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Saperne di più su Melissa

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  First of all, I speak Italian because it's my mother tongue. On top of that, I attended all the schools in Italy, except for the Degree in Manchester, and I obtained the Italian Diploma from the Liceo Classico Psicopedagogico, which focuses on teaching, and on subjects like Latin, Italian grammar and Pedagogy.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Toto', Vittorio De Sica, Ettore Scola, Visconti, Comencini, Nino D'Angelo … I can't name one person as the only emblematic representative of the Italian language's culture because there is not only one Italian language but, there is one language for each Italian region with its peculiarities and sound. I can tell that if a student wants to immerse him/herself in the language culture, this student must watch the classic Italian movies made from the 50s to the 70s like 'Pane, Amore e Fantasia', 'Matrimonio all'italiana, 'I soliti Ignoti', 'Eppure ci eravamo tanto amati', etc..; in these movies, I can find the characteristics of our language brilliantly expressed by the actors of that time, proving that, as you might already know, Italian is made 50% in words and grammar, and the other 50% in gestures and facial expression.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  There are two gestures which I realised are very original to our language once I started leaving in different countries; the first one means that a person does not care at all about the topic of the discussion, which consists in striking the under part of the chin with the hand, starting from the throat and ending just after the chin's end; the second gesture consists in rubbing the index finger right in the centre of the cheek, which means that the food the person is eating, is delicious.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Learning two more languages, made me realise how I wish more countries in the world adopted Italian as their second language because it's fun, expressive and soulful. Italian is the main language sung in the Opera Lirica; is the language used in music writing and obviously in Italian cuisine. Italian is my mother tongue which I naturally use to speak with my family, read, and watch Italian classic movies.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  The main difficulty in learning Italian, which might also be the easiest thing for learning Italian, is that we pronounce each and single letter in each word that we say. There are no cuts or blends of vowels (except for the few rules to follow) but other than that, I believe this language is pretty simple...If we forget about the 'modo congiuntivo'! The only way to make the process of learning easier is to study the rules and practise them, reviewing the mistakes together until everything starts to make sense, and it will!

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  Grammar is a little bit like maths, there are formulas and rules to follow; but as maths might seem impossible for some of us to resolve, in reality even the most difficult mathematical expression can be understood when separated into its simplest elements. Grammar needs pretty much the same approach, once a person starts to recognise the simplest elements of any language, then making a phrase is only a matter of inserting the right word in the right place, it then becomes child's play.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  I lived in Italy all my life except for a few years in Greece and England. Travelling has helped me learn Modern Greek and English and has widely increased my understanding of grammar as a subject. By doing so, I have learned that languages are intertwined with each other and in history, they are ever-evolving, and they are both sovereigns and subjects to their nations which initially accept their rules but eventually, decide to change them time after time, with what sounds better and is easier to use.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I am a Superprof in language because I know that even though some of us have never had the opportunity or time to properly study grammar, even of our language, real knowledge can make everybody learn, improve and be amazed at how intelligent they are and what they can achieve. I am here to share my experience and the strong belief that everybody is capable of speaking a new language with patience, constancy and dedication when we start learning from the simplest elements of a language and then building upon them everything is possible.