Tag Archives: Study Abroad

Italianist Spotlight: Eric Pirollo

Each semester we aim to showcase students, faculty and alumni of the Italian program in the Italianist Spotlight. For our inaugural Spotlight we’ve asked senior Eric Pirollo about his experiences in the program.

Eric is pursuing a double major in Economics and History and an Italian minor. He was the very first dancer sponsored by the Italian Student Society to participate in Penn State’s Dance marathon in support of the Four Diamonds Fund.

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Eric representing the Italian Student Society at Penn State’s THON

What made you want to pursue an Italian minor?

I knew I wanted to study the language and that I wanted to go abroad to Italy. It didn’t make sense to not do those things and not have a minor. I wanted to study the language because growing up having dinners at my grandparents [originally from Lazio near Gaeta] made me curious to know what they were saying at the dinner table when they would switch to Italian.

Did you study abroad in Italy?

I went on the faculty lead summer trip to Reggio Calabria. I thought that a faculty lead trip would be better for me. I felt that the atmosphere was different because the faculty knows a lot more about the area and took us on all these excursions. We went to Agrigento in Sicily and I really liked that because of the Greek History. I found that being a History Major I was drawn to it. The temples were just incredible. The students all lived together in the apartments and we would just all go out and explore Reggio together. We met some students from the Italian university near by and we played soccer, saw places that we would never have known about and we would also go to the beach a lot.

I improved my Italian 119%. I learned more Italian in those six weeks than I could have ever imagined. Being in Southern Italy, no one really spoke English and so we were really forced to learn the language for basic communication and survival. At the beginning I was afraid. The first week in Sicily it was like walking on eggshells. But I kinda tried to be bolder and have the confidence. Looking back, you have to know you are going to mess up and that’s part of the experience and a part of learning. The faster you get over that, the better your experience will be and the faster the learning will be.

When did you become involved with the Italian Student Society (ISS)?

My first semester – coming in I wanted to join some sort of Italian organization on campus. My first semester in Italian 001, we were told about this “Tavola” [informal conversation hour run by the ISS] and one of my classmates went with me. I really enjoyed Tavola and I thought it was a great way to supplement my learning of the language. I came back a couple times and eventually I went to other club events and became part of the family.

When I first joined I didn’t really want to be involved with the Executive Board. I just wanted to be a member. As I progressed and matured in college, I found myself wanting to have a leadership position and give my input on club activities. I became the IM sports coordinator my junior year. One of the aspects of the club that I enjoyed most was the THON involvement. I went on some canning trips and by sophomore year I spent most of my time with ISS in the stands for THON weekend. That was something that really made me feel closer to the members of the club.

So when we continued [with THON] my junior year and we raised enough money to have dancers, I jumped at the chance to be considered one of the first-ever dancers for ISS. It was such an honor to be able to represent the organization in THON in such a huge way.

What is next for you and Italian?

In terms of speaking the language, [I’ll continue] probably with my relatives and communicate with them and other Italian family members. I hope to return to Italy and be able to communicate there and speak the language with my relatives there or be a slightly more informed tourist. Learning a language in general is what really shaped me and not only does it expose you to a new culture but I think it opens you a little bit. You can’t directly translate so as a student there are different ways to express things. It broadens your horizons.

Interview by Alessandra Cioffi, Italian Social Media Intern

 

 

 

Nothing can truly prepare you for what life is going to be like when you live abroad.

Today’s guest blogger is Angela Trovato. Angela is spending her spring semester in Perugia Italy and shares how taking Italian 197A: Italian for Study Abroad helped her prepare.

By Angela Trovato, Perugia, Italy

I have had my heart set on studying abroad in Italy since I was about 10 years old. Both my grandma and grandpa were born there and I had always wanted to go after hearing such wonderful stories about it from them.

The Colosseum in Rome

The Colosseum in Rome

Although I was ecstatic when I realized one of my lifelong goals would soon be coming true, there was also a part of me that was nervous and unsure of what to expect! Luckily for me, I found the class Italian 197A being offered for students who were planning to study abroad in Italy and I signed up right away.

I absolutely feel that Italian 197A was extremely helpful in preparing me for my time abroad here in Italy. I learned vocabulary and phrases that I use here in my every day conversations. Having a general knowledge and understanding of the language felt like I was a step ahead of the game and made the language barrier a lot less challenging and scary.

In Italian 197A we also talked a lot about cultural norms and how they differ here in Italy from those norms of America, and let me tell you there are definitely some major differences. But, since we talked about them in class during our lessons I was fully aware of what to expect when it came to grocery shopping, clothes shopping, and other routine tasks. So I wasn’t shocked to learn that stores all close at some point in the afternoon and basically everything is closed here on Sundays.

One thing I’ve learned about Italy is how accessible trains are to any area of the country for a relatively cheap price. I have been fortunate enough to get to travel to Rome, Florence, Milan, Assisi, Sicily, and other smaller towns nearby Perugia. The landscape here is truly breath taking and it is something that I will never get used to seeing. I will miss that the most when I return back home to America. Also, the history of this country is undeniable and beyond what you could even imagine. The ancient monuments and museums of Renaissance art are the perfect representation of the quintessential Italy that I had always heard about growing up.

St. Peter's Square in Vatican City

St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City

Nothing can truly prepare you for what life is going to be like when you live abroad in another country for four months, because it really is such an incredible, different experience, unlike any other I’ve had in my life. However, Italian 197A prepared me as best as possible and I came here confident and ready to take on any challenge with the knowledge and helpful lessons I learned from the class.

Italian 197A prepared me to live in Italy and not only survive, but thrive.

Today’s guest blogger is Lindsay Zavislak who is studying in Perugia, Italy. She discusses how taking Italian 197A: Italian for Study Abroad helped her prepare for a semester abroad.

By Lindsay Zavislak, Perugia, Italy

Hi! My name is Lindsay and I am a junior at Penn State majoring in psychology. I am studying abroad in Perugia, Italy this semester. After I was accepted to the program, I realized how unprepared I was. I had never been outside of the United States and I did not know what to expect from Italy. I received an email that a new course was being offered that was centered around study abroad. I thought this would be a perfect fit for me because I was looking to learn as much as I could before leaving.

Italian 197A prepared me to live in Italy because it taught me a basic history, knowledge of the culture today, and survival tips. It is important to know the history of a country you will be living in. This did not occur to me until I began to learn Italy’s history and the impact its had on the culture today. The tips that I learned in Italian 197A help me every day to thrive in this country. I understand what I should and should not do and I have not had any problems. This may seem like common sense, but habits and customs are different in every country. It is important to know what Italians find acceptable and not, compared to Americans.

Italian 197A also focused on language pertaining to situations that we would find ourselves in often, such as eating in restaurants, shopping, and buying a train ticket. Although my program began with a week of intensive Italian, I felt ahead of the rest of the students because I already had a knowledge of this vocabulary.

The Roman Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum

Overall, Italian 197A prepared me to live in Italy and not only survive, but thrive. I have been having an amazing time in Italy so far and exploring the country outside of my small town. So far, I have visited Florence, Rome, Assisi, and Sicily. Vatican City in Rome has been my favorite because the Sistine Chapel is an amazing sight to see. The Colosseum is amazing in person as well. I feel so grateful that I have this opportunity to travel and see all these wonderful things. Italy is a beautiful country and any city that you are able to study in will be a great choice!