An Italian by the name of Kobe

Posted on February 27, 2020 by babbityjean

Soccer, yes, but basketball?  One rarely associates this sport with the country of Italy.  It was in Italy, however, that Kobe Bryant first learned his skills, practiced incessantly, and dreamed of becoming an NBA player.  In 1984, Kobe’s father, Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant, retired from the NBA to play in Italy and moved the family to Rieti, in Lazio.  Then 6 years old, Kobe would jump off the balcony of his parents’ house, cross a busy street, and run to a church playground to throw a ball in a basket.  The family moved several times—to Reggio Calabria, then to Pistoia (in Tuscany) and finally to Reggio Emilia.  During his formative years until the age of 13, Kobe became fluent in Italian, practiced basketball, and made many friends and memories, particularly in Reggio Emilia.

It was in Southern California that Kobe established his adult life and his career as a Los Angeles Laker.  And it was here that he died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash along with a 13-year-old daughter and seven other people.  He was on his way to coach his daughter and her teammates in a basketball game. Kobe is now being mourned throughout the world, most notably in Southern California and in Italy.

Italy always seemed to be in Kobe’s heart.  He returned to Reggio Emilia whenever he could.  He gave his four daughters Italian first and middle names: Natalia Diamante (17), Gianna ‘Gigi’ Maria-Onore (13), Bianc(k)a Bella (4), and Capri Kobe (7 months).  In 2018, he received an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film called “Dear Basketball.”  His acceptance speech ended with a tribute in Italian to his wife and daughters: “Vi amo con tutto mio cuore” (I love you with all my heart).

Kobe gave many interviews to the Italian media in flawless Italian.  In a 2011 interview on Radio Deejay, he said, “I grew up here in Italy, it’s a country that will always be close to my heart.  Always….Here I feel at peace.”  Luca Vecchi, the mayor of Reggio Emilia, recently wrote on Facebook, “Kobe Bryant grew up here and was, for all of us, a ‘Reggiano.’”  Davide Giudici, a longtime friend and former teammate of Kobe’s, wrote, “When he moved to Reggio Emilia and started playing on my team, it was immediately clear he was from another planet, a cut above us all.” Davide continued, “When he often told us that one day he would become a professional NBA player, we would make fun of him.  But he worked for it.  At the end of our training, the rest of us would just go watch TV or do other things. Kobe, instead, would go home and keep training with the basket that his father had put up for him in his garden.”

In his adult life, Kobe often came to Santa Barbara where he worked with children at the Boys and Girls Club and at his “Kobe Basketball Academy.”  Santa Barbara was one of his favorite cities in the world because it reminded him of his days growing up in Italy: “It is calm and very family-oriented, so it brings back a lot of memories.”    A personal anecdote:  When Giuseppe Crisà (now a foremost pizza oven maker in Santa Barbara) first arrived here from Sicily to join his brother, he got lost one day in the city.  A man stopped his car to ask if he could help.  When he heard Giuseppe’s accent, he immediately responded in Italian and together they found the brother’s house.  That good samaritan was Kobe.

Posted in California, English, Film, Foto, Italia, La Lingua, Lo Sport, Santa Barbara, Toscana | Leave a comment

Quando gli italiani parlano inglese

Posted on February 21, 2020 by babbityjean

Ogni volta che Matteo Renzi, ex primo ministro italiano, appariva in televisione parlando inglese, mi arrabbiavo.  Ma, non a causa dei suoi errori, che erano in qualche modo accattivanti, ma perché i suoi video sono diventavano virali e gran parte dell’Italia lo derideva. Ironia della sorte, la maggior parte degli italiani ha una conoscenza della lingua inglese relativamente scarsa. I risultati di uno studio globale nel 2019 ha classificato l’Italia la peggiore nell’Unione Europea per la conoscenza dell’inglese. I Paesi Bassi si sono classificati al primo posto su 100 paesi e l’Italia si è classificata al 36 ° posto appena dietro la Spagna in moderata competenza e dietro tutti gli altri paesi dell’UE. I punteggi dei test erano relativi alle regioni: Molise, Puglia e Basilicata sono risultate le più basse; l’Emilia-Romagna invece, famosa per l’università di Bologna, la più antica nel mondo occidentale, si è classificata al primo posto tra le regioni.

Le ragioni sono molte e varie. Il primo grande problema è che il sistema educativo italiano tende a concentrarsi sull’acquisizione di conoscenze teoriche piuttosto che sull’applicazione pratica. Questo è un problema soprattutto per le lingue straniere perché dovrebbero essere parlate, ascoltate e scritte. Gli studenti italiani che studiano inglese sono tenuti a memorizzare le regole grammaticali senza esercitarsi o parlare la lingua. Non c’è da stupirsi che gli studenti tendano a dimenticare tutto dopo aver lasciato la scuola. Ciò è aggravato dal fatto che ci sono pochi madrelingua inglesi nelle scuole.

