I am feeling really good about my knowledge of the Italian language. Of course I am still a beginner, but I can navigate my way through a conversation with ease and, surprisingly enough, they can understand me too. I know I take a few people by surprise when they speak to me in English and I respond in Italian...I like the looks on their faces, their smiles and their nods. There is an unspoken understanding that I respect their culture and the importance of maintaining the Italian language from English influence. It is also a language that if you only know a few words and speak it with authority while waving your hands around wildly, you will get by just fine.
La lingue d'amore...it is true. Somehow everything sounds sexier and more romantic when it is spoken in Italian.
I am very proud that I am learning another language and also that I have my French. It has taken twelve years since graduation to really comprehend the value of my French Immersion education, but I am so thankful to have had this opportunity. Thanks mom! On several occassions I have had the opportunity to use my French on this trip and everyone says how strong it is. One such occassion was on the train to Venice. There was a delightful French couple who were celebrating the sixth anniversary of their marriage in Padua (of their second marriages). They thought that I hailed from Quebec and were astounded that my French was "perfect -- even my grammar". It is amazing how quickly it comes back and how confident I feel speaking after this positive reinforcement. I feel that I have more to offer professionally, whether in Canada or abroad and it is sad that North Americans, Brits, Aussies and Kiwis are among the only people in the world who do not learn a second language en masse.
Who knows...maybe my Italian will come in handy one day...
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Ah, finally, another message from you - in fact, more than one! Oh happy day..... oh happy day... (melody not included!) :-)
6:15 a.m., Thursday, June 4
Good morning Kristie,
Didn't I tell you!!!.... no - I'm not gloating but I do have a huge grin on my face which reflects how very happy I am for you. It is also extremely rewarding to see that you 'get it'. Many, unfortunately, do not. What you are experiencing mirrors my sentiments, as well as my personal experiences, because I speak French.
When I was in Quebec City in October, 2007, the moment I stepped off the plane, until the moment I stepped back onto another to wing me home, with the exception of speaking to Dale and his co-workers, not a single English word left my tongue. It's 'in there' ~ within the deep recesses of the mind, just waiting, busting, to be let out and used.
Something you failed to mention which I, personally, find relevant, is the ease with which we can learn a second Latin language - in your case Italian, in mine, Spanish, because of our knowledge of the French language. I will sign off in both Spanish and Italian and the similarities are quite striking. As we discovered while having lunch the day before you left for Italy, there are definite links between the three tongues.... (You suggested, I recall, that the 'piggy back language' between the three is Italian). We demonstrated this clearly to be the case by using the word "tomorrow".... French: demain, Italian: domani, Spanish, Manana. Now to keep them straight and use the correct language for the correct situation! LOL.... in Cuba that never ceases to be a personal challenge :-).
I have not once regretted enrolling you in French Immersion, nor have I regretting personally learning French 'the hard way'. (However it is for that avery reason, that I HAD to learn the hard way, that I enrolled you in FI.). Like most experiences in life, it has come back 'just at the right moment, when it was needed', and has been a stepping stone to something greater. Your rich experiences are now being interwoven into a beautiful tapestry, facilitated by your language skills, respectful attitude, and personality. I could not be more pleased.
Molto bacios e ti amo ,
Muchos besos y te amo,
Tua madre,
Tu/su madre...
xox
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