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Italian Language for Travel : Mango Passport Review

Many folks who travel to Italy are often lulled into the false notion that everyone speaks English in Italy. While that may be true of the majority of those in tourism professions in large cities like Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice etc, you won’t find everyone speaking English in many of the smaller towns and villages that I recommend you visit for the most authentic Italy.

It certainly wasn’t the case when I needed directions while driving through the Tuscan countryside.

Would be travelers to Italy are often afraid of taking that first step in planning a trip because they aren’t fluent in the Italian language.  Fear takes over and instead of a fabulous dream vacation to Italy, they wind up squashing their dreams and choosing a safer, English-speaking destination, closer to home.  Florida, California, I’m talking about you.

For the reasons listed above, I’ve always recommended learning at least a little bit of the local langauge before traveling.  You don’t need to be fluent, but arming yourself with a basic understanding of the language, along with a good phrasebook or smartphone translation app, would go along way to making your trip smoother.

And I also like to mention that learning and speaking Italian can be fun!

Nothing beats having a native speaking private tutor for learning Italian, but for those who don’t have access or the desire to learn in that way (or don’t wish to learn that much), Mango Languages has a fabulous option!

I’ve used and recommended their standard language lessons that you can get on-line, and even for free through some participating libraries.  But now they have a new product called Mango Passport.  It’s a downloadable software program, designed specifically for travel.

After downloading the software for the Mango Passport Italian on my Macbook and running through each and every slide from every lesson in an effort to give it a thorough test drive before reviewing it, I’m now happy to report my findings.

Mango Passport Italy Screenshot

Here are the things that I like about it:

• Though there aren’t any pictures to associate with the words, it’s still a nice looking program.  Since you’ll be staring at a computer screen for hours, Mango really took that into consideration and gave it a very appealing look.
• It’s organized very well and gives you a nice combination of topics that all pertain in some way to traveling in Italy like directions, shopping, eating, currency, asking for help, introductions and holding conversations.
• The program is ‘meaty’.  With 10 chapters and 52 lessons, you really get your money’s worth.
• The program is designed by native Italian speakers.  The voices and pronunciation are very clear and easy to understand.
• Grammar and cultural notes are interspersed throughout each lesson.
• Learn at your own pace.  Each lesson or slide can be stopped, started, paused and repeated at any time.
• I had no issues with glitches or hiccups.  It never sputtered, had to be reloaded or crashed.  It runs as smooth as silk (on my Macbook).
• It’s very user-friendly.  Anyone can figure out how to use it.
• The record-playback feature is awesome!  You can record your own voice speaking words or phrases and play it back to hear how you sound. You can also arrange that audio track to play back at the same time as the native speaker’s audio track.  This is a very helpful feature which sets it apart from other programs I’ve tired.

And a few minor suggestions:

• In Italian, there are both formal and informal tenses of the language.  In this program, some of both is taught. If you’re just starting out learning a new language for basic travel, the formal tense would be sufficient.  It could be too confusing to use both and I would have liked to see just the formal tense.  After all if you’re just traveling, it can be assumed you don’t know anyone, yet.
• I wish they had a feature where you could just play the lessons without having to push the space bar or click every time you wish to advance the slide.  Doing it that way does let you go at your own pace, but it also requires that you be in front of the computer and manually advancing the slides in each lesson.  The addition of an automatic playback feature might let you learn while doing other things.  Perhaps they could allow an option for both.

I will also mention that on the initial purchase, I didn’t receive the license code required for download, but this is likely because I had a special code to input instead of just making a regular purchase. But an email and simple phone call to Mango Languages customer service resolved the matter quickly and professionally and I was up and running in no time after that.

It was one of the better experiences I have had with a brand’s customer service department of late – so kudos to them for being so friendly and responsive.

If you think you might be interested in learning Italian, I’ve got some great news!

Mango Languages has been kind enough to give away a free download of the complete Italian program, which also includes an MP3 version for learning on the go.

