Having an Italian father and an American mother I had to grow up bilingual. Half of the family only spoke Italian and the other half English. I grew up in Italy so I know the language and the culture and the differences between living in Italy and in the US. Subtle differences such as when you're offered something saying "yes, thank you" as opposed to "yes, please".
I know first hand the challenges, and benefits, of handling 2 different languages, and as I teach Italian to my adoptive niece, I can see her joy at learning new ways of saying the same things. I would love to share this with others.
I remember my first translation "gig" when I was just 9 years old. In Italy on the bus from the beach with my nonna, there was a lady asking for an English speaker since she couldn't understand the conductor. He needed to confirm her ticket. When nobody else responded I stood up and translated for them to their amazement. On the other hand at 4, after spending 3 whole months in the US, I had forgotten to speak Italian while still understanding it. I learned it back quickly.
back to top