14. Conversation: Class Size

I know there is nothing more deflating than to speak (or try to speak) Italian and the damn waiter or clerk replies in English! No better way to take away our fragile confidence! Still, let’s assume we are prepared to try. In my first blog I mentioned that for those with limited knowledge of Italian an achievable goal from a short stay would be to break the inarticulate barrier and speak not fluent Italian, but halting, limping Italian -- not always grammatically correct, but still Italian! This feat is achievable if we apply ourselves to trying consciously to speak both in and out of class, and it is in classroom situations that we have to break the first barrier. So the type of class we select is most important if conversational skills is our goal.

No matter how wonderful a teacher, if the number of students is large, a person’s time to speak will be, indeed should be, highly limited. An instructor who allows one student to hog the conversation is not doing her job properly. So what is a good number? Or expressed differently, what is a small class? I can tell you from experience that 15 is too large. There were 15 in my conversation class at the University of Perugia for Foreigners. An hour divided by 15 gives 4 minutes per person, if every minute of the hour is devoted to each student speaking. At the University, we had 2 three-hour conversation classes, which means 12 minutes of allotted time per student per session. This amount is not possible, given the need for instructions and preparations, etc. The instructor’s solution was to have mini groups working on a project with the expectation that the individuals in the group would be – actually had to—speak in Italian. One person from the group would be the spokesman. This was probably the best that could be done. Frankly, I don’t think I would have broken out of my linguistic shell if the University had been my first visit to a language institution in Italy.

Fortunately, I attended the private commercial school, Scuola Leonardo da Vinci in May 2005, when the student body was still fairly small. Apparently, the number grows in the summer months, but the stated maximum is 12 per class. We had 8 students in my class, and this number allowed the instructor to hold one-on-one debates. Although we did not have conversation-only classes, each class had a portion of time for oral work. I believe this is where I started to overcome the psychological barrier of finding the right word in time. I also believe that after a month at the university my ability to speak did not improve beyond the level I had attained at Siena. So my recommendation is if you really want to speak or improve your ability to speak Italian through use of the classroom, then choose an institution that offers [very] small classes.

13. Perugia vs Siena

There are so many wonderful cities to explore in Italy that you should decide what you really want. The great cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice have a lot to offer, but they also "offer" lots of tourists, which means higher prices for accommodation and restaurants, and English-speaking waiters! Milan, I am told, is very expensive because it is the centre of haute couture. Or you may prefer a little town, where the populace are Italian speaking, but with little else to offer besides the town square. Well, that is not as bad as it may seem. If you are close to the tourist areas you can always make excursions. Besides, a month in a small Tuscan town in summer might be just what the doctor ordered! I think it really depends on how hospitable are the townspeople. With this in mind, I will make a brief comparison of two small cities, Siena and Perugia.

Siena is only two hours away from Florence and, historically, the loser in their historical rivalry. If you mention Siena to anyone, the first response is that it is a beautiful city. Indeed it is a small and beautiful city. As with all small towns and cities in any country, there are the "locals" and then there are the "outsiders". Apparently, even in Italy, the Sienese are known for their insularity. While visiting another town I struck up a conversation with an Italian. When I told him that Siena was beautiful but I found the people standoffish, he went into a tirade against them. As he explained to me, they only have time for themselves and that although he lived only a short distance away from Siena , when he attended university there he was always treated as an outsider!

I can understand, if not appreciate, this Sienese insularity. Historically, they are denizens of a city state on a hill often struggling for their independence, and their social fabric is closely knit by their contradas. These function like a cross between a social club and a co-operative, and serve to guide if not control the behaviour of the youth. As one instructor told me, Siena does not need discos because the contradas hold their own dances. Being so self contained, it is no wonder that they appear disinterested if not cold to the large number of outsiders, comprising tourists and students.

Before I describe my experiences at Siena , I do want to make clear that I am writing about Siena in May 2005, and lots could have happened in a year. Who knows, the drug problem could even have taken a grip in Siena as it has in Perugia. Also, during my stay I lived with a family in the outskirts, and so could not frequent the nightspots because of the bus schedule or lack of! On the other hand, there seemed to be a very limited number of bars. And let me also point out that in my dealings I found the clerks, taxi drivers – yes taxi drivers too --and waiters all very honest. In this respect Siena is unlike Florence where you thank the saints if you don’t get ripped-off by a driver.

The Sienese seem to have a total lack of concern for traffic and other pedestrians. Often when I was walking along the narrow street I would encounter a Sienese or a group of them, and if I didn’t get out of the way they would have walked right through me! In North America, if a young person did the same that would be an insult and I shudder to think what would break out. But the Sienese behave in the same way with cars. Often I've seen them just walk along while the car patiently creeps behind, and unlike Perugia, no horn plays! But I think the best example of this indifference to others occurred on a rainy day. We had been standing in the Campo watching the draw for the Palio when the heavens opened up. As I was getting totally soaked I followed the others and made a dash for shelter. There were people standing in the entrance of a shop and there was room for me. However, no one stepped aside to make room for me. I was literally standing out in the rain until I decided on prudence over politeness and pushed my way in. This indifference perplexes me. It seems as if the Sienese populace and the "outlanders" are like oil and water – they may interface but they don’t mix. As a stranger one feels tolerated but not welcomed. As you can guess, outside of my host family, I did not meet a single Sienese with whom I could have a conversation.

How unlike Perugia! It is much more cosmopolitan and consequently the people are more "open". True, it is a larger city with thousands of foreign students and tourists. I had several impromptu chats – one with a gentleman who recognised that I was using an old film Canon camera and so we had a discussion on the merits of the camera. On another occasions, I was watching a young man repair an old view camera, and his boss, a gentleman in his 70s started speaking to me and invited me into his apartment where we continued our conversation. On still another occasion I met a highly intelligent young lady and we had a discussion on literature. More of these and I am sure my Italian would have improved!

Perugia is also a gold mine, and you can find everything from Jazz to coffee bars where the local intellectuals meet. I just know that if I had stayed longer, or if I had spent more time in the cafes and bars I would have met more Italians – a feeling I failed to get about Siena . Despite my having fallen twice on the cobblestoned lanes, I would not hesitate to return to Perugia to study, but not at the university – that was not a good experience.

By the way, each time I fell a Perugian rushed to my assistance. The first time I fell in front of a café, and the barman helped me up and sat me down. Next he brought me ice. The second time I slipped in the rain and a young fellow came to my rescue. In Siena they probably would have walked over me!