3008 Italian for children

You will find Italian children very friendly & you are right in that kids take easily to a foreign language - it wont be foreign for long I assure you. My own kids were jabbering away within a couple of weeks when they were young. Don't worry.

I am sure your grandson would have no difficulty settling in and would be bi-lingual within a few months. Italian children start materna education at age three, but can start earlier if their third birthday falls before a certain date (end of Feb I think) so if he was enrolled at the local school he would find it very easy to make new friends and would no doubt do so very quickly. Most offer a choice of mornings only or all day so you would have the choice as to the hours he followed. Compulsory school age is 6yo. Our children were a few weeks old and three when we moved here, both have settled in extremely well and flip from one language to the other without hesitation. We have been extremely pleased with the schooling, both nursery and elementare, it seems much more traditional in its approach to learning and discipline than in the UK. However, it is more intensive accademically, with less time for art, music, sport etc but all are offered locally as an out of school activity, at the parents expense! All the teachers we have encountered have been excellent, very dedicated to the children and their job and what is lovely is that they still feel they can give a child cuddles and hugs when necessary, unlike the UK!
I think the younger the child the easier it is for them to fit in and make friends and they absorb a new language like a sponge, in a few weeks time your grandson will be correcting your Italian!!
Good luck.

Thanks so much for your encouraging replies.Also great to hear about your thoughts on the school system Anne. Lots to discuss will keep you posted!!!
Tricia:)

The first time I took mia figlia to Italy she screamed and stomped her feet until I threatened to murder the kitten - now a tom cat who rules the neighbourhood with claws of steel - hardly a week goes by without an accusatory glance from one of our neighbours as they are seen mollycoddling a quivering wreck that used to be their well groomed pride and joy. :D

However, mia figlia didn't like Italy, in fact, on her first visit.. she didn't like the food.. the weather.. didn't like the beach.. the ice cream.. the houses.. didn't like her relatives there.. and droned continually about how she wanted to go home and see her friends.

She now tells everyone how she doesn't like England.. doesn't like the food.. the weather.. doesn't like the beach.. the ice cream.. the houses.. doesn't like her relatives here.. and drones continually about how she wants to go home and see her friends.

Some things never change.. and I have absolutely no idea where she gets it from! :D

:) :)

Mm Aliena where she gets it from lets think!!! Still tinkin----------

I remember moving house when my daughter was sixteen just three miles down the road, same school ,same friends.She locked herself in her bedroom for about three weeks .I felt like the mother from hell.
Back to thread.. From the experience I have had in Italy and bearing in mind the grass isnt always greener, I admire the way children are welcomed into restaurants bars and society in general .They learn from very young how to behave well in adult surroundings an in adult company.They stay up late to watch outdoor concerts in the summer with seemingly no problem getting up for school the next day!
Well see what the next few months bring.Thanks again all for taking the time to reply
Tricia

I'm sure you have searched but here's the link, some really nice stories.

[url]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/search.php?searchid=98341[/url]

Can you imagine two Aliena's! :eek: :D

Hello Patricia,
We came to live in Puglia with our 2 daughters (then aged 10 and 11) in Sept 2004. They`d had Italian lessons for a couple of years before coming (but had learnt absolutely nothing apart from colours, animals and various other nouns - they didn`t see the point!) they are now practically fluent and have no trouble communicating with their friends etc. Remember they are more immersed than we are, spending 5 hours a day in school so they learn much more quickly and your grandson being so very young it will just be second nature to him after a very short time. I agree that the schooling here is more `traditional` and quite rigid, there is also a lot of homework to do. The afternoon at home isn`t an afternoon off school, it`s supposed to be spent in study. The teachers in the scuole medie aren`t really very `cuddly`! They have to be quite strict - Italian children aren`t quite as shy and retiring as some English children. If you`re going to make the move, it`s much better to make it when children are very young. Mine have no regrets (although it has been very hard for them - I wouldn`t have wanted to have left it any later) and seem to be thriving over here. Good luck!

Thanks for that TMF hadnt found that link
Two Alienas ----now that is scary. Lucky though that we dont have stereo surround sound coming out of our computers!!!!!!!!
All good fun cheering up a boring work day
Tricia

Trulli..

She is in the hands of an excellent teacher.. Grade A* pupil so far and not only does she wear bambina Blahniks.. she already knows the difference between hypocrites and Hippocrates! ;)

No need for paranoia.. honestly! :D

:) :)

I agree with Anne. We moved to Le Marche 2 years ago with a 5,3 and 1 year old. The two oldest are now fluent and have left me behind! They have a german father so have three languages to contend with but for young children this is no problem. Our children have also resulted in our quick acceptance into the local community, and I have no fears for the children's safety like I did in England. The children know many of the adults in the village and are used to being fussed by them. There is a much easier relationship here between adults and children, even old men. If an old man touched a child in England the police would be called. The children at Scola materna gets hugs and kisses from their teachers and in the primary school there 's a lady who seems to be employed to fuss over them all, making sure they're warmly dressed etc. Even on a sunny day my son comes out with hat,scarf,gloves and hood.
The children love it here. In fact it's normally the parents who have the problems settling in!

We are a family of 5 - 3 kids aged 10, 7 and 2 moving to Sicily for 8 mionths - will be fasicnating to see how quickly the kids pick up the lingo andn which age finds it easier. Go for it - you have to live life as an adventure.
Saluti auguri,
jasmine

We have been visiting Le amrche for many years (since before my children were born) prior to living here (this year) my children refused to speak as did any of the foreign friends we have. The only except was the already bilingual children. This year we took the plung and my 8 year old and my 4 year old speak beautiful Italian. My my son (now 4) dreams and plays solo in Italian and in fact I find I can't remember all the words I need in English during the daytime and revert to the Italian because it comes easier.

However, all in the garden is sunny. We have all had times were it has been difficult and frustrating. My daughter (8) had a period of feeling ill when it was time for snack because classroom time was fine but playtime was more difficult. Mostly because her vocalbulary was and is stil limited. She has got over it. we have had problems with my then 3 year old not being able to communicate he needed the toliet. Thankfuly that didn't last long.

I think we have been lucky, we have had a school who are used to non Italian first language children. The school has been patient and caring for not only the children but myself and my husband. I have heard from other expats thats parents can often be a bit nervous of the staneri but we have not experienced that at all.

I am so happy and proud of what my children have accompliced and overall the benefits outweight the difficulties many times over. BUT do not forget there will be problems regardless of the age, stage personality of the child. Its how you and your family, school community deal with them that makes it successful.

We moved to Sicily over three years ago. We have four kids, they are now 12, 10, 5 and 2. We had a lot of problems on arrival. One child refused to learn Italian, he is now the best, corrects me often. The eldest has less vocabulary. In a place like SIcily, it should be remembered that particularly outside the cities, the langauge at home is sicilian. So although our children are now fluent in Italian, they are still an outsidef as they dont talk sicilian.

I am pretty downbeat about the italian education system, I think it is terrible, and part of the reason we will shortly be returning to Australia. There is not a lot of joy in an Italian education, very little that makes a child think, only rote learning. I dont like how there is very little, if any, encouragement for parents to play a role in the school.

I see the results in university graduates who work with me, the have learnt everything except how to think for themselves. The quality of most education in Italy is not equal to Australia, and from what I imagine england.

Cheers

Thanks for all the replies.Still feeling very positive about the possible move.Will keep all you guys posted
Tricia :)