In this paper I will address the issues I face as a teacher from the context of living and working in Italy, as well as the common problems my students encounter while learning and speaking English. I also want to draw attention to the input culture and society has on language, and look at how these factors influence dynamics within the classroom. Of course, it is nearly impossible to view ones self outside your own given cultural perspective, so as a result of this I will also be discussing my own assumptions on how I "imagined" people might act, compared to the reality of the situation. Often I neglect to take into account these differences, simply because I was raised in America, where I am used to a different set of cultural dynamics.

I recently attended a University of Cambridge conference for teachers teaching English as a foreign or second language. One of the speakers was a man by the name of Tom Hutchinson, who gave a lecture on "Language, Society and Culture" (Hutchinson). I found this topic extremely relevant to the problems I face in the classroom. As I will mention later in this paper, the issues both my students and I face, tend to be more complex than just simple technical speech problems and more focused around differences in what is so called "normal" in the English language and general culture, and what is "normal" in general Italian culture.

I in no way want to make negative generalizations about the Italian culture. I believe in order to become a more efficient teacher, I must first understand why and how students act, react and participate the way they do. I can then better judge a situation and perhaps alter my lesson planning and teaching style around these factors.

Hutchinson states that there are three main levels of culture that need to be considered.

1. Lifestyle and institutions. "Everything within a culture carries assumptions" (Hutchinson)

• Houses, apartment or common shared living space - this can affect economic opportunity as well as where and with who people live
• Education, universities and schools life. Often the amount and availability of education can affect weather or not education is viewed as a priority, therefore affecting participation.
• Jobs and Working. In some countries having a full or part time job is economically necessary, where in other countries and cultures it is not. Other factors include food, meal time, opening and closing times and much, much more. All though I found these last points interesting, I didn't find them as relevant for myself and my students as I did the points before.

2. Social customs.

• Currently in much of Britain, England and America, "official titles have almost disappeared" (Hutchinson). First name or last name is almost always ok, instead of more proper titles such as Mr., Mrs., Doctor, Professor, Sir, ext ... This is important in how students may view each other as peers, as well as how they view the teachers.
• Talking about wages and income in some countries is normal and acceptable, where as in many countries it is not. This is important also in explaining that all though people may be conversing in English, different cultures carry different taboos. What is polite in one country to say or express, may not be ok in another.

3. Interaction. Again what is polite and not, depends on "the code of politeness" (Hutchinson). How you may respond to questions or request may be viewed as polite or inappropriate. Hutchinson asks an important question: "How do you build a conversation? What do you talk about, what do you avoid?” I felt like number 3 was also relevant for my self and my students, as it is important for me to realize what Italians think is polite and socially comfortable, and what is not. Once I am more clear on these factors, I can better interact with students and inform them of other cultural norms and dynamics.

Common problems for many Italians Students

• Most Italians spend more than double the amount of time learning Italian grammar than do most native English speakers. For this reason, often the first thing they want to focus on are "rules" and "structures" of grammar instead of other parts of the language that are equally, if not more important. As a result, my students often have the ability to write or construct a sentence if given word choices, but lack vocabulary and speaking ability. This is both frustrating to the student as well as the teacher. As a solution for these situations, I write on the board the amount of time we will dedicate to grammar and other subjects, but then over lap them with each other when possible. This assures everyone involved that there will be a proper balance.
• Many Italians in general (especially in the northern region of Piemonte where I am teaching) seem to be more comfortable remaining safely positioned as a part of a group, verses wanting to express personal opinions or react without the knowledge of what the others might think. In class this results in few people wanting to state, share, or initiate conversation. I often try to engage them in a particular subject, but find that I must call on someone in particular to get the ball rolling. Once conversation has been initiated, there is less tension, and people feel more comfortable to speak. This is of course common in other cultures, but since I’m focusing on problems students face in Italy, I must state that this is a large problem that can sometimes inhibits the possibility to learn.
• Games, speaking activities and the engaging phase tend to be a bit difficult. Culturally the people of Piemonte are well known for being more reserved, quite and less likely to speak up, both in voice and opinion. Most people are concerned with their own business and seldom make it obvious if they want to know something about someone else. This is not true for all parts of Italy so, it often helps group dynamics if there are students from different parts of the country in class together. Personal information is not something people here are used to giving out, so getting students engaged often results in a classroom full of blank stares. They understand the directions, but do not often consider games, exercises and free speaking activities to be fun or helpful. Therefore I have found that the engage and activate stages are often not as fun as they could be. It works better if there are clear rules, reasons and expectations stated on the board. These problems get easier for the students as well for myself as time goes on and they realize that in order to improve, we all must step outside our comfort zone and try, even if it means making mistakes it’s all part of learning.

Technical speech problem s students in Italy face

• There is no H sound in the Italian language, so words that start with H such as, hope, happy, hospital and hungry are almost always difficult for students to say. Usually the word is pronounced without the H sound, but the rest of the word gets said. We try to work on this sound whenever it gets brought up in class by doing drills individually as well as together.
• There is also no TH, X, Y or K sound. All though students learn fairly quickly the X, Y, K sounds; the TH presents much more a problem. We do mouth exercise where you are not allowed to use your lips when saying a TH word, only your tongue and top teeth. This helps but it remains difficult for many students.

These are only a few of the issues students in Italy face, but the once I have mentioned seem to be the main issues in my particular classes. With my limited teaching experience I feel it is important to recognise these factors not as problems, but more as a personal challenge for me as a teacher.

In conclusion I feel it is necessary to draw a connection between some of the cultural and social factors mentioned previously. Many Italians live in houses or apartments with relatives, this really strengthens the family unit, and helps with economic support. Students before the age of 25 usually do not work and live at home, as education here is viewed as a high priority. Since families often live in a common area, money is often spent on children and education first. This is very helpful and beneficial in the way students view school and language. I almost always feel that my students truly understand that learning English is important. I also feel that all though at first opening up is challenging, most students like the interaction, and especially enjoy information about other cultures and traditions. I feel extremely fortunate to be teaching in such a culturally rich country as Italy, and hope that my experiences will grow with each new class.

Amanda Giovannoni