"When one teaches, two learn"
I've been in Italy for three weeks now and honestly don't even know where or what to begin writing about. When I first arrived, I had a week to explore because my school was off, or "on holiday" (thank you Britain), for Carnevale and the days leading up to Ash Wednesday. My lovely host took this as an opportunity to take me to Venice, Padua, and Verona for the long weekend. See pics below (click on them for descriptions)
Now the fun part...teaching Italian High School students English and about American culture. In each of my classes, I introduced myself and then let them ask me questions. Some classes just stared blankly, or talked amongst themselves in Italian (it's hard to know if they are uninterested or conversing to figure out what I'm saying). When it got to the Q&A part, a lot of students would consult with their classmates to figure out how to properly ask me a question in English.
Common questions I was asked:
1) Why did you come to Italy, or more importantly Torino specifically? (Apparently they don't think Turin is all that great, maybe compared to other Italian cities or Europe)
2) What do you think about Trump? Personally, I do not even like politics when I am home and prefer to not discuss it. I think I am a pretty open-minded and accepting person, but I cannot say the same for everyone especially in light of most recent events. We've come to a point where we are not respectful to other points of view, nor can we simply agree to disagree. Politics in general, as well as disputes between the two parties have caused violence and hateful words towards one another. Politics are so much more complicated than the one man who is the face of our country to people all across the globe. It is more complicated than a two-party system that cannot seem to compromise. And I am stuck with the task of representing America and explaining all of this in a language that is foreign to these students?....help
3) How old are you? And do you have a boyfriend? ah the classic questions that even American students will ask their teachers, especially females, on the first day.
4) What do you like better, American pizza or Italian pizza? Need to collect more data to answer this.
5) Do you put pineapple on your pizza? I had to explain to them what Hawaiian pizza is. And in America, usually there's two kinds of people: people who love Hawaiian pizza, or people that hate it. This dish is unheard of in Italy, almost as if it disgraces the pizza name. So if you come to Italy, definitely do not try to order this from a restaurant.
6) Why are the Kinder Surprise eggs illegal in America? This question seemed to baffle not only me, but also the main teachers in the classroom. To be fair, I had a hard time understanding the name they were saying through their thick Italian accent. But once they googled it for me, I realized I had to do some research. It turns out, these chocolates that Italian children and teens love, were banned in the US for almost 50 years, but are now returning to stores. The US will finally join over 170 countries who sell these prized chocolates. They are originally called Kinder Sorpresa, manufactured by Italian company, Ferraro.
7) What are American parties like? Not exactly an appropriate topic for the classroom, and with the teacher looking right at me, I tried to dodge answering this question as best I could. It's so interesting to hear what other countries or cultures think or know about your home country. I think it's safe to say, American colleges are iconic around the world.
8) What sport is most popular in America? To watch? To play? Those can have two completely different answers. Plus, America is such a large and diverse country that someone in California may have a difference answer from someone in New York. The Italian high school where I teach is a sports high school and a technical school, so most either play sports or study extra sports in school, or study IT. But unlike America, Italy does not have interscholastic sports competitions. As someone who played 5 sports in high school, and was very proud to represent my high school through sports, I find it hard to imagine a school without them. Interscholastic sports is a very new concept to my students, as well as collegiate sports being used as professional entertainment. My students' sports interests range from ice skating and gymnastics, to boxing, basketball, and even synchronized swimming! And most are very passionate about football [soccer] either as players or fans - just don't ask them if they are Juventos or Torino fans as it is likely to start a huge debate.
9) What kind of music do you listen to? Although I'm from Pennsylvania and spend most of my time in New York, I am a southern belle at heart. Explaining country music in a country where the genre is basically nonexistent was an interesting feat. When they wanted an example, I had them listen to 'Cruise' by Florida Georgia Line and the professor asked me to explain the lyrics line by line HA! But I also listen to pop music and hip hop, alternative, etc., I don't discriminate. All the students listen to American rap music and love Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 cent, Drake, etc. They proceeded to ask if I knew Italian singers, but I did not recognize the names.