Un altro motivo è legato all’economia. La maggior parte delle aziende italiane sono imprese a conduzione familiare rivolte al mercato italiano. Man mano che le esportazioni diventate più importanti, è aumenta anche la necessità di conoscenza della lingua inglese. A meno che le persone non parlino quotidianamente l’inglese al lavoro, a scuola o in strada, è difficile acquisire più alti livelli di competenza linguistica. Nemmeno molti professionisti altamente istruiti hanno padronanza di questa lingua straniera. Forse quelli che più probabilmente parlano inglese fluentemente sono nel settore turistico. L’inglese è anche la lingua degli scienziati e degli atleti internazionali; il ventitreenne tennista romano, Matteo Berrettini, che ora è tra i primi dieci in tutto il mondo, parla abbastanza bene l’inglese durante le sue interviste.

Quando si parla di media, che siano film, cartoni animati, programmi TV o documentari, sono tutti tradotti dall’inglese all’italiano, essendo il doppiaggio italiano tra le migliori al mondo. Il doppiaggio è un retaggio del fascismo, ha una tradizione molto forte e viene utilizzato in quasi tutti gli adattamenti di produzioni straniere. Ma guardare film in un’altra lingua originale può essere un modo divertente ed efficace per imparare quella lingua. Fortunatamente, oggi ci sono più opportunità con i servizi di streaming e online.

Gli italiani considerano il parlare in pubblico come una forma d’arte. Questa abilità essendo apprezzata, spinge le persone a concentrarsi sull’imparare a creare un buon discorso in italiano, con parole appropriate e con una forma decorosa. Infatti, in Italia anche gli esami universitari sono orali, piuttosto che scritti come negli Stati Uniti, e gli studenti imparano a gestire la propria ansia e a creare esposizioni competenti e creative da un punto di vista stilistico. Forse è per questo che così tanti italiani hanno deriso i discorsi di Matteo Renzi in inglese. L’attuale ministro degli Esteri, Luigi Di Maio, raramente tenta di parlare inglese ed è anche lui ridicolizzato quando lo fa.

 

Posted in Abitudini, Differenze culturali, educazione, Italia, Italiano, La Lingua | 1 Comment

Italians speaking English

Posted on February 21, 2020 by babbityjean

Whenever Matteo Renzi, former prime minister of Italy, was televised speaking English over the last few years, I cringed.  Not because of his mistakes, which were somewhat endearing, but because the videos went viral, and much of Italy mocked him.  Ironically, most people in Italy have relatively poor English language skills.  The results of a global study in 2019 ranked Italy the worst country in the European Union in English proficiency.  The Netherlands ranked first of 100 countries and Italy placed 36th just behind Spain in moderate competency and behind all other EU countries.  Test scores varied by region with Molise, Puglia and Basilicata at the bottom; home to Bologna’s famous university, Emilia-Romagna ranked highest among the regions.

The reasons are many and varied.  The first big problem is that the Italian education system tends to focus on acquiring theoretical knowledge rather than the practical application of it.  This is especially a problem for languages because they need to be practiced by speaking, listening and writing.  Italian students who study English are required to memorize grammar rules without practicing and speaking the language.  No wonder students tend to forget everything after they leave school.  This is compounded by the fact that there are few native English speakers in the schools.

Another reason is related to the economy.  Most Italian companies are family-run businesses aimed at the Italian market.  As exports become more important, so does the need for English proficiency.  Unless people speak English daily at work, school, or on the street, it is difficult to acquire any level of proficiency.  Not even many highly educated professionals have command of the language.  Perhaps those most likely to speak English fluently are in the tourism industry.  English is also the preferred language of scientists and of international athletes; the 23-year-old Roman tennis player, Matteo Berrettini, who is now in the top ten worldwide, speaks English quite well during his interviews.

When it comes to the media, all entertainment—movies, cartoons, TV shows and documentaries—are translated from English into Italian because the Italian dubbing industry is among the best in the world.  Dubbing is a legacy of fascism, has a very strong tradition, and is used in almost every adaptation of foreign productions.  But watching movies in another language can be a fun and effective way to learn that language.  Fortunately, there are more opportunities today with streaming and online services.

Italians consider public speaking to be an art form.  This skill is prized and people concentrate on learning how to create a good discourse in Italian with the appropriate words and plenty of embellishments.  In fact, in Italy even university exams are oral, rather than written as in the United States, and students learn to manage their anxiety and to create competent and creative presentations from a stylistic point of view.  Maybe this is why so many Italians mocked Matteo Renzi’s speeches in English.  The current foreign minister, Luigi Di Maio, rarely attempts to speak English and is also ridiculed when he does.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Abitudini, Differenze culturali, educazione, English, Italia, La Lingua, Politica | Leave a comment