I’ll be giving it away next month to one lucky Mélange Travel Newsletter subscriber.  Not a subscriber yet?  No worries, you can join here.

And if you don’t like the idea of downloading anything to your computer – Mango is now offering a boxed CD set as a test on Amazon for five languages. Though the Italian version isn’t available yet, the French version is.

Disclosure : Mango Languages gave me a complimentary download of Passport Italian for the purpose of this review.  As always, the opinions contained in my review are my own.

Travel Tip Tuesday : Italian Language Basics to Learn for Travel

There are those of you who love learning a new language, and those who don’t.  Many travelers heading to Italy have no desire to learn the language and think everyone will just speak English anyway, so what’s the point.

Personally, I am in the first camp, especially when it comes to learning Italian.  It’s just one of the most beautiful and melodic languages out there – I relish the opportunity to use it and learn more of it.

But I certainly understand those who don’t have the time or desire to tackle a new language.  But, I still think learning some beneficial Italian language phrases before traveling to Italy, is a good idea.  Here’s what I recommend:

1.  Learn Italian pleasantries. Yes (si) and No (no) are easy.  Hello and Goodbye (ciao), Please (per favore), Thank You (grazie) and You’re Welcome (prego) all go a long way and should be used often.  Basic Italian greetings like good day (buongiorno) and good night (buona notte) sound lovely and will come in handy.

2.  Learn how to ask questions. Who (Chi) , What (Che), Where (Dove), When (Quando) and How (Come).  My biggest recommendation of the bunch is where or dove, pronounced doh-vey. It is an invaluable Italian word for travel.  Very useful when you need directions, a bathroom, a specific restaurant, the post office or a museum. Commit Dov’é il gabinetto to memory. It means ‘where is the bathroom’?

3.  Learn the days of the week, numbers 1-10 and how to tell time.  These things will be very helpful when reading a train ticket, metro or bus schedule, as well as opening and closing hours for restaurants and museums.  It is important to know that Italy generally follows military time.

4.  Learn how to ask if  someone speaks English. Sure, if you ask them in English and they do speak English, they will most likely answer you back.  But asking in Italian is just more respectful.  Locals will like the fact that you are at least making an attempt to speak a little of their language and they may be more helpful.  Just ask “mi scusi, parla Inglese?”  Conversely, learn how to tell someone you don’t speak Italian by saying “Mi dispiace, non parlo Italiano.”

If you wish to learn some Italian language basics, and pronunciations, here are a few related links that might help:

• Mango Passport
• BBC Learning Italian
• About.com Italian Language Lessons
• ItalianPod101.com

Don’t forget to see what travel tips Cherrye has today!

Traveling to Italy? Click here to see how I can help!

Travel Tip Tuesday : Italian Hand Gestures

Whether you have been to Italy, have Italian-American neighbors, watched Italian films or read many memoirs about Italy – you’ve surely heard by now that many Italians speak with their hands.  In fact, they have their own brand of sign language.  They are the masters of the unspoken art of the hand gesture.

I’m not Italian, but I fall into the category of being very animated and often flail my hands about when I’m speaking. The difference with me is that I’m sure no one could actually understand what I’m trying to say with my hand gestures. Unless of course you’re the dude that cut me off of the road the other day.  In that case, I’m sure everyone could understand that universal hand gesture.  But, I digress.

If you’re like me, and have always wondered what some of these hand gestures are and what they mean, I suggest you pick up a copy of Speak Italian: The Fine Art of the Gesture. It’s definitely a fun and informative little guide.

The book covers many gestures ranging from “Do you have a cigarette?”  to “Call me”.  It shows you how to ask for a drink and how to mention that something is excellent.

I’m certainly not suggesting that hand gestures should replace your study of Travel Italian for your vacation, or that you should even attempt to communicate using some hand gestures.  But, what I do think is that it may come in handy knowing some of these gestures and it may help you prevent any misunderstandings, embarrassment or worse yet – insulting the locals.

