https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed You may have lived here for years, read the textbooks, gone to the classes, even survived an Italian dinner party... but do you ever get the sinking feeling you'll never be truly bilingual? https://www.thelocal.it/20190420/the-signs-youll-never-be-truly-fluent-in-italian Sat, 20 Apr 2019 11:46:33 +0200 the-signs-youll-never-be-truly-fluent-in-italian Whether you're just getting started with Italian or approaching fluency, here are 21 odd, amusing and mildly interesting facts about a language known for its beauty, romance and musicality. https://www.thelocal.it/20170203/21-mildly-interesting-facts-about-the-italian-language Fri, 03 Feb 2017 09:13:51 +0100 21-mildly-interesting-facts-about-the-italian-language Thought baguettes were French and America was, well, American? Actually, you can thank the Italians for both - etymologically, at least. https://www.thelocal.it/20161214/ten-english-words-you-didnt-realize-we-stole-from-italian Wed, 14 Dec 2016 09:39:35 +0100 ten-english-words-you-didnt-realize-we-stole-from-italian Idioms - those little stock expressions whose meanings aren't what they first seem - are often the hardest part of learning a new language. https://www.thelocal.it/20170612/italian-idioms-colours-colourful-language-sayings-expressions Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:35:10 +0200 italian-idioms-colours-colourful-language-sayings-expressions If you're planning to visit - or even settle down in - the Italian capital, you'll likely want to blend in as much as possible. But phrasebook Italian isn't going to cut it in the cobbled streets and crowded bars of Rome. To really impress, try learning a bit of the local lingo. https://www.thelocal.it/20170201/twelve-dialect-words-youll-need-to-know-to-survive-in-rome Wed, 01 Feb 2017 09:48:07 +0100 twelve-dialect-words-youll-need-to-know-to-survive-in-rome Italy's Griko dialects are classed as endangered by the European Union and Unesco. But could folk music be the secret to keeping them alive? Greece-born Italian student Constantinos Orphanos investigates the languages' past and perilous future. https://www.thelocal.it/20170418/how-music-is-keeping-one-southern-italian-dialect-alive Tue, 18 Apr 2017 15:30:52 +0200 how-music-is-keeping-one-southern-italian-dialect-alive The regional council in Veneto, northern Italy, has approved a controversial bill defining the Venetian population as a "minority", and which could be the first step towards independence for the region. https://www.thelocal.it/20161207/veneto-calls-for-official-recognition-of-its-language-minority-status Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:16:50 +0100 veneto-calls-for-official-recognition-of-its-language-minority-status Italian is growing in popularity as a foreign language around the world - but why the appeal? We asked our readers, whose reasons for learning the language ranged from family old and new to an appreciation of the food and culture - as well as some more unexpected factors. https://www.thelocal.it/20161027/love-food-and-music-why-italian-is-now-the-worlds-fourth-most-studied-language Thu, 27 Oct 2016 10:38:17 +0200 love-food-and-music-why-italian-is-now-the-worlds-fourth-most-studied-language The regional council of Sardinia has approved a law banning 'sexist language', meaning official communication must use the grammatically feminine form of titles and professions when referring to women. https://www.thelocal.it/20161013/sardinia-bans-sexist-language-from-official-communication Thu, 13 Oct 2016 13:02:50 +0200 sardinia-bans-sexist-language-from-official-communication A young child has had his word endorsed by Italy's notoriously purist linguistic academy, while many others are on the waiting list. Take a look at Italian's newest words. https://www.thelocal.it/20160224/the-newest-words-in-the-italian-language Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:43:05 +0100 the-newest-words-in-the-italian-language You may have almost mastered Italian, but here at The Local we're certain you won't know the longest words in the beautiful language. https://www.thelocal.it/20150319/seven-ways-to-get-tongue-tied-in-italian Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:19:46 +0100 seven-ways-to-get-tongue-tied-in-italian Despite an increasing number of Italians speaking excellent English, common mix-ups continue. The Local takes a look at the top ten linguistic mistakes. https://www.thelocal.it/20150206/ten-common-mistakes-italians-make-in-english Fri, 06 Feb 2015 09:00:00 +0100 ten-common-mistakes-italians-make-in-english Living in a bilingual family can be challenging, as The Local found out earlier this week by speaking to a mother and her daughter. Here our readers share their own experiences of balancing their multilingual lives. https://www.thelocal.it/20140905/i-see-english-as-a-present-im-giving-to-them Fri, 05 Sep 2014 19:17:00 +0200 i-see-english-as-a-present-im-giving-to-them Italy needs to revamp its language lessons in school and begin teaching young children subjects in English, the education minister has said. https://www.thelocal.it/20140328/italy-must-teach-children-in-english-minister Fri, 28 Mar 2014 16:26:00 +0100 italy-must-teach-children-in-english-minister British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday made a linguistically challenged attempt to reach out to Italians, prompting one newspaper to ask whether he was using Google Translate. https://www.thelocal.it/20130820/british-pm-makes-failed-attempt-at-italian Tue, 20 Aug 2013 11:16:00 +0200 british-pm-makes-failed-attempt-at-italian