Making friends in Italian
Amélie, Netherlands, Age 18I had never been to Italy before spending three months in Bologna for a language course, so it was a bit of a guess – but it turned out to be the best choice I could have made!
Ciao tutti! My name is Amélie, I’m 18 and for three months, I followed a language course in Italy, in Bologna. It was clear to me that I wanted to have some sort of adventure abroad during my gap year, but I wasn’t sure what kind of trip it should be. Do I want to stay in Europe or travel to Asia or South America maybe? Should I travel alone or with a friend? And what exactly was my goal? I then realized there still was a lot to explore within Europe, and that I wanted to get to know more of the different cultures we have here. Italy was a new country to cross off my list!
There are many options when you want to go on a language trip. My main goal was to explore a new country and culture, but also to meet new people and to unwind and relax. Italy was the perfect place for that! I lived in one of the language school’s student houses, in the heart of the city. There were people from all over the world, and from different ages. I was the youngest, but there was also someone from 75 years old in my class. And all ages in between. That was very interesting and fun.
We had four hours of Italian class a day, so there was enough time left to experience Italian culture – and practice the language at the same time. It was a bit of a shock at first to just hear Italian around you, but after adapting for the first few weeks, it almost came naturally. You do make friends in school, at home and simply in the streets – it really has been a great experience.
Updated on štvrtok, 15/12/2022