One example that comes to mind is the difference between how Americans and Italians count using their hands.  When Americans want to use their hands to show the number ‘one’ – we hold up our index finger and count up from there.  When Italians count, they start with their thumb as the number ‘one’.  So while you’re holding up your index and middle fingers to indicate ‘two’, this may be confusing, as this would be ‘three’ for Italians, as they would start the count with their thumb.

So, while you think you’re giving someone the ‘thumbs-up’, Italians may thinking you’re counting.  And when you may be flashing a peace-sign – they may think your saying ‘I really have to go’.

While this certainly isn’t harmful or insulting to anyone – it’s just a small nuance that may or may not be a little confusing. And that might not necessarily be a bad thing.  In fact, it may lead to a rather funny and memorable exchange.

So what do you think?  Do you have a favorite Italian hand gesture?  Would you attempt to try any hand gestures during your travels to Italy?

More Beautiful Italian Words

The quest continues for more beautiful Italian words.  It’s been a few months since we talked about Italian words.  I figured it was time for another dose.

This is an ongoing quest.  Endless, really.

You may remember More Favorite Italian Words and before that Lovely Italian Words.

Here are some more new favorites.  As always, clicking the links will enable you to hear the Italian pronounciation – and really, who wouldn’t want to do that?

dondolare {swing, rock}

evviva! {hurray}

chiocciola {scroll}

stranieri {strangers, foreigners}

azzurro {blue}

principessa {princess}

magari {maybe}

assolutamente {absolutely}

Riomaggiore {a town in the Cinque Terre}

fagiolini {string beans}

solamente {only}

piccolo {little one}

esatto {exact}

arrivassero {they arrived}

frigorifero {refrigerator}

però {but, however}

meraviglioso {marvelous}

uffa! {sigh of distress}

stuzzicadenti {toothpick}

Dimmi, what are some of your favorite Italian words?  Share in the comments!

More Favorite Italian Words

It has been awhile since we have had an installment on favorite Italian words.

Favorite is such a subjective concept, really. Some words can be favorites because of a hidden meaning.  Others due to the way they feel or sound in your mouth.  And favorites can also be phrases, food or slang Italian words.

And as my learning (and Italian memoir reading) continues, there will no doubt be tons more words to add to my list.

You can read previous posts about Italian words here

Here are some additional favorites, in no particular order:

abbastanza (or basta!) –  enough

formaggio – cheese

finestrino – small window

correggere – to correct

squisito – exquisite

bacio – kiss

soggiorno - stay

dolcetto –  type of wine

abbracci – hugs, embrace

orecchiette – ear-shaped pasta

domattina – tomorrow morning

pagliacci – clowns

affogato – technically means drowned, but it’s also a fab dessert of gelato drowned in espresso.

cameriere – waiter

ti amo – i love you

chiacchiericcio – chit-chat, gossip

dolorosamente – painfully

carabinieri - National police of Italy

poggibonsi – a Tuscan town

torta – cake, tart

brava - good (feminine form)

Wow.  That’s alotta words.

Now it’s your turn to wax poetic about some of your favorites!  You know what to do in the comments…

Dusting off the Italian Language Skills

It has been about a year since we have taken any form of Italian class.  And even more disturbing is that it has been five years since I have visited Italy and heard the real deal spoken all around me.

Lovely Italian Words

Many of you know that I had taken some Italian lessons at the beginning of the year.  You can read more about that here and here.

Finito Italiano

Well, it’s over.  Italian I class…is history!  I never thought I’d get through it.  But, I did!

As you know, we had 10 classes of Italian and though I can’t say that I am fluent in the lingua, by any means, I can say that I have certainly learned alot.  I have come to appreciate this beautiful language even more than before. 

If that was even possible?

You may remember that our professoressa was having a contest.  She  told us to keep adding Italian parole that we learned, to our vocab bank, and that the person with the most words at the end of class would win.  Something.  I was hoping the prize would be an all-expenses paid trip to the Bel Paese.

Being that I am a competitive person, I added new words like a mad-woman.  My strength is usually in the vocabulary and the memorization of said words.  My weakness…ahem, grammar.  So, this contest played to my strengths.