10) What is my favorite Italian food I have eaten so far? The great thing about my program with Greenheart Travel is staying with a host family. When I visited Rome two years ago, I think traveling by myself and not speaking the language, lead me to tourist traps. When I'm home, I LOVE cheese! Well, Italy is like cheese heaven. They have fresh cheese, and aged cheese, and even Philadelphia cream cheese! When I travel, I love to eat or drink whatever the area is known for. Some of the cheese I have eaten is so fresh it is only available here, produced by farmers daily. I also love prosciutto. In Italy they have two kinds - prosciutto cotto [ham] and prosciutto crudo is what we know as prosciutto in America. And I can't forget about the pasta, the bread, the chocolate, the wine, and the coffee. My suitcase is probably just going to be filled with these on my trip back home.
11) What time do you start school? When I was in High school, I started at 7:30am [students eyes lit up with a shocked expression]. At my school in Italy, lessons begin at 8am. The students stay in one classroom all day, and instead the teachers change classrooms. When the teacher enters the classroom, the students are expected to stand and say Good morning as respect to the teacher. The students have two 15 min long breaks each day, one at 9:55-10:10 and one at 11:55-12:10, and the teachers usually remain in the corridors to "monitor" the students. Unlike America, the students do not eat a scheduled lunch in school in a cafeteria. It seems they bring food with them, or during breaks they can buy a panini [sandwich] or pizza from a snack table in the corridors. Italian schools also have lessons Monday through Saturday. And they do not have the same class schedule every day, it switches. Homework doesn't seem to be included in their grades, it is just expected you complete it. And something that was new to me, is their oral exams. Italians constantly study because at any moment a teacher can administer an oral exam to their students.
12) What is a fraternity? Again, an American cultural element portrayed in the films that my students were curious about. Some of my classes had Smartboards, so I could show pictures and explain that some of my closest friends came from these Greek Life organizations. For the other classes, I just had to explain how we are organizations that share common values. On the one hand, it was nice to be able to represent my chapters and explain frats and sororities to people who didn't really know any of the negative stigmas that are typically associated with them in America. On the other hand, explaining a concept that is entirely foreign to them and with terms not easily translated to Italian was a bit difficult.
13) What do you watch on tv? Not gonna lie, I primarily watch American crime shows - Law and Order SVU, Criminal Minds, CSI, Bones, NCIS, etc. Surprisingly, my students were overjoyed and love to watch these, too! We also talked about House and Grey's Anatomy. They also love Stranger Things and How I Met Your Mother. And Italian versus American Netflix seemed to be a chosen topic of discussion.
14) What food is typically eaten in Pennsylvania? Let's see, I'm 1.5 hrs north of Philly so I had to explain the Philly cheesesteak and pretzel. My favorite place to get food is my [Allentown] Farmer's Market and a lot of food sold there is Pennsylvania Dutch or Amish, two things my students would have no clue about. Teaching in English to foreign speakers really makes you consider your word choice and topic choice in any presentation or explanation. I remember back to my Spanish learning days and try to think about ways to explain something that would translate the easiest into Italian. I've learned to appreciate the things learned in school or common cultural knowledge that I may otherwise have taken for granted. I am constantly challenged by my students and teachers to explain words, concepts, or even sometimes parts of American history by the seat of my pants.
Yes, I am traveling. And yes, I am in Italy so life must be grand, right? But it isn't always as easy as it sounds. Even in America, teaching high school aged children is demanding. And because my school is sports and tech, most of my students are boys. Some don't sit still, they like to joke around, they talk over teachers, or they might not even be interested in school. I am constantly surrounded by a language that I do not understand. Explaining things with no response or blank stares can be like talking to a brick wall. I don't have any teaching experience [fake it, 'till you make it, right?]. English is my mother tongue and comes naturally, so I don't call my sentences the past simple or present continuous as most of my students are learning in class. Oh, and there's occasionally that awkward moment when you teach them something in American English that contradicts something in the British English they are learning, or the vocabulary is simply different. For now, I have 17 different classes, and I will have 17 other ones in a few weeks, but I probably know less than 10 of my students names. Most are shy to speak or aren't willing to participate. Teaching is challenging, but it is also rewarding, and right now it's only the beginning.
