The next step toward speaking Italian

So far, I have really loved learning Italian.  I have come to realize that, in general, I love learning.  When I think of the jobs I have really enjoyed, they are the ones where I had a "steep learning curve".  But, I think, beyond generalities, there has been something in particular about learning Italian that I love.  Possibly some special mix of time and place in my life but that's not all.  Italian, some time,s has a silliness about it that is endearing - the compounds words for example.  Produce stalls are "fruttivendoli"  or selling fruit, escalators are "scala mobile" or moving stairs and a towel is "ascuigamano" or dry hand.  Italian also, and this is not my own secret discovery, has a rich and fabulous sound.  With the rolled "r"s and the round vowels, it not only sounds great, but it feels good in the mouth to speak it.

So, when I finished the last Fluenz Italian level that was available (3) and wanted to learn more, I had to find something else.  I bought a few "dud" Italian learning books which were so dry and unimaginative that they would literally put me to sleep.  Then, I found a school/community in Philadelphia called The America-Italy Society of Philadelphia .  I signed up for the second level course, hoping I had learned enough on my own and gave it a try!  The teacher of my course was the school's director, Franca Riccardi, a native of Italy, a great teacher and molta simpatica (very likable!).  The class had 3 other students and it was great.  All of a sudden, I had to speak and practice out loud!  I continued with that class and then the next.  By the time I finished "103", I had booked our Summer trip to Italy and was feeling like I wanted to do everything I could to learn as much as I could before I went to study in Rome.  So, for the new year, I scheduled a weekly private class with an instructor Franca found for me from Tuscany who is here in America teaching Italian at Temple University.

My new teacher, Chiara Montera, is great.  We speak 99% in Italian together (exhausting AND exhilarating) and I feel like the hour flies by.  I'm not sure what our goal is or what kind of progress we can expect to make in the four months before our trip, but I'm very happy with it all.  Buon lavoro e buona fortuna a me!