I started my vocab bank with a mere 100 words.  I am happy to announce that the night of our last class, I had 547 words!  Yep,cinquecento quaranta sette parole!!!  And I owned ‘em!!

When the insegnante heard how many words I had, she said "Whoa, va bene, va bene!"

She grabbed my quaderno and started quizzing me.  As if she didn’t believe me.

After she declared me the winner, she presented me with two little doni.

First, she told me to open the piccolo one first.  She said it was *the card*.   And this was my card…

A little pin that says…..I Love Italian!!   È vero!!! 

The second gift was a copy of a popular American children’s book . Tre Orsi.  The Three Bears.  Awww, how cute!!  A perfect gift!

Allora, we are left to our own devices for the summer.  Italian II does not being until September.  We will be challenged to keep up what we have learned and not lose it.  I have found this free Italian pod-cast that can be used as basic review.  I am considering investing in some Pimsleur Cd’s and of course we continue to rent Italian movies through Netflix.

I am sure you all have some even better recommendations for how to keep up on our new Italian language skills. 

I would be grateful if you shared….

Italian Dialects

Italy is made up of 20 different regions.  Until the 1800′s each region had it’s own dialect that was spoken.  In Tuscany, the National language of Italy was created.  It is this Italian language that is taught and is now known by all of Italy.  This is the Italian that we are currently learning.  Well, attempting to learn.

So, all along, I have thought about these other dialects in the 20 regions.  I imagined it would be like someone from the US, hearing the same word spoken in Maine, Tennessee, West Virginia, New York and Boston.  Each word would have a little different sound, based on the area you were from, but that basically you would be able to understand one another. 

I further imagined what  different words might sound like traveling from region to region in Italy.  Hmm, would southern Italy have like a twang, like we do in the South of the US.  Would Northern Italy pronounce there words with more of  a German sound and perhaps.

So, I went out on a limb and asked our professoressa about it in our last class.  She stared at me like I was pazza.  Apparently, I didn’t quite *get* the whole dialect thing.  You see, I though dialects were kinda like an accent.  Oh, nay- nay.  The dialect of a region is a totally different language. And there are 20!  Yeah, missed the boat on that one.

Allora, basically, we are learning the national Italian language that everyone understands, yet there are 20 other completely different local languages, different in each region, that people speak.  The words are totally different.  Oh Caspita!

So, I took a few deep breaths and decided not to get overwhelmed….one thing at a time.  The National language is challenging enough without even thinking aboutadding a local dialect to the mix.

I guess I won’t be fittin’ in with the locals any time soon.

I leave you with a few more of my favorite Italian words.  And don’t worry, these are from the National language…not dialects.

francobollo
boh
professoressa
zanzara
spuntino
tee voo (tv)
abbigliamento
dappertutto
cinquantacinque
lungomare
parcheggio
certo

So, what are some of your favorite words or sayings in a foreign language and why? 

Italian Cinema

One of the ways we are trying to get more practice with the Italian language is renting and watching Italian movies.  We have seen three in the last few weeks, and not only did we have fun picking out some words that we knew, but we thoroughly enjoyed the movies.  Uh, we also learned that we won’t be speaking and understanding any Italian locals for quite some time.  *Sigh*

So, I would like to share those movies with you. 

Add them to your Netflix queue or run out to your local video store to rent them.  Or, if you want to add them to your DVD collection, click on the links below to purchase them through Amazon.

I loved all three movies.  Each has it’s own unique message of love, of inspiration, of destiny.  Each one can make you cry…but for very different reasons.  I had seen Life is Beautiful before, but I can watch that movie over and over and fall in love with it again and again each time I see it.  That one is certainly my favorite of all three.  That Roberto Benigni is some genius!  It is no wonder he and the film won the Academy Award some ten years ago.

Have you seen any of these movies?  What did you think?  Do you like any of them so much, that you had to own it?  Do you have any other Italian movies that you’d recommend to me?