ITALY - ROMA

Doing my semester abroad in Rome has been a real adventure, not only in experiencing the Italian lifestyle but also in diving deeper into the Italian language itself. Before arriving, I already had a foundation in Italian thanks to my mother, who speaks it fluently after working with Italians for over 20 years in Liechtenstein. Growing up, she shared bits of Italian with me, and I’d often hear her speaking with her Italian friends, which sparked my interest in learning more. Later, at Gymnasium Vaduz, I chose the Italian language path, spending four years studying it and even writing a paper on women’s emancipation in Sicily. So, while I had a head start, I knew that being fully immersed in Italian every day would still be a challenging but rewarding experience.

An added advantage in learning Italian has been my fluency in Spanish and Portuguese. Since these languages all share Latin roots, there’s a lot of overlap in vocabulary and structure, which makes Italian feel quite familiar to me. Many words are either identical or close in meaning and form, allowing me to navigate Italian with more ease. For example, words like importante (important) and informazione (information) appear almost identical in all three languages. Even phrases like è possibile (it’s possible) align perfectly in Italian and Spanish, though they may vary a bit in pronunciation. This similarity lets me feel more at ease as I can often guess the meaning of unfamiliar Italian words and, with some focus on pronunciation, sound fairly fluent. The main challenge is remembering to apply the unique Italian intonation and rhythm, which differs from the pronunciation habits I’ve formed in Spanish and Portuguese.

Now that I’m here, I make an effort to speak Italian in everyday situations, whether I’m ordering food, chatting with vendors, or greeting my neighbors in the staircase. At first, I felt nervous about making mistakes and would quickly switch to English if I got stuck. Over time, though, I’ve learned to embrace the challenge, allowing myself to slow down, search for words, and even explain around a word I don’t know rather than translating everything. One example was when I wanted to buy onions for cooking, but didn’t know the word for it in Italian in that moment. I ended up describing the bitter taste and appearance, and the vendor quickly understood. Little moments like these have really helped build my confidence, and I’m enjoying each little win, like completing an entire conversation in Italian without needing to revert to English.

Another major support has been the Italian course I’m taking at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. With four hours a week in a small class setting, I get the chance to focus on grammar and pronunciation, which are particularly helpful. My grammar has definitely improved, but it’s my pronunciation that has seen the biggest boost. The course has done wonders for my selfesteem. Practicing Italian in a supportive environment where I can make mistakes and learn from them has given me confidence to use the language freely outside of class as well.

Interestingly, I haven’t found Roman Italian as challenging as I expected. There doesn’t seem to be a distinct accent here that makes things harder to understand, even though I’ve heard that southern dialects can vary quite a bit. Being in Rome has shown me that communication isn’t just about perfect language skills, it’s about effort, patience, and the willingness to connect with others, even if it means making a few mistakes along the way. It’s rewarding to see the effort being understood and appreciated by others, as it’s a reminder that the core of language is connection, not perfection.

This experience has taught me valuable skills that will go far beyond Italy. Learning to adapt, not letting the fear of mistakes hold me back, and finding ways to bridge language gaps will be useful in any multicultural setting I might work in later. Most of all, it’s reminded me that language learning is an ongoing journey, and I’m excited to keep exploring it and improving as I go. With each conversation, I feel a little closer to understanding not just Italian, but the culture and people who bring it to life every day.