Learn Italian in Italy

Travel to Learn Italian in Italy
By John Slocum

Before traveling, especially to learn Italian in Italy, I was warned to not be the ugly American tourist. We must be sensitive and respectful. We must be open and understanding. We must not wear leisure suits and track shoes. I pride myself on my cultural sensitivity, which is probably why I was so traumatized when, during one of my first outings while I went to learn Italian, a fruit monger accused me of calling him a communist.

It was the first time for me to attempt to learn Italian and even experience the culture in depth. I soon discovered that buying fruit in Italy is an art. Fruit is beautifully displayed in baskets and stands, to be admired but never touched by the hands of the passing consumer. Picking up an apple for inspection in Italy is considered an act of aggression, one for which I was properly chastised repeatedly. Quickly I learned: ask for what you want, and the fruit monger, whose experience and knowledge of grape clusters is vastly superior to your own, will select exactly the right cluster to suit your needs.

Such a custom would never have occurred to me. In the US, you inspect each piece of fruit carefully, using techniques your grandmother taught you to make sure your melon is really ripe, your plums are not bruised, and your apple is crisp. But sure enough, this is what I experienced as I went to learn Italian abroad.