Like many students, taking language classes is a requirement for your specific college. Learning a new language poses a very difficult challenge for many learners. It is typical of a college student to do the bare minimum work in order to receive a passing grade for the class and not actually retain that information. However, sometimes a certain subject piques your interest and you truly care about the class and learning the information, beyond just to receive a passing grade. This is the case for one Florida State student, Tobi Arubuola, a 19-year-old Psychology major who chose Italian as her language and fell in love with not only the language, but the culture as well.
Her interest in all things Italian even led her to choose to study abroad this summer in Florence, one of FSU’s study abroad locations.
As a fellow student who chose to take Italian as their required language class, I got the opportunity to sit down and talk to Tobi about her motivations to take Italian and her journey with learning the language. Here is what she had to say.
Her Campus (HC): Why did you choose to take Italian instead of another language, and how many classes have you taken?
Tobi Arubuola (TA): I chose Italian because I love the culture and I didn’t want to take Spanish again; I wanted to challenge myself while not taking something like Arabic or Russian. I’ve taken two Italian classes so far, I’m currently in Italian 2.
HC: What motivates you to keep learning and improving your Italian?
TA: I keep on learning the language because it really pushes my ADHD. It’s really hard for me to learn languages because of the vocabulary, but Italian has proven to be a nice challenge. I want to be able to go to Italy and hold thorough conversations with native speakers and understand what they’re saying without the use of translators.
HC: In your opinion, what’s the hardest thing about learning Italian?
TA: The hardest thing about learning Italian is definitely the vocabulary and the very specific grammar rules that only work in certain situations. It’s so specific and there’s so much that you have to remember consistently.
HC: What’s the most important piece of advice you have for someone who wants to learn a new language?
TA: The best advice I will give is to practice outside of class! My friends from Italian class and I try to text in Italian and talk casually in Italian outside of class. Also, learn vocabulary and practice using Quizlet in your down time.
HC: What is it about Italian culture that interests you the most?
TA: My favorite thing about Italian culture is how classic it is and the food. I love that there are dishes that originate from hundreds of years ago. It’s so interesting to study and explore Italian culture.
HC: What made you want to study abroad, and what are you most looking forward to?
TA: I want to study abroad because of how confined I feel only staying in one place. It’s sometimes easy to forget there are other places outside of America and I want to use every opportunity I get to explore that.
Learning a new language can be daunting, but when you find a passion and a love for the language, it becomes so much more impactful and can open all kinds of doors.
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