Whether coming to Italy as a tourist or a returning visitor one needs to prepare a plan for understanding the language to enjoy the total benefit of the culture..
Many of us keep a copy of an Italian-English dictionary on our smart phone or get motivated to study with language apps like Duolingo. Those with more time and lots of patience might enroll in one of the many language schools here in Florence. However those of us that want to jump into the lifestyle may not have the time or desire to sit in a classroom repeating verb tenses and pronouns. So it’s on to full immersion by everyday experiences.
Luckily in Florence, English speakers have access to many resources. The monthly news magazine The Florentine, lists many resources such as classifies ads that include language learning opportunities as well as articles describing all sorts of interesting events in Florence. The Florentine can be picked up at the Paperback Exchange, the Anglo-american bookstore, on Via delle Oche on the first Thursday of the month as well as the two central food markets. http://www.theflorentine.net/classifieds/
To really get immersed in the community go to the Florentine libraries. There are many beautiful libraries in Florence where you can read local periodicals and international newspapers as well as doing research. Be aware however that some of the libraries contain old manuscripts and are not lending libraries but rather museums. However they are so beautiful and well worth your time. Just this weekend at the San Marco museum I discovered the library there that was built for Cosimo de’ Medici. Beautiful manuscripts and choir books are on display there with many “words” albeit in Latin!
The Palazzo di Parte Guelfa has a wonderful reading room and library.
Bilbliotecha Nazionale located on Piazza Cavelleggeri off the Arno river is one of the largest in Europe and in my opinion can be overwhelming.
The most user friendly library in Florence is the Biblioteca delle Oblate on
Via dell’Oriuolo, 24. http://www.biblioteche.comune.fi.it/biblioteca_delle_oblate/
This is truly a community gathering spot with lots of activities and choices for all. Workshops, film, Children’s library, concerts, internet, wifi and a wonderful cafeteria open to 10:00pm a few nights a week.
The Oblate was the former site of the convert of the Oblate, which housed a secular order of women who voluntarily took care of the ill.
I was thrilled to pick up my first Italian library card there within minutes. Unlike the very complicated system of obtaining one in some of the other libraries in town.
Often trying to learn a language can be frustrating but when learning it while doing things you enjoy the words seem to come alive. Go to a local library and become involved in community activities. Sit among the locals.
Now learning the language idioms is a whole other subject for a future post but rather enjoy a book such as “In Other Words” by the Pulitzer prize writer Jhumpa Lahiri who not only describes her process of learning the Italian language but writes this novel in a dual-language format with one page in Italian and the facing page in English. Terrific idea and a great way to study the language.
A suggestion: get the book, take it to the Oblate cafeteria at sunset and enjoy one of the best views in Florence while reading it!
* AND just for fun, the great Mina song: Parole, Parole, Parole… have a listen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9TUV7ae5aA
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