Language: Italian
Writer's Background: I started to learn the Italian language from my family, and I have learned Italian in school over the past four years.
From childhood to adolescence, I have experienced different and interesting languages, whether it is listening to my grandfather speak Italian or hearing different languages in public, on television news programs, or even at school. Wherever I am and whatever I am doing, different languages have always surrounded me.
Growing up, I learned Italian from not only school but from my grandfather. Throughout middle school to now high school, I have studied and learned Italian. The Italian language is very interesting to me since I am Italian. My grandparents are Italian immigrants, and both come from Sicily, Italy. Even though the Italian I learn at school is a little different than my grandparents’ dialect, I am still able to understand my family members very easily. Learning the language has allowed me to be able to communicate and connect with my family members in a simpler way. The language has not only helped me communicate, but has also helped me learn more about myself and my family in uncomplicated way. For instance, now I am able to understand my grandfather by the key words I have learned in Italian class. The language has given me the opportunity to become closer and understand my family members in a way I have never before.
Constanza is a high school sophomore from Livingston, NJ.
Comments