Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Non Parlo Bene l'Italiano Ma Lo Capisco Abbastanza Bene (e ho sempre avuto una passione per il portoghese)

I have been fascinated by languages, especially the romance languages but never really learned much more than rudimentary Italian, a little French, and a smattering of Spanish. Portuguese, while beautiful, is Greek to me. I have wanted to become more proficient in Italian, but my only source is the internet.

So I have been watching lots of YouTube videos in Italian. Some channels are specifically for learning the language. There are groups of YouTube Channels with different instructors using the same teaching methods for different languages. 

What has surprised me recently is that I am actually beginning to understand the language at least in part, without English subtitles or trying to do translation in my head. Of course I don't understand every word but if I select Italian subtitles I can see the words and it all makes sense. Even without the Italian subtitles I now get more than just "the gist" of a conversation or monologue. But the missing part is "speaking the language."

Today I was watching a very interesting young Italian language expert on "Podcast Italiano" with Davide.

But allow me to digress...the thing about the internet and YouTube in particular is that one can easily fall into a "rabbit hole" and come out in a place one had no intention of visiting. 

And so it happened that suddenly I was watching a video of a young, very cute Portuguese language instructor named Leo.

Leo also appears in more than one of Davide's Podcast Italiano and he speaks fluent Italian.

I have loved Portuguese, particularly Brazilian Portuguese, since being mesmerized by Bossa Nova music years ago. Portuguese is not an easy language. They seem to have no consistent use of either vowels or consonants. But I know I would learn Portuguese if Leo was my instructor.


I was in the rabbit hole for hours with Leo. Can you blame me? 


5 comments:

Russ Manley said...

I wouldn't blame you a bit, Frank. As a matter of fact, I'd ----- better not say what I would do with Leo and a hole.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Hmmm, yeah, I think I’m developing an interesting in Portuguese, as well.

Russ Manley said...

P.S. - I ate up Latin and French in school, and a little Spanish too - all smooth sailing for me - but Italian is incomprehensible, and Portuguese impenetrable! Why, I don't know.

I'm surprised you don't speak Italian, since you spent your junior year in Rome.

Frank said...

I was able to speak enough Italian to get along in Italy but that was in 1969! Use it or lose it, as they say. In addition to vocabulary and grammar, it actually requires the use of different facial/lingual muscles to speak correctly. I lack exercise in so many respects.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I bet Leo could teach you a lot of things! And you'd be an eager student.

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