6 months or more, surely you should be fluent in the new language. Yip, and that was even with the tough languages like Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, and French (how hard is that pronunciation). I figured 6 months was sufficient time whether you stayed with people that spoke your first language, stayed locked in your home, or simply had to learn it because of work or study. Well, we are now over three and half months...and how are we doing? Abastanza bene .. good enough x

The kids particularly Carlos, are at a stage in life where they are sensitive to language acquisition. At least that's what a Montessori book told me :)… so they are doing pretty well.

Agrigento down the south of Sicily, Templi galore

Us older Nordstrom's are still far from dreaming in the new language. We are being aided by a number of language books, Ipods downloads, evening classes and we fumble along with friends.

We now understand nicely, speak basic and are still shocking with the older Sicilians. It's their cool thick dialect. Countless times I've left a shop chuffed that Ive said and found what I needed, only to push the door that say's pull – Tirare.

We were told by someone holding a Masters in Linguistics - that an adult requires seven opportunities to adopt a new word or concept. Hear it, say it, read it, say it again be corrected in it and then quite possibly it's yours. Though the difficulty for adults is that we stop at the second attempt...when the shame kicks. Fortunately now as a mum I have very little shame, i.e. public temper tantrums, kids touching all the wrong parts at the wrong times and of course wardrobe malfunctions while breastfeeding.

We talked with our friend Alonzo, yip that's not his name, he'd feel a little singled out if we used it. He said we were doing fine, then asked whether we'd seen the movie 'Tarzan' sure we replied. Alonzo follows with "ahh okay... so you know you could stop now and talk like Tarzan or keep going and try to speak more like Jane” ...true ?!!.

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We will often find ourselves doing a sort of language dance with our Italian friends. They are often wanting to practise their English with us. So this language dance might begin with us speaking Italian then the other takes the lead with English, one may stumble in what they are saying, so the other starts to lead again. There are sweaty palms and strained eyebrows within the dance, a bashful look when your partner is getting it completely wrong but you still want to dance again so you don't over correct.

Today we both depart to play Mogliano near Venice, as it's Brigs first return game. He's penciled in to play just 40 mins of Tarzan action. I'm travelling on my first away match as both Team Physio & his Jane. A treasured Australian friend is with the kids which they've been excited about all week.

Carlos didn't want Mama here.
This is a house that didn't do so well after a Mt Etna eruption.

When I am doing Physio and Brig is at training we have tons of opportunities to dance, I'm sure we'll get there. Carlos & Milan have great opportunities also, they are doing well at their new Scuola Materna, the are making friends quickly. Milan at the start like a typical little girl wanting to please, came back looking knackered & wanting a hug. She told us her head hurt, and that she was trying to speak on behalf of her and Carlos. The other children are always keen to talk with them. Who knows whether they are getting coerced at home to befriend the English speakers!!. What ever the case we know its tough, so give a little thought to the foreign kids starting school with yours this year x

Either way, we pump up the kids "effort tyres". This seems to give them enough confidence to meet the bilingual challenge and to get their own back by cutely correcting their parents when occasion permits. Ciao for now.