Ciao a tutti! 

Spero che tutti abbiano passato un buon natale! Babbo Natale, or Santa Claus, has come and gone here in the US, and soon, un nuovo anno and un nuovo decennio will be upon us! Thus, it’s always a good idea to look back and reflect as we move into 2020. As such, let’s take a look at some of the top Italian blogs of 2019!

1. Cosa sta succedendo alla lingua italiana?

The most popular blog post of 2019 was the one above: “What is happening to the Italian language?” This blog is about linguistic phenomenons called language transfer and pseudo-anglicisms, and specifically how they have impacted Italian language and culture. I also link to an Italian ted-talk discussing these exact occurrences!

2. La differenza fra il nord e il sud: il linguaggio 

Here I discussed some differences between the North and South of Italy, specifically when it comes to language. I don’t mean differences in dialect, however, because that would be a whole different ballgame. One certainly worthy of quite a few blog posts… an idea for 2020 maybe?

3. La musica italiana

In preparation for Transparent Language’s Spotify playlist to be launched soon, I have listed some of my favorite Italian songs and have asked viewers to do the same! There is still some time to comment some of yours as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through the comments and discovering new songs and artists, and I hope you have, or will, as well!

4. Gli errori che anche gli italiani fanno

Errors that Italians also make, because everyone makes mistakes. That’s actually my number one rule in my classroom with my students: do not be afraid to make mistakes! I applaud mistakes my students make. It is how we all learn. So dear readers, continue making mistakes and learning, and I will do the same as we move forward into this new decade. Of course, that sentiment of mine can be applied endlessly to our lives, but it is especially important as you’re learning a second language. (Or a third, or a fourth… and so on. Rock on with your imperfections.)

5. Bella Ciao

And lastly, one of my favorite blogs to write: Bella Ciao. This song and its origins in the struggle of the working class, and eventually as a rebellion to the rise of Fascism, gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. If you’re following Italian politics, you know that this song and what it stands for is still very much relevant. The “Sardines” movement in Italy has been growing in opposition to the politics of the Neo-Fascist Matteo Salvini. Just check out this video of thousands of people singing Bella Ciao in the rain in Modena just last month:

And with that, we will say ciao to 2019. In 2020, I hope you all continue your language learning journey with enthusiasm and modesty. With enthusiasm because learning a language is extremely fun and rewarding. With modesty because it’s all about the journey and not perfection.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes to ponder as we wrap up this year and decade;

“Non fermarti né per timore, né per gioia: il cammino dell’arco è un cammino che non ha fine.”

“Do not stop, either for fear or for joy, the path of the bow is a path that has no end.”

-Paulo Coelho, Il cammino dell’arco

Buon Capodanno!