it's over. move to somnia.

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Perché parlano cosi?

I picked up one of those multimedia teach-yourself-Italian kits at the library last week and have been dutifully going through a lesson every day, learning about pleasantries, transportation, food, telling time, and the like. It's set up in a rather clever way--first, listen to some natural dialogues, then go back and listen again while following along with a written translation (to see how much was understood the first time), learn some basic grammar, complete a few exercises, practice engaging in dialogue, and listen to the prerecorded dialogues again.

What I like about it is that everything isn't overenunciated for the listener--one has to listen to (and get used to) the language as it is actually spoken. The downside of this is that...well, a lot of the voices are really annoying. The men sound overly sad when discussing when the train will arrive or what is included with a double room at the hotel. The women have a weird nasal-metallic tint to their speech that makes it sound like they couldn't possibly be more bored when asking what you'd like to drink or introducing their relatives. (The exception is the slightly older woman who sounds as if speaking is terribly painful.) Only Giovanni, the narrator, can be trusted to speak pleasantly.

I've grown kind of nervous, wondering whether Italy is truly populated with people who sound like nails on a chalkboard, or whether the Just Listen 'n Learn people are choosing these hideous voices purposefully, in order to astound me with how well I'll be able to communicate when I get there.
peachy as always, Mike at 11:51 AM