Language Rhythm

The more I learn Italian, the more I get this idea that maybe each language has its own...rhythm. by rhythm I mean..the way the languages has, that thing that goes beyond pronunciation. French sounds a certain way, Italian sounds a certain way, English sounds a certain way, etc. and the more you learn the language the more you learn the language's rhythm. I know this might not be making any sense, but I this idea came to me yesterday when I was in Olive Garden, which is an Italian restaurant. some of the words on the menu were in Italian and I was working out how they would sound in Italian, when it came to me that I am starting to learn the rhythm that Italian has. again, this probably makes no sense at all, but it does to me, which is why its on here.

Testing Email Blogger

Testing Email Blogger

I am testing this feature on my blog. if it works, i'll be able to post by sending emails to mmg07a.italiano@blogger.com. it this is a post, it means it worked!

Tools Update

This will be a super duper quick post, just a few sentences. when I took Mandarin at ACU, the professor suggested we buy this App from this language learning software, BYKI. They offer different languages apps, so they have a BYKI Greek, a BYKI Italian, a BYKI Mandarin, etc. they have lots of languages! its  $8.00, but its really worth it. it gives you a good head start and you learn basic phrases that would need to get around, to travel, in restaurants, meet and greet, etc. its really good! it's so good that I decided to buy the Italian version,  and I'm very excited about it! that's all!

Too Easy?

I've mentioned this in past posts before, but learning Italian, I'm finding, is easy for me. not that I'm halfway to being fluent or anything, but I'm picking it up fast because it is so close to Spanish and because it has some French mixed in. I love that I'm picking it up fast, and it gives me excitement and energy and confidence in myself and that helps me with the other languages I'm learning. however, I am finding that I feel like...like I'm cheating because it it so easy for me to learn, like I'm not really learning it. of course that's not true. a language doesn't have to be hard for it to count as you learning that language. but for some reason, that's how it feels to me. that I'm not really learning Italian, or that I'm cheating somehow. maybe its because Mandarin is so challenging to learn, as well as Biblical Greek. so in comparison to those, Italian is easy, and my mind is not used to that you know? sometimes, I have this crazy thought that maybe I'm meant to learn Italian for some reason. I love Italy, it was so beautiful when I went there, and I'm even thinking about going to teach English in Italy after I finish graduate school. if I can, Italy is kinda competitive when it comes to Teaching English jobs, but there are lots of programs outhere, and who knows? if not Italy then somewhere in Western Europe. who knows? maybe I'll decide to go back to China. with a Master's in English, I would quality as an expert and get a higher salary. but for now, Italy after graduate school or doctorate after graduate school is the plan. I do hope I get past this "Italian is too easy" feeling. is it cheating? am I really learning this language?its so close to spanish, that it feels like it doesn't really count for me.

I'm Getting It

I don't want to sound like I'm bragging or being over confident in this post, so if that's the way I'm coming across, then I am sorry but this is my blog. I have not spend a lot of time studying Italian, nor any of the other languages I am learning, but the few times I have sat down and worked on it, I have found that I pick it up quickly. The software program I'm using, I'm on Level 1, disc 1, and in the numbers category it teaches you to count to 20, and I worked on that and I got it! I will admit that I have a bit of problem in numbers 11-20, especially 17-19, but I know how they sound. its pronouncing it that is the problem. but I can understand the numbers 0-20 now, and I can for sure count to 10, all the way up to 16 actually. not bad for 2 hours or so of work. I know that this is the baby stage, the learning of words, but I'm excited that I am picking it up fairly easily. it is close to Spanish and french and so I suppose that gives me a big of an advantage, like I've said in previous posts. I know that I'm just learning words, but it makes me feel good about myself to know that I am off to a good start on this journey. someday,I will be able to have conversations in Italian, and be able to read books in Italian(albeit not as fast as I do in English of course). I am very excited. I do have a bit of a confidence issue sometimes, and I love it when I do something well.

at this point, I am starting to realize that understanding Italian wont be as hard as speaking it. when I work on my Italian with the software, I learn to recognize the sounds and the words quickly, and memorizing and learning to say them takes  a bit longer. I suppose that makes sense in a way. in my language, culture, and communication class, we learned that the way we naturally learn a language(as seen when we are first learning to talk)is we learn to hear first, to recognize the words, and then we learn to speak, and then read, and then write. with that in mind, it does make sense that I can understanding the words in Italian and know what they are, and saying them is the skill that comes after that. I love it that I get to experience what I learned about language learning first hand. granted, learning english counts but I was 8 when I did and at that age, it is so easy to pick up a language that within 6 months I was speaking it. so it counts but...in a different way. so far I love Italian and I cannot wait for that day that I read a book in Italian or have a conversation in Italian. years and years away but...it'll get here.