NAPLES, Italy – Sailors strive to make the most of their overseas tour and immerse themselves in the local life and language thanks to Italian language courses onboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples.
The NSA Naples Navy College Office offers two Italian language-learning tracks for community members, either with Central Texas College (CTC) Europe Campus or University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) Europe. While both programs provide instruction in la bella lingua at varying levels of study, each feature different perks.
“Because the classes are taught by local professors, the students get to hear the correct pronunciation and accent, practice consistently, learn the culture, and ask questions pertaining to real-life daily experiences,” said Regional Director, Mediterranean, of UMGC Europe, Mitzia Williams. “The classes are held at convenient times during the week, after work hours. In addition, students can also receive college credit at UMGC toward their degree and/or earn an Italian studies certificate.”
Alternatively, CTC Gateway to Italian classes are not valid for college credit; however, active-duty service members and Department of the Navy civilian employees may attend free of charge with command funding.
“Studying Italian through the CTC, following their informal curriculum, has made it easier for me to learn and has gotten me a lot further in my understanding than I have from taking a few sessions paying out of pocket in the local economy,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Raecho Awuor Buhnerkempe, assigned to U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Naples, Italy. “If anything, it has encouraged me to stick through the different levels and try as much as possible to retain the knowledge and use it in daily practice.”
Although committing to spend evenings after work and free time in lessons or practicing may not be an easy choice, Sailors find their efforts impactful and rewarding.
“I decided to study Italian so that I could feel more at home in the host nation and really enjoy the culture, especially living off base,” said Musician 3rd Class Maria Rose Mandico, assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Europe Band. “I believe that immersing myself in the language, and pursuing it wholeheartedly while stationed in Naples, is the key to getting the most out of this assignment.”
From interacting with native speakers to adopting local customs, service members who learn Italian gain a deeper appreciation for their home abroad and feel more empowered to seek out new, unique experiences.
“Thanks to the Gateway classes, I began private lessons, and got brave enough to attend Italian music festivals by myself,” said Mandico, a flutist who has been learning Italian for over a year and half. “And enroll in monthly music lessons at the Scuola Rubinstein in Rome with piccoloist Fabio Angelo Colajanni.”
Buhnerkempe also attributes her newfound courage to the last year she has spent studying Italian.
“Learning Italian has made me more comfortable getting around,” said Buhnerkempe. “It has given me the confidence to walk into a restaurant, a supermarket, or just a coffee shop and order food and have conversations. It has also made me comfortable asking for help while out and about in town.”
Buhnerkempe noted that as well as feeling better equipped to communicate and participate in the Italian way of life, she also sees improvement in her abilities.
“The thing I have learned that I have found most useful has been the use of the different tenses,” she said. “As challenging as it has been, they have made it easier for me to hold more meaningful and reasonable conversations – more than I was able to at the start of my tour here in Italy.”
Overcoming obstacles while studying and attempting to apply their skills is an inevitable process that language learners recognize and try to appreciate.
“The most challenging part of learning Italian is embracing the mistakes,” said Mandico. “I am fluent in French, so I was prepared for the lengthy process that internalizing a new language entails, but I continue to embrace the imperfections. Mistakes can be part of the fun when trying to speak with the local vegetable vendor or my landlady…every Italian I have met so far has been warm, generous, and forgiving as I navigate my vocabulary, even in its limitations!”
Despite any difficulties, these personable interactions make learning Italian worthwhile. Americans stationed in Naples are able to understand and relate to their Italian hosts on a more intimate and valuable level. These connections – and the intrepid adventures that come along with comprehending and speaking the language – keep students coming back to class excited and invested in learning more.
For more information regarding Italian courses, contact the NSA Naples Navy College Office at +39-081-568-6678.
NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed, to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
For more news about NSA Naples and the Sailors who serve aboard the installation, please follow us on Instagram @NSANaples and Facebook at facebook.com/NSANaples.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.20.2020 03:05 |
| Story ID: | 383427 |
| Location: | NAPLES, IT |
| Web Views: | 218 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Learning the Local Lingo: Service Members Onboard NSA Naples Study Italian, by Alicia McNeely, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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